mary jane brown nee higgins

[heywood]

On the ship’s manifest, Mary Jane’s last place of residence is Warwick and the friend she is going to looks like ‘H’ Brown.
Perhaps the family were mistaken re James/Jim and it was really Harry.

[heywood]

In 1920 Harry G and  Edith Brown are living with children James G, 5 yrs and David 4 yrs in Sunnyvale, King, Washington.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHNV-KXF

It looks as though Mary Jane would be the mother but the photo must be Harry and Edith with the boys.

[mark foot]

I am not sure ghe Harry conndction. Perhaps is a brother. My father haswritten Margaret married Jim Brown on the back of another postcard. Perhaps she helped to look after those children, who might be nephews of Jim?

Warwickshire connection is likely to be Leamington as Mary Nane had a brkther James who was a police detective there.

Thanks for continuing to help.

Mark

[heywood]

I know it is not quite right re names but the marriage posted by Maureen could refer to Mary Jane.i think it most likely.

[MaureeninNY]

Thanks,heywood.

WW1 Draft Reg for Harry Gordon Brown:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29J3-GM4

That's the same address as the postcard.

Maureen

[rosie99]

Deleted

[mark foot]

The family have always assumed that the post card with the address and the 2 adults and 2 children are of Mary, James and their 2 children. Looking at the signature is looks more like Harry than Mary and perhaps knowing that she moved to Seattle an incorrect assumption has been made and Harry is a friend or relative of James? I am confident that she did marry a Jim (higgins) and unless Harry is a first or 2nd name and why would he be using, then Harry is a different person.
Sorry if I have led us down a wrong route but something is rather strange here. Without finding a marriage for James and Mady Jane I wonder did they marry?

Thanks for all the help.

Mark

[heywood]

It is difficult because of the names.

Mary Jane emigrated to a friend H Brown in Montana
Harry Brown marries Mary Hagen
Mary Hagen’s parents are George Hagen and Charlotte Young

Hagen/Higgins and Young/Ring 

I can’t see any birth records for the boys which might help.

[Annette7]

I have found the birth entries for both the boys although neither have been named:

Unnamed Brown (male) born 28/4/1915 King, Washington, parents Harry G. Brown and Mary Higgins

Brown (male) born 26/4/1918 King, Washington, parents Harry G. Brown and Mary Higgins

Sorry Mark - I am with Heywood and MaureeninNY too!   Although there are some anomalies regarding Mary's surname and parents surnames on the marriage certificate I am positive it is the right marriage and that 'Jim' is indeed Harry G. because:

Mary Jane Higgins arrival 17/2/1913 shows going to H Brown in Montana
Marriage 4 days later on 21/2/1913 in Montana albeit with surname anomalies for Mary.  Clearly this marriage was pre-arranged prior to her arrival.
Birth entries of 2 boys in 1915 and 1918 showing mother as Higgins
Mary dies 1918 (father given as John Higgins, rather than George)
Harry G. remarries to Edith in 1919.
1920 census confirms the boys have the right names
Harry G's WW1 Draft regn. has the same address as you have on the postcard

Harry G. states his father was also a Harry - because of this it's more than possible that he had the nickname 'Jim' which he used as an adult on a day to day basis but for all official purposes his correct name was given (similar scenario with my own father).

Harry G. himself is bit of an enigma but I don't want to get sidetracked with him - suffice to say from official records/census etc. his age varies between 1873 and 1881 although birthday of 1st June remains the same, arrival in US varies between 1903 and 1906.   He was naturalized in 1909.

'Jim' is clearly Harry G in my opinion and explains why you have been unable to find a marriage for a Jim/James Brown to Mary Jane Higgins, nor births of 2 sons born to a couple with these names.   For whatever reason, Harry G. was known as Jim by the Higgins family documents, Mary Jane was going to H. Brown in Montana when she arrived in US 1913, etc. etc.   Too much 'fits' rather than doesn't.

Annette