Born Abroad.....

[StewL]

Hello again

Dont worry I fully understand your circumstances. I am in the same boat with my gggrandfather according to the 1871 Census he was born U.S. America and the 1881 Census it states St... Americas. but cant find a trace of his birth or "alleged" parents.

I have been contacted by a distant cousin and we are both descended from the same person, and stuck in the same spot.

I hope you have better luck in finding your long lost than I have with my rellies birth and parents. I can understand the frustration

[Ina]

Cattie,

Didn't we check the 1901 census some months ago and discovered that he was in Pennsylvania. I remember seeing the image and we had a hard time making out the state.

Ina

[DavidWW]

David... I have a BIG question... How could he be born an "America, British Subject, Pennsyl"???? If he was born in America, wouldn't that make him an AMERICAN subject?

Och, I'm going to have to have a look at the 1901 Census... Nae doobt aboot it! Thanks for your help pal!

As far as the census was concerned, they wanted to distinguish between those born abroad of foreign parents, and those born abroad of British parents. And that's all the entry means in this case.

Only sometimes will you find the much more accurate "United States Boston, naturalized British Subject", as in the post above.

David

[cattie41]

Thrall & Stewie, I can fully relate to your predicament - it is as if they were never born, isn't it? I am lucky enough that I have been able to go beyond my grandpa for several generations, but he was very important to me in my youth and I'd like his BC.

No, Ina, I had a search done in Pennsylvania and there is no trace of him there. In fact I had a search done of all the surrounding areas of New York, to no avail. Boy, you can spend a blessed fortune and still end up with zilch, can't you? You are right, we did check the census and it did look like Pennsylvania, but they claim he was not born there.

I did find him when he was 13 (living with that Frame family in Larkhall), and then again when he was 18 (still with the Frame family) and working as a Pithead Laborer. Then I have his MC when he married my grandma.
I know personally that they owned a bicycle shop on Union Street, Larkhall, after they got married. They eventually moved to England, and all of this I can remember. It is just that darn BC that is driving me nuts.

[DavidWW]

......much snipped ...............

It is just that darn BC that is driving me nuts.

And there's not even a Scottish birth record for him under the surname ERSKINE, which could have been the case if he had been the illegitimate son of Margaret ..............

David

[cattie41]

I tried that as well, David - zilch!

The only sibling John Miller had (at least the only sibling he ever talked about - and I met when I was young) was James Miller, but I can't find anything on him either. James was supposed to be a Minister (or, at least related to the Church) in a Church we, as a family used to attend in Larkhall. I was wee at the time and can't remember the name of the Church. However, I have researched the Churches in Larkhall and can't find James mentioned as a Minister. Another mystery! The only other thing I can remember about James is that he had a daughter named Margaret (married name Ferguson) who lived in Glasgow and we would go visit her on occasion. I remember 'aunt Peg' (as we used to call her) vividly - I think it was because she lost her husband in Pearl Harbour.

QUESTION: David, would there have been a Scottish Birth Record for John Miller if he was born in New York? I guess this was my original question, wasn't it?

[DavidWW]

I tried that as well, David - zilch!

Ah the Joys of genealogical research

The only sibling John Miller had (at least the only sibling he ever talked about - and I met when I was young) was James Miller, but I can't find anything on him either. James was supposed to be a Minister (or, at least related to the Church) in a Church we, as a family used to attend in Larkhall. I was wee at the time and can't remember the name of the Church. However, I have researched the Churches in Larkhall and can't find James mentioned as a Minister. Another mystery! The only other thing I can remember about James is that he had a daughter named Margaret (married name Ferguson) who lived in Glasgow and we would go visit her on occasion. I remember 'aunt Peg' (as we used to call her) vividly - I think it was because she lost her husband in Pearl Harbour.

QUESTION: David, would there have been a Scottish Birth Record for John Miller if he was born in New York? I guess this was my original question, wasn't it?

Yes!

There could be a Scottish record, but only if the relevant information was supplied to the British consul (which cost serious money), and then transferred from GRO in London to GROS in Edinburgh. Any such consular record with connections to Scotland should have been sent from GRO to GROS, but this didn't always happen reliably.

David

[cattie41]

Thanks, David! If they were all miners then I doubt they had the money for all that was entailed in transferring information.

I love those wee emoticons - how appropriate! It is like banging your head against a brick wall at times, isn't it?

[Lauriemac]

This problem doesn't only apply to New York, my gt grandfather was born in Athens Greece in 1863 and no one over here or in Greece can find any record of him, after 10 years of hard looking. Don't you just love brick walls.

Lauriemac

[DavidWW]

This problem doesn't only apply to New York, my gt grandfather was born in Athens Greece in 1863 and no one over here or in Greece can find any record of him, after 10 years of hard looking. Don't you just love brick walls.

Lauriemac

Such is genealogical research, especially when it involves Scots, who seem to have turned up at one time or another in most countries in the whole world and, very often, married locally, as opposed to the English, who mostly didn't

David