A new life?

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I noticed on the 1900 US census that there was more than one Kate/Katie Rabbitt listed in Chicago. There was a Kate Rabbitt with John (born Aug 1864 in Ireland, widowed, day labourer) who was born Jan 1893 in Ireland while the other, Katie Rabbit, was a pupil at a girls' school and was born Mar 1892 in England. The strange thing is that John and Kate have an immigration year listed as 1894 while Katie at the girls' school immigration year is listed as 1898.

Jacquie

This does throw in a big question!
I have downloaded and looked at the census sheet and found where you said the imigration year was given as 1894. I did not know of this before. Given that his wife Edith died (probably in childbirth) in Apr-Jun 1898 ¹ and the likely match with the Eturia manifest 28th May 1898 (even that seems a bit precipitous) which says they have not been to the USA before, either there is a large error (6 years instead of 2!) or we have the wrong people.
Catherine's birth was recorded in the Apr-Jun quarter 1892, so Katie doesn't quite fit either unless her birth was recorded very late. Was Katie's school a boarding school? Are there any other John Rabbitts around that could be her father?
Back to the begining....

_{1   freebmd  Deaths Jun 1898   (>99%)
             Rabbitt    Edith    37    Ashton    8d   314}

[Jacquie in Canada]

The school was called the Chicago Industrial School for Girls and the census entry was in Chicago Ward 32, Cook County, Illinois (page 2B). Katie is on line 59 (the numbering starts at 51 on the page). From the information I found, it was a school for dependent girls. Here's a link to a brief entry about it:
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/606.html

The birth you found that was registered in the Apr-Jun quarter does seem to fit the Industrial School Katie much better. I've seen some family trees that seem to suggest that the 1892 birth was on 13 Mar (see below) so a birth registered in April is not that late.

On the 1910 US census, the only Cat*/Kat* Rab*t in Illinois that I can find was born in 1894 but she was living with her widowed mother, Mary and was born in Illinois.

I have seen some family trees posted on line that are just as confusing. I've seen more than one that has a Catherine/Kathleen Rabbitt, born 13 Mar 1892 in England marrying Frank Reginald Jenkins on 16 Dec 1909 in Chicago. They say she died 6 Jul 1975 in Stark County, Ohio. I've also seen trees that say Frank's wife was named Kathleen Rabbitt Tweedale and she was born in Dublin on 13 Mar 1892. The marriage and death information are the same. I couldn't find Frank and Catherine/Kathleen on the 1910 census but did find Frank and Katherine Jenkins on the 1920 census in East Chicago Ward 5, Lake County, Indiana with a bunch of children (the eldest was just over 9 years old). That Katherine was 27, born England, parents born England but her immigration years is said to be "unknown".

Getting a copy of the birth registration for Catherine, the marriage certificate for this marriage to Frank Jenkins and the death certificate for John James Rabbitt might be the only way to sort this out.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

Frank and Kathleen Jenkins are in Perry, Stark County, Ohio on the 1930 census with their 12 children. Kathleen was 38, married at age 18, born England, parents born England and her immigration year is listed as 1897. Since it isn't unusual for an immigration year to be off by a year this would seem to match the Chicago Industrial School for Girls' Katie better than the other Kate.

Jacquie

[nuff]

I have seen some family trees posted on line that are just as confusing.
.........

Getting a copy of the birth registration for Catherine, the marriage certificate for this marriage to Frank Jenkins and the death certificate for John James Rabbitt might be the only way to sort this out.

Jacquie

Many thanks Jacquie.

I too have seen the trees you refer to. The discrepancies amongst them were one of the reasons I wanted to follow this through a bit. It seems very likely that John did emigrate with a daughter Catherine, but it also seems that there may have been several Rabbitts in the field.
Going to the certificates, as you say, would possibly help fill in a few more details, although knowing my luck would probably just add more questions. If expense allows I may eventually follow that route.
The obituary referenced in one of the above replies appears to fit the Jenkins marriage and refers to 15 children. If Katie was in the industrial school in 1900 it is possible her father was already absent from her life, adding to the sad story.Possibly there may be oral tradition still within that family that may shed light if I can make contact.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a bit of a side branch which has has been of interest in its tragedy and novelty in dealing with US references. It may have to wait for time and inspiration (and a lot more help)

[lisadiaz]

Kathleen Rabbitt, born 1892 to John Rabbitt and Edyth Bowden.  In 1891, they lived in Ashton, Cheshire, England and John was an insurance agent and Edyth a dressmaker and stocking knitter.  Edyth died in 1898 at age 37 and John and Kate immigrated to the U.S.  In 1900, they lived on 43rd Street in Chicago, IL.  John died in 1902, at the age of 34, his occupation was listed as butcher.  This left 10 year old Kate an orphan.  She was adopted by friends/neighbors who lived on the same street, Thomas and Dorothy Tweedale.  They moved to East Chicago, IN sometime before 1908.  Thomas was a police officer there.  Kate married Frank "Jesse" Jenkins in December 1909.

[nuff]

Thanks lisadiaz,

It may be 6 years on, but I still haven't followed this one through, but strangely enough I was looking at the manifests only last week wondering how best to get to the US 1910 census details.

The information you state fits pretty well with what we have drawn together with the help above and the Tweedale connection explains the arrival of that name.

Is this part of your own family?  My wife is of Bowden descent.
If you have more info it would be well appreciated.

[Genealiza]

The following is old enough to be out of copyright and may be of some interest:

The Lake County Times
Hammond, Indiana
Dec. 18, 1909

Officer's Daughter Elopes
(Special to The Times)

Indiana Harbor, Ind., Dec. 18--The following is a message received by Mrs. Thomas Tweedale:  "Jesse and I were married yesterday.  Will be home tomorrow."  (signed) Kate.

Such was the message that came by wire Thursday afternoon to Mrs. Thomas Tweedal, whose husband is Officer Tweedle of the local police force.  The message was from the 18-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tweedale and caused quite a stir in the family, as no one had the slightest inkling that matrimony was in Miss Kate's mind when she took her departure from the parental roof-tree Wednesday, ostensibly to visit friends in Chicago for a couple of days.

"Jesse," whose surname is Jenkins, and to whom reference was made in the dispatch, is a roller in the Inland mill and is called a good fellow by his friends.  The couple have known each other for about three months.  Miss Tweedle is an attractive young girl, well liked in the circles in which she moves.

"There won't be any row when they comeback," said Officer Tweedale when interviewed on the question of the run-away match yesterday.  "Of course we were surprised, but its all right and we propose to have a little doings for the youngsters to celebrate the event."

In the meantime, the culprits have returned, received the parental blessings and everybody is happy.  Their plans for the future have not yet been made.

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Thanks.  I'm sure that will be considered reasonable quotation <gr>

It is a perfect human touch to the story, which I'm sure the family (still in Ashton) will appreciate.