Montana !

[howesd]

I would appreciate some help with researching Montana census records.  I have an Alice Hackin Gray born 1860 Durham England married for the 2nd time to a William Archer Brownlow abt 1887.  Her 1st husband was William Macnay died in 1882.  At some point after this Alice and William together with the daughters of Alice, Florence Macnay b1882 in England and Hetty Macnay born 1884 travelled out to Montana.  They returned in 1893 where the girls are listed on the Passenger list with the surname Brownlow together with another sister, Sarah Brownlow.

I have searched on Ancestry but there does not seem to be a suitable census for Montana which covers this period.  Can anyone suggest any other means of trying to find them living in the USA.  William Brownlow had a brother George living in Montana working as a Quartz Miner in 1900 census in Gardiner, Cooke, Jardine, Park.  It is thought that Alice ran a hotel whilst living in Montana.

Any help with this one would be appreciated.

[*Sandra*]

Hi,

Unfortunately the 1890 census was almost entirely destroyed by fire and only remnants remain which is why your having no luck finding the family.  City directories are sometimes useful, they tend to give information between census but I cannot see anything so far.

https://familysearch.org/ shows most of the records available in the US.

Sandra

[GrahamSimons]

You might get some useful starting points here....http://www.cyndislist.com/us/mt/libraries/

[Lisa in California]

Have you found Sarah on any English census returns?  Do you know Sarah's year of birth, please?

[howesd]

I have found a possible candidate for Sarah Brownlow in 1901 census in New Brancepath, Durham, Lancashire where she states born in USA British Subject. She was born in 1886/7

William Brownlow    43
Florence Brownlow    40
Florence Brownlow    19
Sarah Brownlow    14
Thomas Brownlow    64

RG13; Piece: 4677; Folio: 123; Page: 33

Thank you for taking interest.

[shellyesq]

The 1892 Helena, Montana city directory has this:

Brownlow, Wm., laborer, resides 668 W. Main.

[Lisa in California]

Thank you for the information.  It could be her.  I do not have access to passenger lists to the UK, but by a process of elimination, it appears that Sarah was born c1886.

Perhaps a coincidence?
Helena, Montana Directory, 1891
George R Brownlow, laborer, 585 W Main
Wm Brownlow, laborer, 668 W Main

Update: Shelly, you beat me to it.   

[Lisa in California]

Brownlow's buried in Helena.  Perhaps a connection?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0rch/

[Lisa in California]

This doesn't help in the search, but...
November 10, 1933, Helena, Montana
Thomas P. Brownlow, Pioneer Mining Man, Dies at Family Home
Thomas P. Brownlow, 73,...mining ventures in the Helena district for the past 50 years, died shortly before midnight last evening...family residence, 930 N. Park avenue...Remains at Opp and Conrad funeral home.  Mr. Brownlow was born in England, March 9, 1860, came to Helena in 1883(?)...health had been failing for the past nine years.  All family members were at his bedside.  Surviving: widow, Sarah Anne Brownlow (was Sarah Anne Ackroyd, married in 1888), sons Thomas B. of Helena Sand and Gravel Co., George P. of Brownlow grocery, Archie, garage foreman at Fort Harrison, daughter Mrs. William Sprague of Los Angeles.