RootsChat.Com

Emms
Thanks so much for the further posting.  Since studying the toppings in earnest I have looked at irish migration and I too am amazed how many came here.  the exodus after the potato famine in the 1840s is well known, but i didn't know the numbers involved.  I will search the passenger lists to america I haven't done that.  Reading what i have lately, it is possible James moved on to America, but his family didn't follow him - at least not quickly.  They are still here in 1891 and his daughter Mary stayed here and married in 1903. She died in Bradford in 1932.  James was a plasterer and his wife runs a guest house in the '81 and '91 censuses.

Sam

Ok. I'm new to rootschat and my first post is tricky.  I am desperate to make headway with my research on the Topping family.  My gt grandmother was Mary Topping born in Workington roughly 1879 to James and Ann Topping.  I have found Mary and her family in the 1881 census spelt Toppin and also 1891 census on both occasions living in king St.  To my dismay James is always absent and I can find no trace of him in any census.  Ann claims she was married in 1881 and widowed in 1891, so he must be somewhere prior to 1881.  Does anyone have any idea where to look or how to search.  Ann it would appear was born in Ireland in 1836.

I always thought James married a Mary Kane, but this is a bit supposition. Maybe Ann was Mary's second name and she went by this.  I have found a marriage on FreeBMD between a James Toppin and Mary Ann Massey Cockermouth 1871 but there is no way to know if this is them, except the names bear up!!

Lastly whilst looking for James in 1851 I found a family all born in Ireland, James born 1831 and living in Crosscanonby, Sub district Workington, so James' birth date and the place and the irish link add up.  Does anyone have any idea how i can cross reference to be sure of the link.  Irritatingly I can find none of the family prior to 1851 (they probably came to England between 1841 and 1851) but more strangely none of them after 1851.  Where could they have gone? Surely not all back to Ireland after so few years. I've tried all combinations of spelling and i'm baffled Can anyone help???

Sam