A new life?

[nuff]

John James RABBITT  bc 1865 Ashton u Lyne, Lancs, England

widower of Edith (1861-1898)

Information on another researcher's public family tree suggests that he emigrated to USA with a daughter, Catherine bc 1892 also Ashton uL.

Can some kind person with access to passenger lists / US records find evidence to support this?

I had thought that John had lost all his children in infancy and his wife in childbirth, but looking at the bmd index supports the possibilty that Catherine may have been his daughter and survived. An emigration would also explain the loss of track of him.

Thanks.

[shellyesq]

SS Etruria, from Liverpool 28 May 1898 to New York 4 Jun 1898

Rabbitt, John, age 33, widow, insurance agent, nationality - Irish, last residence - Ashton, final destination - Chicago, Ill., never in US before, going to join sister & brother -in-law W. Kelly, 6730 (?) May St., Chicago

Rabbitt, Kate, age 6, single, nationality - Irish, last residence - Ashton, final destination - Chicago, Ill., never in US before

There are manifest markings on there that indicate he was/trying to get naturalized.  See here for more info:  http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/Manifests/


There's a John & Kate Rabbitt in Chicago on the 1900 Census that look like a close fit, but it says they were born in Ireland.  You can see it free here:  http://labs.familysearch.org/


SS Germanic from Liverpool 5 Feb. 1902 to New York, 14 Feb. 1902
Rabbitt, John, age 39, married, foreman, able to read & write, nationality - English, last residence - Liverpool, final destination - Chicago, in US in Chicago before, not going to join a relative, in good health

daughter Catherine, age 9, female, child, able to read & write, nationality - English, last residence - Liverpool, final destination - Chicago, in US in Chicago before, not going to join a relative, in good health

There's a possible obituary of one of Catherine/Kathleen Rabbitt's sons here:  http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/localities.northam.usa.states.colorado.counties.larimer/1825/mb.ashx

[nuff]

Thanks.

John's parents are probably Irish. I only have his birthplace from the 1881& 1891 UK census, but cannot find a corresponding birth register index entry. It could be he was born in Ireland, or simply regarded himself as Irish. Catherine is recorded as being born in Ashton. Would there be any immigration requirement that would make them claim to be Irish? In 1891 we have found John J Rabbitt married to Edith (died 1898), he was an insurance agent. In 1881 it appears to be the same John J living with parents Michael & Mary Rabbitt who are Irish.

The two entries you have found would match for Kate's age and the first would appear a good match except for the nationality. The second entry I note says in US before, so is this likely the same people having returned? I see it also says married, is there a wife on the manifest?

I am grateful for your help so far and appreciate any additional thoughts anyone may have. It is not a particularly important line for me, but is the first trans-atlantic search I have had to do. It would be nice to see it through.

[shellyesq]

I don't see any other Rabbitts on that ship.  There are John Rabbitt, age 34, and Kate Rabbitt, age 9, coming into Liverpool from New York on the SS Umbria in Jan. 1902, so I guess they went home briefly.  No sign of a wife there, either, so putting him down as married may have been a mistake on that manifest.

If the tree on Ancestry is right, John died 18 Sep. 1902 in Chicago.  There seems to be an entry on the death index that matches that:  http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/death.html

[nuff]

Thank you shellyesq.

I have now found an entry for John
Births Jun 1865   (>99%)   RABBYT    John James         Ashton    8d   381
which together with the marriage record
BOWDEN   Edith   RABBITT   John James   1888   Ashton under Lyne Civil Marriage
makes me fairly confident this is the right fellow, even if he is a bit careless with his age.
I wanted to be careful because I am aware of another Rabbitt family living in Ashton at the same time who were even more Irish. Although I never found a sign of a John amongst them I didn't want to miss a possible cross over, (I have learnt to be wary of some published trees).

The links you have given are very interesting and already suggest several possible follow ups.

[nuff]

SS Etruria, from Liverpool 28 May 1898 to New York 4 Jun 1898

Rabbitt, John, age 33, widow, insurance agent, nationality - Irish, last residence - Ashton, final destination - Chicago, Ill., never in US before, going to join sister & brother -in-law W. Kelly, 6730 (?) May St., Chicago

If anyone could be generous enough to follow this line a little further;
Is it possible from this address to see who W Kelly was and his family? Also if John died in 1902 does Kate end up with her relations in a later census?

[nickgc]

There was a Catherine Rabbitt who married in Chicago in 1935:


RABBITT, CATHERINE  SCARO, DAVID L. Marriage 1440639 3/4/1935

Any way to determine the first name of John's sister who was married to W. Kelly?  Seem to be four (4)  born Ashton 1858-1871.

Nick

[Jacquie in Canada]

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

[nuff]

Any way to determine the first name of John's sister who was married to W. Kelly?  Seem to be four (4)  born Ashton 1858-1871.

Nick

This is what I have on the Rabbitt s;
It suggests sisters are Margaret, Catherine and Mary.

<sup>1861
Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 2980; Folio: 53; Page: 19; GSU roll: 543059.
ashton
Michael Rabbit     30       /Mary Rabbit    26   /Michal Rabbit    4   /Margret Rabbit    2   /Edward Rabbit    5 Mo   /Margret Roach    52   /Patrick Burkes    25   /Thomas Kelly    25

1871
Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 4072; Folio: 138; Page: 14; GSU roll: 846351.
Ashton
Michael Rabbit     36 Ireland, Cotton Grinder
Mary Rabbit    37 Ireland
Michael Rabbit    14 Lancs, Ashton uL, Cotton Piecer
Margaret Rabbit    12 do.do, Heald Knitter
Catherine Rabbit    8   do.do, scholar
John James Rabbit 6   do.do, scholar
Thomas Rabbit    3    do.do, scholar

1881
Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 4039; Folio: 24; Page: 4; Line:  ; GSU roll: 1341965.
Ashton
Michael Rabbitt     47   /Mary Rabbitt    44   /Michael Rabbitt    23   /Margt. Rabbitt    21   /Catherine Rabbitt    17   /John J. Rabbitt    15   /Thomas Rabbitt    13   /Mary Rabbitt    10


1891
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 3279; Folio 12; Page 18; GSU roll: 6098389.
Ashton
Michael Rabbitt     54   /Mary Rabbitt    53   /Michael Rabbitt    30   /Thomas Rabbitt    23   /Mary Rabbitt    19


1891
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 3277; Folio 89; Page 24; GSU roll:
6098387.
54 Turner Lane, Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire.
John J Rabbitt   25   Insurance Agent   Ashton u Lyne Lancs
Edith  Rabbitt   30   Dressmaker & Stocking knitter   Ches, Winsford</sup>
[/b]

There were other families in Ashton

^{1861
RG9; Piece: 2980; Folio: 60; Page: 34
Michael Rabbit     28/  Mary Rabbit    32/ James Rabbit    3/ Ellen Rabbit    1
RG9; Piece: 2985; Folio: 38; Page: 26
Patrick Rabbet     26 /  Sarah Rabbet    26/ Sarah Rabbet    1/ John Rabbet    9 Mo}

but I think I have separated these, but they would account possibly for the Sarah Rabbyt in the birth index for 1859. (I cannot find a death or any other match for Sarah)