FORREST surname in Scotland

[Skye_]

The 1860 U.S. Census gives Ireland as the birthplace of both William & Ellen Haslett. They are in Catasauqua, Lehigh, Pennsylvania with 2 daughters (both born Penna.).

Thanks so much for checking on that for me.  I really appreciate everyone's effort in trying to help me, but this has been going on for years and I can't help but feel mine is a lost cause, short of traveling to Scotland and searching records there (LOVE that idea!) but I don't even know what area they came from.

I knew that in both the 1860 and the 1870 U.S. census Ellen's birthplace shows as Ireland, but I believe that was erroneously entered by the census takers.  Based on the following U.S. censuses, I have to believe Ellen was born in Scotland.   

In 1870 Ellen is living in Philadelphia with her two daughters, Anna & Maggie, in some kind of boarding house. Here, she is born in Ireland. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12349-218814-81?cc=1438024&wc=M9SM-KLG:1524636312

However, by 1880 she is living with brother, William H. (last name spelled "Forest") in Sheldon, Wyoming Co., NY, and both Ellen and her brother are born in Scotland, as are their parents.  (http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6742&iid=4243690-00557&fn=W.+H.&ln=Forest&st=r&ssrc=&pid=5770064 )

The NY State census for 1892, shows her living with new Hubby, Robins Stillman in Aurora, Erie Co., NY, and was born in Scotland.

And finally the 1900 U.S. Census shows her living in Wales Center, Erie County, NY with her daughter and family, Jasper D. and Annie Worster [Wooster].  Again, she's born in Scotland, and came to the U.S. in 1840.
 
Having researched this for years (literally), I have found other Forrest families that could be potential family members but even though they live in the same general area, I just can't be sure. 
 
Much of my information is derived from resources in my possession including many letters written by my great grandfather, Jasper D. Wooster; from autograph books belonging to my grandmother (daughter of Jasper D.) containing little notes written by "Aunt Mary Forrest" of San Fransisco and cousins, Lester and Edwin (sons of Mary); from postcards sent to my grandmother from Lester, employed by UCLA in California; and postcards sent to Ellen Stillman - one of which was addressed to "Grandma Hazlett Easter Sunday 1908, from that Old Quaker, S. Ridgway Kennedy" (photo attached).  I located and made contact with an ancestor of Mr. Kennedy, but he has no knowledge of Ellen or the names of Forrest or Hazlett.  On top of all that, I have an old photo album belonging to Jasper Wooster which includes photos of Forrest family members. 

I apologize for this lengthy post but I just wanted to let you know where I am in the search for my Forrest family.  My quest is to find the parents of William and Ellen, to discover other potential siblings and to determine wither Kate was a sister or cousin but, again, it is undoubtedly the proverbial needle in the haystack.

[aghadowey]

You mentioned earlier that her brother James was born c1830 in Ireland. My gut feeling is that Ellen's family might have been from Northern Ireland (possibly Co. Londonderry) and that the family might have gone back and forth between Ireland and Scotland.

[Skoosh]

Found this on George Forrest the planthunter, Daval,

 http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociety.co.uk/home/index.php?id=140


Skoosh.

[daval57]

Cheers Skoosh.
I actually have that bookmarked.
I've actually got a fair bit on George and his family, mostly courtesy of one of his relatives. 
I've never found a link to 'my' lot yet.  I think it's unlikely, but if there is a connection, it's many generations earlier than George.

Dave

I do have a Pieris Forrestii in my garden though! 

[gingerbit]

 Hi Dave
There are  more Forrests on the other side of my tree.
I wonder what non family researchers would make of that sentence. !!

James Forrest b. Dumfries 1819 m. 13.5.1842 w. Mary Bell b. 1819
Children : Janet b. 1844
               George b. 1845 d. ?
               Martha b. 1847 d. ?
               Margaret b. 10.4.1849
               Martha b. 19.10.1851 Dumfries  m 25.6.1875 to Andrew Bower  d. 1923
               George b. 15.2.1854

[daval57]

Thanks for that too.  Added to my ever growing to-do list! 

[Skye_]

You mentioned earlier that her brother James was born c1830 in Ireland. My gut feeling is that Ellen's family might have been from Northern Ireland (possibly Co. Londonderry) and that the family might have gone back and forth between Ireland and Scotland.

I'm not sure she has a brother, James - that was purely speculation since James was the deceased husband of Mary in San Francisco, but your suggestion is certainly worth further investigation! Thanks.

[shellyesq]

skye, regarding Ellen Stillman, it might help to get her death certificate from New York assuming that she died there.  The ones from that era typically have a space for parents' names.  Whether the informant had the information is another story, but at least it's a possibility.  There is a library in New York that will do look-ups in the death index, as explained here - http://www.unyg.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/new-york-state-vital-records-microfiche-indexes-update/  A date of death might also lead to an obituary.

If that doesn't pan out, I see that Jasper & Anna are listed on www.findagrave.com.  It might be worth checking if Ellen is buried in the same cemetery.

[daval57]

Apologies to all again, that are waiting on some reply from me.  I've just not had the time or inclination to get heavily involved in genealogy again for over a year now.

Having said that, I just made what I THINK is a breakthrough in my Forrest line, hopefully taking it back one more generation to circa 1700 moving my family from the Stirlingshire/Dunbartonshire areas over to Midlothian/East Lothian areas around Dalkeith / Elphinstone areas.  Details on my tree site and other RC post here: ( http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=678242.msg5229340#msg5229340 )

A HUGE shout out too to Marion C who has added a considerable amount of info to my tree re her Forrest line, mostly in Nth Lanarkshire.  I've been making promises to Marion for ages that I would add her details from her gedcom which she kindly supplied.  She finally gave up on me.    But I gave her access to my site as an admin so she could add it herself.  Great job she's done so far.  Much appreciated and I hope it helps put her and other researchers of the North Lanarkshire Forrests in touch.  Cheers Marion.

Link to my Forrest site is at the bottom of this post.  Everyone with Forrests welcome to request an invite.

Dave.