A mystery from Derbyshire to Pennsylavania and back again!

[Hazel17]

I am trying to find out where my husband’s great-grandmother was born and who her parents were as she always led family to believe that she was American but I have got so far and am now a little stuck. It’s almost been a bit of a scavenger hunt trying to find out things so bear with me if this is a long post!

Sarah Cicely Slater married 12/10/1907 in Chesterfield aged 20. Address of 15, Brickhouse Yard, Chesterfield, father Edward Slater - Coal Miner. The witnesses were Edward and Louisa Slater. After 1907 she is easy to trace. She had children between 1911 and 1932.
On the 1911 census she states that her birthplace was Bridgeville, USA (no state given) and that she is aged 24 and English. Brickhouse Yard appears to be part of the parish of Brampton, Chesterfield.
I found a marriage for Edward and Louisa Slater in 1906 St Thomas’s Church Brampton – Edward was 50, widower, miner, Brickhouse Yard and Louisa was of the same address, spinster, aged 19. Edward’s father was another Edward Slater a brick-maker. There was a witness called Elizabeth Slater.
I found another marriage at the same church in 1906 to a Thomas Slater aged 21, also a miner, whose father was also Edward Slater a miner.
Assuming that Edward and Louisa are Sarah’s father and step-mother and that Thomas is her brother I set off to trace them.
I found Edward and Louisa in 1911 visiting in Rotherham. Edward was born Brampton aged 54. So birth of approx 1857. (Edward started a second family with Louisa).I found Thomas now living in Doncaster aged 25 and born Stonebroom Derbyshire so a birth about 1886.I cannot find any trace of any of them in 1901 or 1891 censuses.
I have looked on the passenger lists on ancestry and found a few possibles but nothing that really matches well.
On the 1900 census in the USA I found a very likely family. Edward Slater born Mar 1852 aged 48 married 22 years, English, emigrated in 1886 (I can’t read the mark in the naturalisation column) coal miner. Wife Hannah born Dec 1843 aged 37!! Also English and emigrated 1887 -  8 children born to her 4 alive. They have 3 children on the census Maud, Thomas and Dodie. The children appeared to emigrate with mother Hannah. Maud born Nov 1880 aged 21; Thomas born Dec 1686!! aged 13 (birth reg in q1 1886); and Dodie Aug 1890 aged 10.Thomas and Maud born England and it looks like Dodie is born Penn or Perma. They are living in South Fork Pennsylvania. There’s a Bridgeville in Pennsylvania plus coal mining from what I can tell on the net.
There is a Maud Slater birth in q2 1883 Chesterfield.

There is a marriage for an Edward Slater in q3 1880 Chesterfield. A possible bride is Hannah Davis but there is another Hannah on the same page.

I can see Edward and Hannah in 1881 living in Stonebroom Derbyshire  - he is 25 born Brampton, she is 19 born Bilston, Staffs. They also have a Frances Davis step daughter aged 10 months as well. 

So my question is can anyone find any more info to add to this to prove that Sarah was the daughter of Edward and Hannah – a passenger list with them all on would be great! Is there a baptism out there for Sarah or a death for Hannah? Can anyone find Sarah in 1900? Or is Dodie meant to be Sadie and Sadie a nickname for Sarah? If Hannah has 4 children alive who is the other one? Is Frances still alive somewhere? Can anyone find Maud/Dodie or Frances anywhere else? I can’t pin Edward down before 1881 but I can see Hannah.
Thanks in advance

[Barbara.H]

Hi Hazel,

It was Hannah Davis that Edward married in 1880, at Holy Cross church, Morton, Derbyshire (Derbyshire registrars index on FindMyPast)
On Family Search, marriage took place 10th August 1880, Edward age 25 Hannah age 20. Edward's father was Benjamin Slater, Hannah's father was Thomas Davis. Both single, so if that is them in 1881, the stepdaughter Frances Davis was illegitimate.

Hope that helps a teeny bit!
  Barbara

[Hazel17]

Mmmm... it does help a bit Barbara, only thing is Edward's father was another Edward and a brick-maker according to Free Reg. But Morton is just down the road from Stonebroom.

I do keep coming across Edward son of Benjamin whenever I look for Edward before his marriage. But Benjamin appears to be a coal miner. 

[Hazel17]

In 1861 Benjakin has a nephew called Teddy living with him - right age and birthplace for my Edward. So if Edward grew up with Benjamin maybe he named him as his father on first marriage but by his second remembered his real father's name. And Benjamin is in Stonebroom in 1881 as well and has a daughter called Sarah. Mmm, definately food for thought.

[Barbara.H]

And there is this - Possibly makes things even worse!

Incoming passenger record for August 1901, Philadelphia to Liverpool:

travelling steerage:
Edw. Slater, labourer
Sadie Slater, child under 12
Thomas Slater, labourer
Lottie Slater, wife
Bilma? Belma? Slater, female infant (sounds like a Flintstone  )

All British subjects but no birthplaces given on this listing. Arrived 23 August 1901 on the Belgenland, American line. Edward and Sadie could possibly be the ones you found in 1900.

Doesn't seem quite right as 'Sadie' a little bit young to be your Sarah (unless they fibbed about her age to get a cheap rate) and your Thomas would only be 15 which is a bit young to be this one with a wife and baby.  But needless to say I can't find Thomas, Lottie and 'Bilma' Slater anywhere in 1911! 

Certainly is a bit of a scavenger hunt!

  Barbara

[Hazel17]

Mmm - another one to think about! The ages do seem to be a bit out. I think Thomas did marry a Charlotte though but in 1906 when they were 21.  I think they are ones to rule out if we can fidn them - they do like to disappear though. Thanks for looking - keep hunting if you like - we might just find the right bits of the puzzle.  Can't find Benjamin in1851 and when I do find him in 1841 he doesn't seem to have a brother Edward. 

[Hazel17]

Still not sure if Edward senior was a mistake or a real person but I have found a baptism in Brampton in 1834 where the father is Edward Slater brick maker (mother Ann) Brampton Moor. The child baptised was a Joseph who died as an infant but if he was Edward Junior's father then were he and Benjamin really brothers or some sort of cousins?    There is a burial of an Ann Slater aged 26 from Brampton Moor in 1835 so maybe Edward Junior was brought up with relatives...

Ignore all of that because of course Edward Junior wasn't born until 1857 and it's Edward Slater senior brickmaker who was probably born about 1830 or thereabouts... unless that is Edward Slater senior and he re-married after Ann died and Benjamin was his nephew/cousin or whatever and somehow ended up with Edward Junior....

[jaywit]

Hazel I think I'm confused but, Edward born 1852/1857 is there a possible birth registration for him and what about a baptism? Either of those should sort his parents out.

[Hazel17]

There is a birth cert and I think I may have order it - as it is MIL's tree I am trying not to spend as all she wants to prove is whether Sarah Ciceley Slater was definitely born in America and were her parents English or American. But I think I may need to prove who Edward is to make sure that the Edward who married Hannah Davis and the Edward who married Louisa Buxton in 1906 are the same man. If that man is then definitely Sarah's father then case closed so to speak. (Except me being me I woudl liek to find out more  ) There are no Pennsylvania birth certs for the time nor can I find a baptism for Sarah.

I have found an Edward and Martha Slater in Brampton in 1851 and Edward is a brickmaker and Martha appears to de in 1859 so maybe they were Edward Juniors parents but I can't fathom the connection between Edward Senior and Benjamin. I can see both in 1841 with separate parents. I think there is only one Edward Junior born 1857 as I can see only one birth reg.

I am feeling confused too with all the Edwards.

I have just found a baptism Edward Slater 08/04/1857 Whittington which is quite near Chesterfield to Edward and Martha Slater on the IGI. Edward and Martha married at Chestefield All Sanits 1848 and Martha's maiden name was SLater...