I am looking for details of Martha Brook born 22.3.1868 and Joseph her brother 5.9.1869 both born in Halifax, Yorkshire who do not appear anywhere in the after the 1881 census when she was aged 14, and he 11. They lived in Blackburn with their parents Fred and Rebecca Bury. They are not recorded as deceased either.
However family lore has it that someone called Martha emigrated to America and that her resulting family returned for visits after WW2, my mother remembers them and refers to them as American cousins.
I have tried searching passengers lists after 1881 and there are many likely candidates but one for 25.6.1892 is looking best where a Martha and Joseph travel together on the ship Arizona to New York but both their ages are wrong. Martha is shown as 22 when she was 24 and Joseph as 15 when he was 23.
To trace these two further I have tried a search on both their names and DOB in US and Canada but got nowhere as there are so many and Martha would likely have got married soon and changed her name. As there are many Martha Brooks marrying, how do I verify if this is the right Martha? Joseph is too common a name to search properly and I have no addresses for them.
But there are return ships for both both of them. In 1929 from Montreal to Liverpool or a Martha Brook on Cunard Ship Andania when she was 61, right age but would she have travelled back under her maiden name?
And a Joseph Brook aged 27 travelling from Portland, Maine US to Liverpool on 4.3.1897 aged 27 which is also about right. But there are so many of his name and he could have gone anywhere in the country including Lancs I am stuck.
Any advice?