Look up please - Goose Creek, Texas

[KPM]

I'm hoping someone may be able to help with some information about my Great Grandfather, George Charles Hamilton.  He was born in 1878 in Kingston on Thames, England, and emigrated to US in 1912 under dubious circumstances!
I know he died in 1932 in Goose Creek, Texas and have been able to obtain information about the last few years of his life.  However, I have no idea where he was between 1912 and 1932.  Would anybody be able to do census look up for Goose Creek for me please?
Any help filling in the missing years would be very much appreciated.

[Chattykathy]

Hi!  Was his departure from Eng. dubious enough to change/hide where he came from?

For such a common name, found only a few George C. Hamiltons from England -  tho did see him in UK Census. 
Found 5 George Hamiltons with birthdates within 2-5 years but all in locations far from Goose Creek Texas or with vastly different immigration dates or children born in U.S. earlier than 1912.   Doesn't necessarily mean anything as these data records are tricky and many people are very hard to find in the search system.

1 possible hit:

1920 George C. Hamilton 43 yrs old immi. date 1912 but from Holland???   in El Paso , TX  working as a Steam Engineer.
Wife Myrtle  31 year old.  born in Missouri
Daughter Wilhelmina 1.5 years born in New Mexico.

In 1930 the 3 of them are in Bisbee, Cochise Co. , Arizona and George is a Tinsmith @ the Copper Mine.  Still saying from Holland but immigration year is garbled --  maybe 1912,1914,1916?

Child may not be George's as there is descrepancy between no. of years married stated by husband and wife and relationship to child's age.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/print/GG/hvg32.htmle

Try above link to history of Goose Creek whick is on Galveston Bay, near Baytown, Texas.  May have some useful information.

Let me know if any of above is worthy of further investigation.  Will be glad to help if I can.

Good luck!
Kathy

[KPM]

Hi
Thanks for looking into this for me.  I don't know whether George would have tried to hide where he came from.  He left England without warning in 1912, leaving his wife and children behind him.  Relatives have told me that he had gambling debts and was possibly involved in some 'dodgy' property deals, but I don't know how true this is, or whether it would warrant hiding where he came from.
I don't think the one you have found is correct.  He never divorced his wife in England and therefore didn't marry again, and I don't believe he had any children.  If it will help, his profession was a Plumber, but I believe he also had a Barbers shop in Goose Creek. 
Once again, thank you for your time

[Chattykathy]

One of the other Georges I found was a plumber but he was in Ohio I think --   also with a wife  --  it caught my eye as she indicated her profession as plumber's assistant.

Knowing what businesses he had may of help as often there are business or commercial directories

I'll look some more............

Kathy

[KPM]

Hi.
Thanks for all your help.  I've just remembered a postcard one of the family recently found, which was sent from Indianapolis in 1917, talking about a tornado which swept across the state, close to the Kentucky line.  This would have been early 1917.  Please forgive my lack of knowledge with American Geography, but I have no idea when Indianapolis is placed, with regard to Texas or Ohio!!
Does this help at all?

[Chattykathy]

Hi!  Will check 1920 census in Indianapolis, Indiana  which is separated from Kentucky by the Ohio River.

I have the same problem with UK when it come to the geography bit.   Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio about 1500-2000 mi as the crow flies from Goose Creek Texas.

Goose Creek is now called Baytown, Harris County; Galveston is another nearby city.  Also called Tri-City area. Galveston Bay area.  This is big oil producing/refining area.

People were very migratory in the U.S. paticularily if not bound by land or farming interests or by family ties.  They often followed the economic booms such as oil, mining, etc.  He might not have been ANYWHERE in paticular during the very narrow window of census time we can look at   April, 1920 & 1930.

Try putting message on Rootweb Message Board (this is the free part of Ancestry.com) for Harris Co. TX
and/or Surname Hamilton.  Since he only died in 1932, there could be people who knew him or of him. 

Kathy

[KPM]

Hi.
Thanks for the information.  I have posted a message in Ancestry and eagerly await a response!!
Your help is very much appreciated.

[Chattykathy]

Fingers crossed you will receive one.   I have found the Ancestry/Roots boards not as "friendly" as Rootschat.  Almost always somebody replies here with something helpful.  You can tell by the response activity on the others, it is not always the same.

I looked up every George C Hamilton England born within about 10 years of his birthdate that popped up in 1920 and 1930 regardless of location.  There aren't very many --  only about 10 or 12  --  they all have families or their immigration dates don't match up.  Found no commercial directories for the area at that time. 

If you think of anything else let me know and I'll do the same.

ttfn, lots of luck  Kathy

[KPM]

Hi Kathy
Once again - Thank you for all the time you've spent looking into this for me.
I do agree with you - Rootschat people are friendly and extremely helpful and have been a huge help to me in tracing my missing Kin!!
Best wishes
Anne-Marie