Genealogy Chat

On family Search there is a Julius Clark born New Province West Indies.... he might be yours. He's living in New York with his mother and step father. His age is different by 2 yrs but he might be worth a look. James REILLY Self M Male W 32 NOVA SCOTIA Longshoreman --- --- Amelia REILLY Wife M Female W 45 NEW PROVIDENCE WEST INDIES Keeping House NPWI NPWI Letecha CLARK SDau S Female W 32 NEW PROVIDENCE WEST INDIES Sewing NPWI NPWI Julius CLARK SSon S Male W 21 NEW PROVIDENCE WEST INDIES Works Bakery NPWI NPWI Yeleika CLARK SDau S Female W 18 NPWI At Home NPWI NPWI Source Information: Census Place New York, New York (Manhattan), New York City-Greater, New York Family History Library Film 1254870 NA Film Number T9-0870 Page Number 170B Also I found a marriage in March 1896 between Julius Clarke and Catherine Best on FreeBMD. (well Julius was there but I looked on 1837 and found her corresponding entry). Dist Southampton. If you ordered the marriage cert it would tell you if he was a widower (or at least it should...) Rachel

Heather the birth was registered on 27th December 1890 Rachel thanks again you're a ****STAR**** x

Lorraine, This thread is very interesting. Rachel, Nice one! Heather

Yes Heather from one little piece of paper (Grandad's birth cert) yesterday comes this story that is opening up in front of me. I mean there have always been stories about how they came by the name Clarke - it was a plantation owners name. My Mum and 2 of her sisters went to Barbados in 1983. They met old Uncle Oscar, since passed and I think some other members of the family but I have no idea who they were. I wish I'd been doing this then and they could have written it all down......WHY do we wait so long to do things sometimes? x As you've been following this saga by the way Julius Clarke becomes the Head of the household, at the same address, on the 1901 census and Catherine is now his wife!

Lorraine, Did you say something about Kate or Catherine being Scottish? Heather

Heather I don't quite know how to put this - the story went that my Gt Grandad a coloured man came over here and married a Scots woman. I knew she was Mc Arthur but now from the cert I know she's Kate (Catherine). In those days - thank goodness we've moved on - it was frowned upon for there to be mixed race marriages. I don't know how true it was but he apparently became a well respected man in Southampton and there is even a story that he became a publican? x

Was just wondering if the census records show that Catherine was born in Scotland and if she wasn't then perhaps he was married to Kate first. Heather

I've just ordered their marriage cert on-line so I'll hopefully be able to see something through the clouds - although I'm not counting on it - ha ha.....x

Heather's earlier suggestion has got lost, but the marriage seems to be there: 1876 Mar BEST Richard Conjujan, Southampton 2c 28 McARTHUR Catherine, Southampton 2c 28

Thank you - oh dear I've sent off for the cert thinking it was the marriage between Julius Clarke and Catherine Mc Arthur/Best.....whoops! x

you've sent for the 1896 cert? that's ok, that'll be them. Presumably they were finally free to marry because Richard had died. Hard to find the death without knowing the place or his age, unless his middle name shows up

Thank you for that Robin. I sent off an e-mail to ONS to add Catherine's birth name. Hopefully it'll come back ok? x

Sorry to keep confusing you Lorraine but.... I was looking at the 1901 census and there is another child after Arthur J, Archibald G Clark age 9 in 1901. I've had a look on FreeBMD and there is an Archibald George Clark, reistered Dec 1892, Southampton district. It'd be interesting to see who his mother is..... You'll have to let us all know when finally suss this lot out. Rachel

The plot thickens doesn't it? It's strange that most of the names that Julius and Catherine used for their children my Grandad (Arthur Julius) & Granny (Maud) did too. I have aunties and uncles with the same names.....

looks like you've got a nice love story here. Julius and Kate obviously made each other happy, but in the climate of the time she probably couldn't have married him if she'd still been single when they met. And she couldn't have married him if Richard hadn't died unexpectedly young (I'm assuming). Romantic comedies have weaker plots than this. Fate moves in mysterious ways

So Catherine and Kate are the same person aren't they? Richard was a seaman, if he died at sea would his death be registered? Lorraine, you'll have to write this up for a Family History Magazine! Heather

Yes it's strange but as someone on another thread said, like them, my daughter isn't very interested. How can you not be? What happened back then brought you to where you are today.....

Lorraine Our children my not be interested at the moment but give them a few more years and they will be, they will be thankful you have found the link for them. Make sure you write down the link like your grannies half brothers and sisters & their visits. We do at least have some stories we can help prove the link, but if you hadn't started to look they would be lost and they would never find it. Well done I do enjoy reading the help and advise that is given. Irene

Have you seen Diane Sanders' thread on the Records board? It seems to be about the sea, ships and Southampton. Heather

Hi Heather I went over to the site but didn't come across anything though. I think I've been sat here most of the day on this and I'm going stir crazy......x