Connecting Colonial America with Britain Help

[Bonanza]

I need help with research for my fifth and sixth generation grandfathers. My fifth generation grandfather is:

Jonathan Nicholas
Born: 1757 New Jersey
Died: 1839 New Jersey
Father: ? (sixth generation grandfather)
Mother: ?(sixth generation grandmother)

I have no idea who his father is and I'm fairly certain he had immigrated from Britain in the 18th century. I have no idea where his grave would be if one even exist in this day and age. Jonathan and his children have graves but his own father is not buried at that cemetery or anywhere (that I know of). It seems nearly impossible to find who his father is. I would love to find out who his father is so I can research my British roots but it has been extremely difficult. I have exhausted Ancestry.com and Wikipedia is not a valid source for this.

[iluleah]

Hi and welcome to rootschat

So you need to find his marriage record which might name his parent/s and his baptism record to cross reference

The only one I can see is Jonathan Nichols bap 22 May 1757  Saint John Episcopal Church, Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey, United States father Price Nichols however I also see  there is a findagrave for this same person https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13101686/jonathan-nicholas  who dies in 1833

Neither of these are primary sources but do give you  clues where to look to find primary records,

[mckha489]

Did he apply for a military pension?
Or might there be other useful information in a military record.

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/american-revolution

Familysearch catalogue

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=346&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%20States%2C%20New%20Jersey%22

[majm]

Or was his father one of the British convicts sent to the American colonies in the years before  1776?

Some 50,000 British convicts were transported to those colonies. 

JM

[Bonanza]

Did he apply for a military pension?
Or might there be other useful information in a military record.

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/american-revolution

Familysearch catalogue

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=346&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%20States%2C%20New%20Jersey%22

Jonathan has lots of military information but information on his early life including his parents seem near impossible to find.

[Bonanza]

Or was his father one of the British convicts sent to the American colonies in the years before  1776?

Some 50,000 British convicts were transported to those colonies. 

JM

That's an interesting theory. Is that information even possible to find considering they were convicts?

[iluleah]

I need help with research for my fifth and sixth generation grandfathers. My fifth generation grandfather is:

Jonathan Nicholas
Born: 1757 New Jersey
Died: 1839 New Jersey
Father: ? (sixth generation grandfather)
Mother: ?(sixth generation grandmother)

I have no idea who his father is and I'm fairly certain he had immigrated from Britain in the 18th century. I have no idea where his grave would be if one even exist in this day and age. Jonathan and his children have graves but his own father is not buried at that cemetery or anywhere (that I know of). It seems nearly impossible to find who his father is. I would love to find out who his father is so I can research my British roots but it has been extremely difficult. I have exhausted Ancestry.com and Wikipedia is not a valid source for this.

So before you go searching for any sixth generation you need to establish ALL the full details of the lives along with all and any real records of the fift, so you can cross reference those records and also establish if there are any names, occupations, places that could give you a clue to where to look next......... 'if and when' you have done that you will be in a better position to research further.

As for convicts that were transported, like any other person we research you research backwards, establishing death/burial, marriage/children they had and baptisms of those children as each real record you find can add another clue or real information to what you already have... there are convict ship records and of course court records but before you could research those you need to know more details otherwise you just 'find a name', think it 'fits' and add it but there are lots of people who used the same name/surname and not all of them are the right person, you have to find 'connecting records' so a real primary record showing the connection from one generation to the other... like a baptism, marriage or Jonathons military records where he names his wife or parents on as next of kin