Genealogy Chat

Greetings and salutations everyone.

I'm sure someone out there will be able to guide me in the right direction as there are so many knowledgeable people out there.

I did try searching for this topic but came up trumps, my problem lies over the ocean.

I have a Scottish family that went to the USA sometime after the 1881 census and had returned to Scotland by the 1901 census.
The family had a child while in the USA in about 1892 in Pennsylvania.

So how do I find them? Pennsylvania I'm guessing is a big place. Where can I find a 1890 census or even try to find the birth or christening record for the child – a little boy. I've found them on their return leg back to Scotland though in1893. I've not found them heading out there though.

The families name is Somerville (sometimes spelt with two m's), the mother Christian and father James had three children when they went out there; Thomas, Elizabeth and James.

Any help and advice much appreciated.
Gypsyjoe

Hi Joe


Try www.farmily search.org its a free site


Pete

James SOMERVILLE
Birth Date: 10 Mar 1891
Death Date: Aug 1969
Social Security Number: 164-10-5548
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Pennsylvania

Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 19135
Localities: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tacony, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wissinoming, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thomas SOMERVILLE
Birth Date: 25 Sep 1895
Death Date: 8 Sep 1963
Social Security Number: 187-36-7642
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Pennsylvania

Well,the 1890 was destroyed in a fire.

Do you see the family in 1901? Where are they please? Is the child with them?
Reason I'm asking is that I see their return voyage and I swear the "new child" is a girl,Harriet??,age 1. And how do you know it was Pennsylvania?

Maureen

Hi Peter,
I have tried the family search site with no luck I'm affaid.

Ann
Thanks for that but I'm affaid James went with the family to the US he was born in Scotland I should have made that clear sorry. :(
He's also the one I descend from and he remaind in Scotland till he went to Australia with his wife and children in 1922, he died by drowning in Australia in 1946.

Thomas was also born in Scotland, I definately should have made that clearer and again I'm sorry.

James and Thomas went with their parents to the US. James the younger of the two was born in about 1887.

We think the child born in the US might be a Harry, on the 1901 census it just has H Somerville.

OK-I see them on the 1901 now. That's really odd. On the outgoing manifest from the US it definitely says that child is a female!!

I think this is the incoming to America,by the way:
Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945

Jas Sommerville 14 Nov 1887 abt 1851 Occ:Blacksmith Male Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland Scotland Manitoban
Wm(says Mrs on the image) Sommerville 14 Nov 1887 abt 1854 Female Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland Scotland Manitoban
Thos Sommerville 14 Nov 1887 abt 1884 Male Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland Scotland Manitoban
Eliz Sommerville 14 Nov 1887 abt 1885 Female Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland Scotland Manitoban
Sommerville 14 Nov 1887 abt 1887 Male Glasgow, Scotland and Moville, Ireland Scotland Manitoban

Hey Maureen

The family is in the 1901 census in Scotland where the child is stated as being a boy and born in Pennsylvania.

Gypsyjoe

We appear to have crossed paths there, I know the difference between male and female, all I can guess is they though little H looked like a girl with the way he was dressed. I would love to know what he looked like in that case.

Thanks for the passenger list to the US - is that available online?

Hi Joe,
Yes,the incoming to Phil. is on Ancestry.

Have you seen the actual image of their return trip,though? I swear that child's name looks like Harriet!!!

Maureen

Hey Maureen

Yes I have a copy, I noticed that, maybe the accent was so strong whoever was writing it down didn't understand what was being said.

I not that you said that the census for the time was destroyed in a fire, do you know of any other way I could track the family? Where would I find "Harry's" birth?

Sorry,I have no idea,especially given that we don't know where in Penn. this happened.
When DOES the 1911 for Scotland come out??!!

Maureen

Next year I presume unless anyone knows any different.

How big is Penn exactly anyway?

For the passenger list who did you base the search on please?

Maureen

what do you know of this site

http://www.birthdatabase.net

I've done a search on it and it comes up with one match but you can't of course look at it without paying a subscription not much use it it turns out to be the wrong person.

Sorry-got caught up doing something else! I forget how I found the incoming list,but if you use Wm Sommerville,it should help find the 1887 arrival in Phil.

Pennsylvania is pretty big-about 46,00 sq miles. (I googled).

No,I haven't used the site you mention. Always so wary of those.

Maureen

Thanks again Maureen.

I'll have a look when I go to the archives centre again, the fact that the names for the parents are wrong it was no wonder I hadn't found them, though I'm far from being a luck person when it comes to my searches. Not sure why but when someone else looks for the same thing I am they seem to find it straight away me I can look for days weith not luck. I'm cursed I tell you cursed LOL

Me again. Realised I still had a few credits left on Scotlands People. Didn't find anything,except that Christian's father's name was something like Thomas Herriot/Harriet Tait,so I guess that might be HB's first name.

Good luck!!

Maureen

OOPS! Looks like we crossed messages again!! LOL!!

Oooh I never though of that you clever thing, the surname of Thomas's mother was Herriot so that could be his name. It always takes someone else to point out something that seems so simple.

I'm off home now that I've finnished work and with no internet I'll won't be back here till tomorrow.

Have a good day/night.

Joe (the famale type)