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Advice needed in researching USA

Mary Lewis was born and brought up in the London area; in 1959 she married Stanley Severn, who was in the Royal Navy. The marriage took place in Southampton and I have an address for Mary at the time of her marriage and very possibly in 1960. At the time she was a receptionist for a firm of solicitors. The marriage was apparently very brief but I do not have exact details of when it ended, although it is clear that her spouse remarried. I have made contact with a distant relative of Stanley via the trees on here, which confirms some of this information.

I have looked for a further marriage for Mary but have been unable to find one in the name of Severn; there are hundreds of possibilities had she used her maiden name. I cannot find any children born to this Severn/Lewis partnership.

There is a possibility - albeit it heresay - that she could have emigrated to USA - and if this is the case, I don't know how to begin researching .

I've been searching quite thoroughly, for some nine months or so now, and would really appreciate any help or advice anyone feels able to give me.

Thank you

When was she born and who were her parents?

Rose

I have sent you the details.

Many thanks to Rose, but unfortunately I am no further on . . . .

"There is a possibility - albeit it heresay - that she could have emigrated to USA - and if this is the case, I don't know how to begin researching ."

Is there anyone who can advise me how to go about researching USA?

Thanks

Thanks Jan,

However, - there are four births with this combination but also a marriage in the area to a Barbara Lewis/Severn so it's a different family.

Yes, I realised so deleted - but you were too quick for me!!
Have you traced her family at all? I assume from PM's sent that you know more about her?
Jan

Thanks Jan,

I feel that I've been as thorough as I can in this search and have got as far as I can.

Mary does have family, some of whom I have made contact with; they do not know of her whereabouts. I know litttle more about Mary other than the finer details which I am unable to post on here.

In particular, I would be very keen to receive some advice regarding researching USA .

If you want help for America, change your title to include 'America' so that people who have more specialised knowledge of the USA can help.
Is America just a guess, or a real possibility?

Thanks Patchem - I've changed the title.

The possibility of Mary emigrating to the USA, probably in the sixties - is heresay, not a guess, therefore not a real possibility, but nevertheless a possibility.

If this IS the case, I don't know where or how to start. ;-)

If you know her exact date of birth, you may find a death on the SSDI - the US death index for when Social Security claiments die. A free version in on
https://www.familysearch.org/ although I'm not sure how upto date it is.

Ancestry has a pay to view version, and that one is updated regularly.

Incoming to the US passenger lists on Ancestry go up to 1957, probably too early for you.

They also have U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta). I think that one gives the date of birth, so you could search for Mary born xxxxx. There are probably a number of people with the same details.

Try googling for her in both her birth and married name. In the US (as well as other countries) ladies will often retain their maiden name as a forename on marriage.

If you think you've identified her, try looking on http://www.whitepages.com/ which is an on-line phone book

Thank you for all the info Detective,

I can't seem to get onto familysearch at the mo - it apparently has 'technical difficulties'


I do have an Ancestry membership but only the UK version and so am unable to look at USA info.

The passenger lists are too early - I wonder if more may be published in the future?

I can see that looking for a possible death record would make sense - but if Mary married for a second or even third time, I assume it would be recorded in that married name. I have already looked on the UK death records available so far in both maiden and married name.

I think I really need to find a way of identifying whether she remarried and/or emigrated.

It's not an easy one and any help is much appreciated :-)