What happened to Michael Wilson ?

[Suffolk Mawther]

My great grandfather Michael Wilson always states that he was born in Cork.  He also lived in Fulham and worked as a Paper Mill Manager on the river Wandle in Wandsworth (My father knows where it was as he was shown by his Granny Alice*).

On Michael's wedding certificate

24th August 1879 Michael Wilson age 22 years to Alice* Marsden age 19 years
They were living in Fulham
Michael's father - Charles Wilson a Pipe Maker
The marriage took place at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Fulham.

I have 1881 census details when they are at home with new baby girl, their next baby was Elizabeth my grandmother. 

However, the story is that Michael left for the USA - dad always says he went to work in the steel industry in Pennsylvania.

Certainly in the 1901 he is missing and he is not mentioned on Grans wedding cert of 1906.

We have always understood that when he made some money he sent for Alice and the children but she would not go - and Dad seems to think there were one or possibly two sons that left to join their father - but I have only ever found evidence of the two daughters.

(I have earlier and later information on the Marsden family) .

My dad is now 85 years old and would love to know what happened to his grandad.

Any advice or suggestions would be very welcome. 

Many thanks, SM ...

[johnnyboy]

Hello SM:

First thing is to find out where your great-grandfather entered the U.S. I had a look at the Ellis Island site, searching Michael Wilson born approx. 1857 but didn't find anything. Wilson is a common name, unfortunately. I also think there are some people entering through New York who are not listed on the Ellis Island site.

If you have access to Ancestry.com (which I think has more American records than the U.K. version), you can search the New York entries through that site. You can also search Ancestry.com for entries through Philadelphia. If you don't have access to Ancestry.com, I suggest that you revise the heading in this posting and ask for a lookup through Ancestry.com.

I know the steelmaking areas of Pennsylvania, so I may be able to help in that regard.

Cheers,
John

[Suffolk Mawther]

Hello John,

Thanks for your thoughts on this one (I have been researching family history for 35 years, but only been trying this one for the last few 

It seems that Michael 'disappeared' sometime between the 1891 and 1901 Census' here in the UK.  I have his wife and daughters in 1891 - but not him.

I have checked the Ellis Island site and a couple of others, we have no idea from where he left the UK to where on the other side of the Atlantic he landed - could be anywhere, possibly entered through a Canadian port?

I have Ancestry.UK subscription which does not allow for searches on USA records, I would need to upgrade my subscription.

My own feelings on this is that he probably settled down and found another 'wife' and family - but who knows, Dad knows very little although as I say he would love to know what happened.

Really appreciate the help and advice, thank you.

SM ...

[johnnyboy]

Hi SM:

Do you have any idea why your father thinks that it was the steel industry in Pennsylvania that his grandfather came to the U.S. to work in? Is there a company name perhaps that your father heard mentioned? Not to conduct a seminar in U.S. economic history, but the big steel company in the U.S. before 1901 was Carnegie Steel, owned by Andrew Carnegie.

In 1901 Carnegie sold out, and the big steel company was U.S. Steel. Other major companies at the time were Bethlehem Steel and Jones & Laughlin Steel. There was also Pittsburgh Steel, and a major division of U.S. Steel was American Steel and Wire (told you I knew the steel industry!).

Does your father remember talk of any letters home to England, perhaps? Is there anything else that he remembers about his grandfather's leaving for the U.S. or was the subject, as so often becomes the case in situations like these, not spoken of.


Cheers,
John

[Suffolk Mawther]

Hi John,

It's a very foggy Tuesday morning here in Suffolk, and I am taking dad to have his winter 'flu' injection and then, as usual, to do his shopping (he has recently given up driving).  He is incredibly deaf and it's difficult to have a decent conversation but I will get him chatting this morning, he likes to talk about his childhood.
I really appreciate you taking time to help out - happy to wait for any information, after all - the ancestors aren't going anywhere are they - they are just waiting for us to find them (they just make it a little difficult at times 

All best wishes, SM ...

[johnnyboy]

Hi SM: I had checked for you but found nothing that came close to being your Michael Wilson. I was afraid that there would be dozens of Michael Wilson's, born Ireland around 1857, but there weren't many at all. Not in the passenger lists. Not in the U.S. censuses. The search may be difficult without more information specific to your Michael Wilson. 

John

[YvonneR]

Hi SM

I have found your Great Grandfather Michael Wilson in the Boston Passenger lists but had to do some work first. So looked for him and Alice in the 1881 census and then found Alice with her Marsden family in 1891 census.

From the 1891 census, I saw that the youngest child Alice was shown as 2 years old, so born about 1889. Which meant that I could look from 1888, also on the 1881 census, Michael's occupation is shown as "Paper Maker".

There isn't a great deal of information on the manifest but at least now you know when he arrived in the US

Bavarian [SS] departed Liverpool, arrived Boston, Massachusetts 3rd May 1889

Travelling, Steerage Forward Compartment

Michael Wilson, age 28,
Calling, Papermaker
Native country, Ireland
Destination, Boston
just a dash in "pieces of luggage"
Whether Visitors only or permanent settlers?, (I believe it says Transient but I cannot be sure)

Now there isn't a 1890 census (only bits left after a fire) so I will do my best to find him in the 1900 census.

You will also notice that Michael was born about 1861 on the manifest but the age being out by a few years is by no means unusual for all sorts of reasons.

Will let you know when I have found anything

Agnes

[YvonneR]

Hi SM

Absolutely nothing that fits, even with the info of his arrival.

I have searched absolutely everything, even trying without a name and just an age and born in Ireland plus an immigration year. I'm sure that you can imagine the results  but I ploughed through all without a spouse and didn't find anything.

I have even looked through the Canadian records, again with a negative result.

If I think of something, you can be sure that I will keep trying.

Best wishes

Agnes

[aghadowey]

Suffolkmawther-
Doesn't help to locate your 'missing' Michael Wilson but in just a note about his father Charles Wilson, a 'pipe maker.' In Ireland, a 'pipe maker' could be someone who made clay drainage pipes not pipes for smoking tobacco.