Charles Robert CRUST from Kent, England to Canada 1880s

[JonathanC]

I've been trying to find Charles Robert CRUST on passenger lists from England to USA (he died in Minnesota 4 Aug 1891, 3 days after getting married!).  A distant cousin has now told me that she thinks that Charles *may* have sailed to Canada, and then made his way to Minnesota via Lake Superior.  The known facts about Charles are:

Born 1865, Mersham, Kent, England
Married 1 Aug 1891, Brainerd, MN, USA
Died 4 Aug 1891, Brainerd, MN, USA

His older brother, Edward, had been living in Brainerd from 1883, working on the railway.  Their parents, Robert and Elizabeth stayed in England.  According to a newpaper article about Charles' death he was a blacksmith.
 
Charles is on the 1881 UK census.  I cannot find him on the 1890 US census.

Can anyone please help?  I have read the message regarding old Canadian passenger lists, so I know that not many are available for the 1880s.  Are there records of border crossings from Canada to USA?  Might Charles have been recorded in some other way?  I am really keen to when Charles went 'across the pond'.
 

[JDC]

Hi Jonathan,

If Charles did take the lakers through the St Lawerence Seaway and Great Lakes he could have traveled either to American ports or Canadian ports. I know he would have to circumvent Niagra Falls either over land or through the shipping locks. Via waterway, he would likely have landed at Thunder Bay Ontario (Fort William and Port Arthur at that time - not too far from the Canada-USA border) or Deluth MN and then carrying on to Bainerd from either place. Both were significant towns at that time.

An alternative method of travel for him would have been by rail. Both countries had relatively new railway systems in place then as well that would have taken him to his place of destination from the coast or loacations along the waterway. Both the rail and water systems were very important to transporting grain from the western provinces and the American Plains.

The Archives of Canada has ship passenger list available for free on their site. Unfortunately, you have to go through them manually since they are not searchable by passenger (it would be nicer if they did). You may want to contact some of the marine as well as rail museums to see if they can help to locate your ancestor.

I would also contact the public library in Bainard an/or the genealogy group there. They may be able to shed some light for you.

Here are a few websites you can look at:
http://mngs.org/society2.shtml
http://www.brainerd.com/library/index.html
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/search-recherche/anc.php?Language=eng
http://www.pier21.ca/

Hope that helps,

JDC

[JonathanC]

Thanks JDC, I will follow that up.  I am already in touch with genealogists at mnhs and in Brainerd.

[Valda]

Hi

You will not be able to find him in the 1890 U.S. Federal census. It was mostly lost in a fire. He won't be on the 1890 Federal Census Veterans and Widows which did survive

Minnesota State census records are available for years 1853, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895 and 1905.

Edward is on the 1885 census in Crow Wing County Minnesota

1st May 1885 Brainerd Crow Wing
Edward Crust  25 born England

but not Charles (in Minnesota as a whole), which narrows your window down a little on when he might have arrived in Minnesota.



Regards

Valda