USA Lookup please Illinois

[emanimac]

I am researching my family and have hit a brickwall with the Lawson's of LaSalle County, IL. My
gr grandmother, Catherine (Katie) Lawson was reportedly born in Streator, IL, parents told were John Lawson and Mary Scott who immigrated from England about 1884-1885. Her olders sisters, Willhemina (Willirend, aka Minnie) married Frank E. Pickering in Streator in 1894 and Alice married Frederick Lawton in Streator in 1895. They both were born in England. Alice listed her place of birth on her board of health form as "north of England". Unfortunately, Minnie's boh form is missing, but someone on another tree listed her birthplace as South Shields, Durham, England. Searches in the area find no listings for her or Alice. Dates of birth for Minnie: 15 May 1878 & Alice: July of 1876/7.
Other siblings born in IL include Katie b 1888, Sarah b 1890 and William b 1893. I have lots of bio information on Sarah as she married a businessman in Indiana; Sarah was living with Minnie in the 1910 FC for Danville, IL and Willliam was living with Alice in Streator. Katie was listed as "adopted daughter" to James and Charlotte Wray of Streator, IL. I would appreciate any help in getting more information about the family and the "adoption" of my gr grandmother. Our friends across the pond came up empty and suggested I post here.  Thanks.

[Erato]

A son, John Lawson, born in Streator on 03 April 1886.

 http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ui9/

[Erato]

Death of John Lawson, 23 June 1924, Ottawa, Illinois.
Death of Willimena Lawson, 10 August 1930, Danville, Illinois

And other probably related Lawsons and their children.

 http://www.rootschat.com/links/0uia/

[Erato]

Some Lawson marriages in LaSalle County:

 http://www.rootschat.com/links/0uib/

[Erato]

About the adoption, it may have been an informal arrangement.  There were many such adoptions in my family in about that same time period. In many cases, the adopted child still had birth parents and other other relatives living in the same area.

http://www.whiteoakfoundation.org/historywhiteoak.htm
http://www.whiteoakfoundation.org/history2.htm

[AMBLY]

1900 Census where all 3 LAWSON children are  all 'farmed out':

Katie is Katherine, 10, born Oct 1889 is  with James (61) and Charlotte (62) WRAY
(both WRAYs born England)

Sarah is Sarah J, 10, b Jun 1890, with married sister Minnie in Grant Cty Indiana and Minnie's birth is given as March 1878.

William is 6, born Oct 1893, with married sister Alice and Alice's birth is given as Jul 1876

Wilhelmina's dob of 15 March 1878  and parents names are given on her death record in IL 1921 -note:  in the 1900 Census and on the Death transcript her birth month  is March - not May.

Cannot find any match for a Wilhelmina (Wil*a, *mina, min*, *min)  LAWSON  (in England 1878 -if her indicated of March 1878 should be registered England in the March or Jun Qtr........

But there is a Williamina LOWSON, registered Sunderland Mar Qtr 1878.

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

FreeBMD:
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
John LOWSON
Mary Jane SCOTT
Were married in Sunderland Mar Qtr 1876, on FreeBMD

And also in FREBMD, a Margaret Alice LOWSON birth was registered Sep Qtr 1876, Sunderland. A person born July 1876 would be expected to be registered in the Sept Qtr 1876.

On this Alternate site:
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1399&fPst=1
it's John LAWSON & Mary J SCOTT in 1876 (and they are a couple  as the other FreeBMD couple, HALEY/MEYER are also matched on this alternate site )

Williamina LOWSON 1878 is on the Alternative site too as well as Margaret LOWSON (no Alice)

And here I think is your Wilhelmina and Alice, with their mother, Mary J, arriving in New York:

3 Nov 1880, on the Ship "Batvia" from Liverpool to New York
From England, to America, Steerage:
Mary J LAWSON 25, female, Mat(ron)
Margt A LAWSON 4, female, child,
Wilh LAWSON 3, female, child

It would be quite the norm or the father to have gone ahead of the wife & children.
This also means they missed both  the 1880 US Census AND the 1881 British Census 

Cheers
AMBLY