Author Topic: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please  (Read 907 times)

Offline Cath19

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US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« on: Friday 15 June 18 22:55 BST (UK) »
Hi,
I am looking for help please! :)

 My Uncle John Joseph Hill was born in Brighton Ma 23 March 1931 and died in Milton Ma, Aug 1999. I was researching his "first marriage" to Joyce Elinor Shippee on 23 April 1955, which took place in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, when I discovered he was already divorced at the age of 24!! He was living in Brattleboro, Vermont at this time. He subsequently married again in 1964 ::) (His mother was Iris King, and father also John J Hill)

While I have details from marriage #2 & #3, I would love some help to find out who was his spouse in marriage #1, which must have taken place prior to 1955, and to see if there were children of this marriage. Any help or direction you could give me would be greatly appreciated as I am unsure as to how to proceed
Thank you in advance :)
Cath
Cahalane,born Drishanebeg, Skibbereen , Co.Cork emigrated to Australia-changed name to Callaghan  &
USA  Callahan--name changed from Cahalane
O'Sullivan born near Loughine, Baltimore, Co.Cork
O'Connell, Ballinatona, Myross,Union Hall,
Keane/Kane, Baltimore & Castlehaven

Offline sbny357

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #1 on: Monday 18 June 18 04:49 BST (UK) »
This may be his first marriage, to Ruth Gavin, in 1950:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJ7-ZGP7

He probably lied about his age so that he wouldn’t have to get parental permission to marry.

Steve

Offline Cath19

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #2 on: Monday 18 June 18 09:32 BST (UK) »
Hi Steve

There is a high chance that he did lie about his age ;D, but I don't think this is him as his mothers name is incorrect. She was Iris King. Or would he have given a wrong name??? ??? He was in the Korean war in the US airforce to the best of my knowledge.

thanks so much Steve

Cath
Cahalane,born Drishanebeg, Skibbereen , Co.Cork emigrated to Australia-changed name to Callaghan  &
USA  Callahan--name changed from Cahalane
O'Sullivan born near Loughine, Baltimore, Co.Cork
O'Connell, Ballinatona, Myross,Union Hall,
Keane/Kane, Baltimore & Castlehaven

Offline LaurelOsprey

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 19 June 18 02:25 BST (UK) »
Is it possible that for John, Jr's first marriage he got married in Boston and then got divorced in Vermont?

I've been researching marriage records/indexes in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The only "maybe" reference for his first marriage I could find (those last three words are key as I may be overlooking something ;D) that seemed close to the info you gave about him was in a Massachusetts Marriage Index and there wasn't much info there. It gave the name of John Hill, the year of 1950, city was Boston, and then it gave a Volume # and Page #. In theory I should have been able to find the the corresponding bride with the Volume and Page #s, but a lot of the indexed records during that time don't seem to link the bride and the groom together in the Boston Index. That said, it could be my inability to search accurately!

You'd mentioned John, Jr lived in Brattleboro, VT at times and I found a possible divorce record for a John Hill in Vermont. Unfortunately it was only the Vermont Divorce Index and not the actual record so info was minimal. It was for 1951, and it only gave the first name and initial of a possible spouse. I don't want to post either the marriage or divorce index info here as she may still be alive and my whole theory may be off anyway. I'd be happy to PM them to you.

I've also been researching various city directories. I found John, Jr., along with his parents John, Sr. and Iris living in Brattleboro, VT in 1949. Both father and son worked at A&P Tea Co., and they all lived at 15 Terrace.

Do you know if either John, Jr. or Sr. would have worked as a manager for General Steel Products Sales Company in the Boston area? I found a listing for a John J Hill working there in the 1951 and 1952 Boston Directories, but that indicated he lived in Brattleboro, VT. I thought it was John, Jr. until I found the 1949 Brattleboro City Directory showing both father and son living in Brattleboro so maybe dad was the one who worked at General Steel.

Laurel


Offline Cath19

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 19 June 18 10:10 BST (UK) »
Hi Laurel
Thank you so much for all that. It is very possible that John may have married in Boston. I gather from the info I have, that John's father died in 1954 in his early 50's so it may have been his father who worked in the Steel company. John jr was a salesman in later life for food companies so the Tea company seems on the right track :). Iris moved to the Boston area after her husband died and is buried there, while her husband is buried in Vermont.
I would be delighted if you would pm me on the info you found as ,I too, do not want to hurt anyone because of this being recent events, and I really appreciate all the info you have given me. The fact of being in Ireland means its harder to search when I am not up to speed with the US records :)
Thank you so so much
Cath :)
Cahalane,born Drishanebeg, Skibbereen , Co.Cork emigrated to Australia-changed name to Callaghan  &
USA  Callahan--name changed from Cahalane
O'Sullivan born near Loughine, Baltimore, Co.Cork
O'Connell, Ballinatona, Myross,Union Hall,
Keane/Kane, Baltimore & Castlehaven

Offline LaurelOsprey

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 19 June 18 12:18 BST (UK) »
Hi Cath,

Yes, John, Sr. died in 1954. The directories for the different cities in the US will vary in what they list for a person, but sometimes they will note that a person has died with the date.  The 1955 Boston directory states "died Dec. 21, 1954" for John, Sr.

Regarding the A&P Tea Company, various family members worked there. The company (real name is The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc.) went into bankruptcy a few years ago and they've been selling off their various brands and assets since.

I'll send a PM shortly.

Laurel

Offline Cath19

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Re: US Marriage & Divorce lookup please
« Reply #6 on: Friday 22 June 18 16:33 BST (UK) »
Many thanks for all your help Laurel, it is much appreciated :) :)

Cath
Cahalane,born Drishanebeg, Skibbereen , Co.Cork emigrated to Australia-changed name to Callaghan  &
USA  Callahan--name changed from Cahalane
O'Sullivan born near Loughine, Baltimore, Co.Cork
O'Connell, Ballinatona, Myross,Union Hall,
Keane/Kane, Baltimore & Castlehaven