Cause of death in NY 1870s?

[jamie300]

In 1871 George Herbert Gaff (26) his wife Eleanor (24) and son Herbert George Gaff (1) were living in Booton, Norfolk, England

In 1881 Eleanor was a widow living in Calthorpe, Norfolk, England with three children Edward (8 ), Emma (6) and George Herbert (4) all born in Troy, NY.

I assume her husband and eldest son both died in NY State, presumably near Troy, and hence the family returned. I'd love to find out the cause of death, any ideas how to go about this?

[josey]

Could this be them in New York census 1875
Residence Date:   1 Jun 1875
Residence Place:   Brunswick, Rensselaer, New York, USA
Election District:   E.D. 02
Household number:   250
Relation to Head:   Wife
Spouse's Name:   George Gaff
Line Number:   22
Sheet Number:   27
Household Members:   
Name   Age
George Gaff   30 laborer by day b England
Ellen Gaff   27 b England
Edward Gaff   2 b Rensselaer
Emma E Gaff   0 b Rensselaer

You've probably done this maths!!
George must have died between ca 1877 - birth of George Herbert - & 1881
Am looking for Eleanor's return to England to tie down date of George's death closer.

ADDED: George is in the Troy city Directory 1871 - 1876 - gardener

[josey]

There's an outside chance that George left the family; Eleanor returning home & stating she was a widow 

There's a naturalisation record [no age, carpenter by trade, living at 254 W 36th St NYC]
Name:   George Gaff
Birth Place:   England
Court District:   New York
Year of Arrival:   1872
Date of Action:   3 Jun 1886

[shellyesq]

New York state did not require vital registration until 1881, so unfortunately there are probably no death records if these people died in NY.

[josey]

Didn't know that, thanks. Might there be burial records?

ADDED: found this
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Troy,_Rensselaer_County,_New_York_Genealogy
sadly quite a few links are to Rootsweb - not accessible at the moment.
But does have this
The Troy Bureau of Vital Statistics has birth and death records from 1876.
http://www.troyny.gov/departments/vital-records/
City of Troy
c/o Vital Records
433 River Street
Troy, NY 12180

[rosie99]

There's an outside chance that George left the family; Eleanor returning home & stating she was a widow 

There's a naturalisation record [no age, carpenter by trade, living at 254 W 36th St NYC]
Name:   George Gaff
Birth Place:   England
Court District:   New York
Year of Arrival:   1872
Date of Action:   3 Jun 1886

I wonder if this is the same person

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01l92/

[josey]

Could be but on ancestry that 1920 census entry has been 'corrected' to George YAPP  . Shame there's no occupation.

[jamie300]

There's an outside chance that George left the family; Eleanor returning home & stating she was a widow 

There's a naturalisation record [no age, carpenter by trade, living at 254 W 36th St NYC]
Name:   George Gaff
Birth Place:   England
Court District:   New York
Year of Arrival:   1872
Date of Action:   3 Jun 1886

Very interesting, thanks everyone.

There weren't many George Gaffs born in England in the 1840s. Four it seems, in 1841, 1844, 1848 and 1849.

I wouldn't think many of them arrived in NY in 1872. 

[jamie300]

Could be but on ancestry that 1920 census entry has been 'corrected' to George YAPP  . Shame there's no occupation.

Looking at the scan above it's surely Gaff, the squiggly G matches the G on George.