Irish immigrant who collapsed in a New York street.

[OzKat]

This is a "long shot" request because I don't know what information is available for the US but .....

I have been reading my late Irish grandmother's memoirs and she says that my great grandfather Hugh Morrison had a brother Samuel who, the family story says, emigrated to America but was found collapsed in a New York street and was sent home to his family. He apparently spent the rest of his days in a mental institution.

Samuel's parents were Samuel Morrison and Eliza Jane Murphy. He was born in Magherabeg, Dromore, County Down on 26/04/1874.

I have not been able to find any further trace of him in Ireland but I wondered what US immigration records might be available and whether there would be any likelihood of records relating to him being sent home to Ireland?

Kath
 

[Josephine]

Kath,

If I were looking for him, here's where I would start.

I doubt there would be any police or medical records after all this time. 

Have you checked the U.S. census for him, just in case?  I would look for relatives, too.

Have you checked the New York GenWeb site:  http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/index.htm ?

Have you checked the Ellis Island website?

If he was not in the U.S. very long, he might not have had time to file for citizenship:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson16.htm

Since you don't know what part of New York he was in and when, you can't write to the churches asking if they have any records, in case money was raised or donated by the church to pay for his passage home.

In Ireland, have you checked for a burial record for him in the family cemetery?  Is the 1901 census for Ireland available?

Have you got a copy of his parents' wills, in case money was set aside for his care at such-and-such  hospital?

Good luck!
Josephine

[OzKat]

Thanks for all these tips Josephine. Not having had any reason to look anyone up in America before I didn't know where to start but I'll work through what you suggest.

Re the last couple of points though ...

Yes the 1901 census for Ireland is available but I haven't been able to find him on it.

I haven't been able to find a will. His father Samuel died in 1910 and was onto his third wife Sarah at the time. Just before he died, his wife had a son whom they named Samuel (Bn 1909). From that I presume that the first son Samuel was already dead.

Thanks again
Kath

[Josephine]

Kath,

You might be right about the first Samuel being dead by the time the second one was named.  However, since it was his father's third wife, I wouldn't say it was carved in stone without proof. 

In the 1970s my brother had a friend named Mark; Mark's father and his second wife named their son Mark, too.  So Mark had a brother (who was at least 10 years younger) named Mark.  Of course, they might have been the only exception to the rule.  ; )  (This was in Canada and the family was not Irish.)

I'm not familiar with medical records in Ireland.  Have you been able to find out about psychiatric and regular hospitals close to his parents' home or home town?  It would be great if there were medical records, etc., that might tell you when he returned to Ireland.

Have you written to the library nearest his parents' home, in case they might be able to help?

Have you seen any wills of the siblings?  Perhaps, if one of them had money, they might have provided something for their brother's care.

It might be worthwhile to write to their church, as well, in case they have some record of him somewhere.

You're so lucky to have your grandmother's memoirs!

Regards,
Josephine

[Pat Reid]

Kath:
I looked at Caora for head-of-household index of 1901 census and found Samuel (the father, I would guess). http://www.caora.net/find.php

Samuel Morrison Magherabeg Dromore 1901_Census Dromore Rural

If you get film from LDS you will be able to see who all was there. I am assuming that you meant that young Samuel came back to Ireland from NY.

Pat

[OzKat]

Thanks Pat but I already have this census page and he isn't on it. This has his father and his second wife Mary only.
And yes - the family story goes that young Samuel was sent back to Ireland.
Kath

[OzKat]

Hi Josephine
Yes it is great that I have her memoirs but it's not down to luck.  My mother had some foresight and she gave her mother a book to record her memories in a few years before she died. It can be lovely to read but there is a problem in that she clearly didn't think that it was important to note down many of the names of her friends and relatives. She talks about cousins and uncles but she never names them so my mother and I spend hours making fairly fruitless hypotheses. Still maybe we'll work it all out one day.
What you say about names is interesting - it seems a bit rude to me to name more than one of your children the same thing if the other one is still alive. I hope they didn't just write him off because he was in an institution.
Re medical records, someone on the C. Down board suggested Downpatrick Hospital and there was also the Cowan Herron Hospital in Dromore but I don't know if they took mental patients. I haven't followed up the medical records yet.
And no to your other suggestions - I haven't written to the library or looked for siblings wills. Thanks for all the ideas. I have lots of work ahead of me.
Kath

[Pat Reid]

Kath:
I came across some Samuel Morrison deaths in NY. See what you think.

http://www.italiangen.org/NYCDeathresults.asp?kind=exact&Esurname=morrison&Efirst=samuel&StartYear=&EndYear=&B1=Submit

Pat

[OzKat]

Thanks for that Pat. There is some interesting stuff there are at least one record I will be following up.
Kath