Born in the USA - Town(s)end

[KathyM]

quick addition - Mary was baptised back in England in 1852.......so they didn't stay in USA for very long after her birth, considering too how long they would have been at sea.

[kccjf]

Thanks for all the info - that is really useful. Just to complete the story of Mary for you she married Job Haigh in Shelley when she was 19 (no father mentioned on the marriage certificate). They had 4 natural children - Emma, Arthur, Annie and Herbert, and on adopted son Matthew. Arthur married a Sarah Ann Ellam and one of their children - Lewis Haigh , was my grandfather.

I do have a copy of a letter that Job and Mary sent to a William Sutcliffe in America in 1919 in which the letter starts 'Dear Cousins'. I don't know how this letter came back into the family and am not sure whether the cousins were on the Haigh or the Townsend side.

Thanks once again - and Happy New Year

Kate

[nzbazz]

Hello, is anybody still out there in connection with this thread? 
Through the wonders of modern technology I may have stumbled across Reuben's fate. He is not a relation of mine but is distantly connected to a friend's tree.
It seems Reuben and Elizabeth went to the USA in 1850 aboard the Columbia.
They seem to have returned to England sometime.
In 1860 in Boston USA Reuben enlisted in the Regular Union Army, 1st Artillery, L Company. He is noted as born in Yorkshire and a weaver (see attachments downloaded from Family Search site). He signed on for 5 years but was discharged a Private after 4 at New Orleans.
He re-enlisted in 1864 in New Orleans but deserted in Jan 1865. He was apprehended in Jul 1865. He again deserted in Jul 1866 and was returned Nov 1866. (One of the images is very hard to read and may say that the desertion charge was dropped).
The final note reads died 13 Feb 1867 "accidentally shot in the Guard House at Ft ----- (unreadable)!

Does this help matters or does the mystery deepen lol.

Bronwyn

[nzbazz]

I can't seem to post the attachments