Sarah Carlin b 1866 Liverpool England

[CaroleW]

Can anybody find any info about this ancestor in the USA (possibly Kentucky)

Sarah Carlin (no  middle name) was born 22.6.1866 in Liverpool - her parents Matthew & Jane (nee King) both born Ireland were my great grandparents.   

I have her up to the 1881 census then nothing.  Over the years I have checked all possible marriages and deaths between 1881-1891 and afterwards without success.

Back in 2001 I was contacted by an American lady from Kentucky  who seemed to be connected to this branch of the family and told me that Sarah and her married sister Martha plus Martha's daughter had emigrated to the USA. 

Sarah allegedly married a Cherokee Indian and Martha  "shacked up" with another man who may have been English and whose surname was “Smith”.  She also gave me a great deal of info about Martha’s daughter “Ellen”.  When I tried to contact her again a couple of years ago, her email address was no longer valid.

Martha Ann Carlin only married in 1900 to James Michael McDonald. In 1911 is living with another of her sisters and shown as having no children.  Martha died in 1915 so I now have doubts about the info given about Sarah.

Sarah’s eldest brother William J (not known what the J stands for)  b 1853 Ireland disappears after the 1871 census and is rumoured to have emigrated to the USA but I have not found anything to support that. 

Her brother in law William Toft went to Philadelphia and died there on 16.9.1886 from Typhoid.  His wife had given birth in England on 10.8.1886 so it’s possible there is a USA connection with Sarah & William.

[Lisa in California]

You've possibly already discounted this, but is there a possibility this could be Sarah?

1891 Kirkdale, St. Aidan, Lancashire, England Census
In the Peter Irving household:
Sarah Carlon, Visitor, born c1866, Liverpool, Lancashire.  Single.  General Servant(?)

[CaroleW]

Hi Lisa

Thanks so much for that - it's kick started my brain into a re-think

I do remember seeing that 1891 entry but for the life of me I can't remember why I discounted it as it seems to be her.  The surname Irving rings a bell - possibly a wedding witness on one of my many certs so I need to dig them out and have a look.

She is not the Sarah Carlin who married Trevor Davies in 1894 as I checked that one and her father was John

If that is her in 1891 - it means she only went missing after 1891 and not 1881

There is a Dec 1899 death shown as aged 30 (although she would have been 33 by then) but it could also be the Sarah Carlin b 1867 wife of Thomas in 1891.  I can't find that Carlin family in 1901/1911 which is a bind as it would help prove/disprove

 

[Lisa in California]

She is not the Sarah Carlin who married Trevor Davies in 1894 as I checked that one and her father was John

Were you able to trace this Sarah back on census returns, or was her father's name on her marriage certificate?  Perhaps it was more common to have mistakes on birth documents, but I have a birth record for an ancestor and his name was recorded as John.  However, we know that his name actually was Maurice (and he did not have a middle name).  If Sarah's father's name was on her marriage certificate, could there have been a mistake?

[Lisa in California]

I have not yet been able to find Sarah, William J nor William Toft in America.  Would you know when William Toft immigrated, please?  (Just looking for clues.)

Is there any chance that Sarah or William J returned to Ireland?   

PS  There was a William J Carlin (bartender/saloon keeper) who was born (in Ireland/Pennsylvania - different records have different locations) c1856, but he had a brother named George J and it doesn't appear that your family had a George J.  This William J lived in Philadelphia and died in 1901.

[CaroleW]

Hi Lisa

Thanks once again for taking an interest

I checked the marriage cert for Sarah Carlin/Trevor Davies and also looked them up on the 1901 to rule them out.  That Sarah was born 1859 and father John was shown as deceased in 1894 whereas Matthew Carlin only died in 1905.  She is on the 1861 with her parents John & Sarah

My Sarah was born in Liverpool although her older brother William was born in Ireland (Belfast).  The family are on the 1861 census and came to Liverpool between 1857 when son George King Carlin was born in Ireland and 1861 when daughter Esther was born in Liverpool.    I doubt Sarah & William would have gone to live in Ireland

William Toft was a mystery to me for some years as he married Esther Carlin (sister of Sarah) but I couldn't find a death for him when Esther re-married.

Through a member of the Toft family I found the info re: his death in USA and his name is on a Toft family headstone in Anfield Cemetary Liverpool.  His daughter Julia Ann was born 10.8.1886 but her birth was only registered on 20.9.1886.  William is not shown as deceased and his occ is shown as boilerman.  He either emigrated before that birth or shortly after but Ancestry outgoing passenger records only start from 1890

The William J Carlin in Philadelphia I ruled out.  My William's brother George died in New York in 1878 as the result of an accident.

From New Jersey Journal newspaper dated 22.7.1878

George Carlin aged 20 seaman on Cunarder Bothnia decided to take a swim at 7pm on Saturday 20th July 1878.  In diving from the bow of the ship, he turned and landed heavily on his back in the water breaking his spine.  His body was recovered at 9pm that same day.

He is buried in The Cunarders plot at New York Bay Cemetary as George K Carlin aged 19
 
I checked all my marriage certs but could not find any witness surname Irving.  I checked the Irvings back on earlier censuses as well but could not find a link to the Carlin's

[Maggsie]

Hi,
I did see a ship record for Sarah Carlin in 1903 going to the USA, she was on her own.
Maggsie

Name: Sarah Carlin
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Birth Date: abt 1868
Departure Date: 14 Aug 1903
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Destination Port: New York, USA
Ship Name: Philadelphia

[CaroleW]

Hi Maggsie

Thank you.  I had seen that record but haven't been able to confirm it is the right Sarah Carlin (which is so frustrating) as no clue as to last address or the address she was going to in the USA.   

If I could find a marriage in the USA which showed her father to be Matthew I would be a very happy bunny!

[shellyesq]

The 1903 arrival has Sarah Carlin listed as a detained passenger.  Under cause of detention, it says, "To tel for $"  Under disposition, it says "R.R. Brother George 40 Fleming (?) Rheinbeck (something that looks like Pa or La)"

I know there is a Rheinbeck, New York, but the letters don't really look like NY.  I don't think there is one in Pennsylvania or Louisiana.