Nathan Exley - in a right muddle

[Holmemoss]

I should be very grateful if anyone has access to information which will resolve the following muddle.

Nathan Exley married Mary Fitton on 23 May 1841 at Kirkburton in Yorkshire, England and had the following children:

Thomas, baptised on 27 Mar 1842 at Kirkburton
Lydia, baptised on 4 May 1845 at Kirkburton
Amelia, baptised on 23 May 1847 at Kirkburton
John, baptised on 24 Dec 1848 at Kirkburton
Ira, baptised on 23 May 1852 at at Kirkburton

I cannot find the family again in England. From the Castle Garden web site I have the five children, seemingly travelling unaccompanied, on the 'Richard Morse' and arriving in the USA on 16 Aug 1853.

I cannot find a passage of either parent.

Nathan's parents were Thomas Exley and Mary and there is a marriage of a Nathan Exley with the correct parents at Smithfield, Rhode Island on 6 Nov 1853 to Mary Bentley. My initial thought was the Nathan's first wife had died and he had gone to the USA and brought his family later.

However, the second wife Mary then seems to just disappear and there are the following births/baptisms with the father Nathan Exley:

Male Exley on 22 Sep 1863 at Westerly, Rhode Island, mother's name 'Jonell'
Albert Exley on 30 May 1867 at Richmond Township, Washington, Rhode Island, mother's name 'Jenet'
Anjeanetta Exley on 17 Jun 1868 at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, mother's name Anjeanette
Matthew H. Exley on 22 Apr 1860 at Millville Village, Blackstone, Worcester, Massachusetts, mother's name 'Jennett Bidell Exley'

To confuse matters further, there is the marriage at Norwich, Connecticut on 13 Feb 1874 of a Nathan Exley to a 'Jennietti' Blair but I think this is a red herring. I cannot find a marriage of Nathan Exley to a Janet/Jeanette before the birth of the first child in 1863.

In the 1870 US census (and to confuse it further Nathan is denoted as Ephraim) the family are living at Rhode Island:

Nathan (Ephraim) aged 52, born England
Jenette aged 40, born Scotland
John aged 21, born England - the son from Nathan's marriage to Mary Fitton
Ira aged 18, born England - the son from Nathan's marriage to Mary Fitton
'Angenette' aged 12, born Rhode Island
Matthew H. aged 10, born Massachusetts
Nathan aged 4, born Rhode Island
Albert aged 3, born Rhode Island

This proves I have the correct Nathan Exley but if there anyway of finding:

His passage to the USA

Anything about the marriage to Mary Bentley at Rhode Island on 6 Nov 1853 - perhaps she died?

A marriage to a Janet/Jeanette Bidell before 1863, presumably at Rhode Island

Anything about the marriage to 'Jennietti' Blair in 1874 - it seems strange as she has a similar name to the mother of his children.

Thank you.

[Genealiza]

1860 Census: Blackstone (Milford Post Office), Worcester, Mass.
28 July 1860

Nathan Exley, 40, weaver, b. Eng
Janette           30,               b. Scot
Thomas           17, weaver, b. Eng
Lydia               15, weaver  b. Eng
Amelia             13,               b. Eng
John                10,               b. Eng
Ira                    8,                b. Eng
Anginette         2,                b. Massachusetts
Mathew            ?/12            b. Mass.

It appears from the census that the marriage to Janette should be around 1857, maybe in Massachusetts.

[Genealiza]

I have found a book written in 1909 that gives the parents of Nathan (b. 5 Jan 1866) as Nathan and Janett [Riddle] Exley.  It also gives the name of Nathan Jr's wife, a Babcock, and 4 children.

The name of the book is  Genealogical Record of Nathaniel Babcock, Simeon Main, Isaac Miner, Exekiel Main

Compiled by Cyrus H Brown, Westerly, RI
Published: Boston, The Everett Press, 1909

If you want further information or can't find this book, PM me your email and I will forward the information.

[aghadowey]

This might be of interest- "he was married in Woodstock, by the Episcopal minister in September, 1856, to Jennette Ridell"- she died 1872...
http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/biographies/com_bio_record/nathanexley.html

[Holmemoss]

Thank you both very much indeed.

Here was me thinking I was stuck!!

[aghadowey]

A word or two of caution- Victorian family histories are not always 100 % accurate with the truth so you'll need to verify any details given by checking actual vital records, etc.

[Holmemoss]

Yes, I appreciate that but it is not possible for me to check US records as I live in England.

The transcription of the 1903 does apparently answer one question. I have not found a passage for Nathan Exley between 1851 (when the family were living in Yorkshire) and 1853 when his children arrived in the USA.

Unless there were omissions in the transcription on the Castle Garden site, I could not understand why his young children travelled alone. If his first wife, Mary, died at sea then she would obviously not have made it to the USA and would not have been recorded as 'arrived'.

[aghadowey]

I think the passenger list would have been compiled from the country of origin (if I'm mistaken someone will be able to correct this). With a fairly uncommon name like Exley and bad handwriting it's always possible the name has been mis-transcribed.
My great-grandmother arrived at New York (Castle Garden) with her father and older sister but her name doesn't appear on the database. Later the mother and younger children travelled to America but I can't find all of them.

[Lisa in California]

I don't think this has been mentioned:
Packet Waterloo sailed from Liverpool, England to New York, arriving 13 September 1852.
N. Exley, 34, Draper(?), Great Britain.