First USA connection

[Adi1962]

I have finally found my first ancestor that emigrated to America  problem is don't know where to start looking. 

I have checked the Ellis Island site with no luck 

Can anyone point me in best directions.

Really need to find how/when he emigrated.

Looking for James Furminger b 1848 Brede, Sussex (Possible middle name was Frederick) and Eunice Noakes b abt 1850 Brede Sussex.
James claimed to have been a US citizen for 30 years in the 1900 Census, so guess he arrived around 1870. He may or may not have travelled with Eunice and her family. But they did marry in Cook Co. IL in Jan 1876.
Both James family and Eunice familes lived in the same village of Brede in Sussex. As far as I know only James emigrated from his family.

Thanks
Adrian

[leagen]

Have you checked sites listing ship's passenger lists?  Somewhere here at Rootschat several sites are listed.   Search for Passenger Lists or Ships Lists here and you will find the links.   Leagen

[Adi1962]

Leagen,

Yes I have started to trawl through them.

Realised that Ellis Island can not help as he arrived before their records start.

Its difficult because I do not know when and from where he sailed or even the destination.  The only two reference dates are Born 1848 Brede and Married 1876 Cook Co. IL (Might have just rule him out from the 1870 US Census)

Seems to be a lack of passenger lists around the 1870 period

Adrian

[leagen]

I have the same problem.  My first Jenkins came to U.S. from Ireland during the potato famine and I have no idea if they left from Ire. or Eng. (Fares were cheaper from U.K. and often it would be cheaper to travel to Uk and leave from there).  They may have gone to Canada first as the place they settled in in NY. is right on the Canadian boarder but don't know for sure.  Only year I know of is 1850 they first show up in NY.  And I don't even know where in Ire. they were from.  I have decided my search is hopeless.    Leagen

[Adi1962]

Via Canada was a possibility I also considered as he settled in IL.

To compound the puzzle I have no heard that he may have also returned to England.

I am surprised at the lack of available passenger records on the internet for emigrants to US, especially compared to Australia and New Zealand.  Hopefully I can find some resources that will help. Fortunately I think my search area can be defined first by his age, assume he would not have travelled alond until 18, so 1866  and before the 1870 Census.

Adrian

[nutkin]

Just to put in my two cents- also look at ships that came through the port of New Orleans, Louisiana.  My husband's mid-western relatives came that way and took the river north.  They came from Ireland and entered by new Orleans in the late 1860/70's to settle in Minnesota and South Dakota.  The Mississippi or Missouri river was used.  They could enter by New Orleans and take a boat to the center of the country.

[Adi1962]

Nutkin

Thanks. I supose that almost any route is possible, a lot depending on what was available to him at the time.

Who keeps all the passenger list records for England to US ??  Looks like I need to trawl the original source as very little seems available on the web for the years 1866 - 1875.

Found a spooky coincedence over the weekend. Thomas J, the son is buried at Crab Orchard Cemetery, Johnson Co. NE and his death date is 1962......the same year I was born......

The transcript of the records also has his wife Myrtle and after her name a T in brackets (T)...any idea what that is surposed to mean...note that other records have other letters in brackets. Its not her first initial as that was O.

Thanks
Adrian

[nutkin]

There is no main indexed depository that I k now of in the US.  We are VERY inadequate in our genealogy resources.  There may be records in the UK that deal with the port they left from.  That could be one source.

I have been told in the US, many records were destroyed in the 1850-1870 period due to fire and flooding and other poor record keeping.  Bad in that is when many came over to the US. 

One resource is the National Archives (NARA).  However, I do not believe they will do a search. You need to know when the relation came over.  They have most records there.  Here is the web site-

http://www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/research_topics.html

There are some indexes on Ancestry and other pay for sites that may have indexed the record and then they can be ordered from NARA.

[Adi1962]

Nutkin

Thanks.

I have read about a fire in Washington that destroyed most of the 1890 Census but did not know there were other instances, typically in the time period I need.

I have checked what Ancestry have and they also have a lack of records around 1860-1870.

Not knowing the American system, would he have had to sign anything regarding staying in America, some form of citizenship declaration or is that something that was introduced later ??

Adrian