Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in "The Boston Pilot" 1931-1920Missing Friends
date of publication 1 Jan 1876
"Of Jacob Prime (colored) who left Connecticut about seven years ago; he wrote a letter five years ago, and I have not heard of or from him. I have written to London where he was at the time he wrote, but the letters were sent back. His mother, Mary Prime, is anxious about him. Direct to Mary Prime, 10 Morgan Street, New Bedford, Mass."
This would give a date of leaving the USA around 1869
Finding the above newspaper posting was a big breakthrough and is almost certainly him. Arriving in England around 1869, just before his marriage in London.
You know from his marriage details that his father was called John Prime and Jacob’s occupation was WAITER.
I could only find the one John and Mary Prime in the census with a son called Jacob using the locations mentioned in the above Newspaper notice.
Following through his brothers census entries and military careers, they all mention they were also waiters. The coincidence of that happening is very slim.
There isn’t any incoming passenger listings for that time frame unfortunately.
Connecticut baptisms for new Haven, Connecticut are also not online, but that would only confirm parents and baptism date.
You might also be interested to know that on brother Joseph’s civil war record it states he was a free man in 1861.
I don’t know if you will find a marriage for John and Mary, I suspect it will have taken place in New York...
Getting closer to 1800, you will probably also need to check slave records.
I think this is as close as it’s going to get, I believe everything ties up with what you already know about Jacob.
I found everything using Ancestry, FindMyPast and FamilySearch.
Good luck with your further research
Jenny