MANUEL family

[susanwillis59]

Hi guys need some help tracing some rellys who have gone awol.i am looking for the manuel family living in california terrace helminton row auckland, which is now part of bishop auckland, have found all the family no probs done all the usual searches but am missing 2 sisters elizabeth born in 1866 in bowdon row , this is the next mineing village from helmington row she is on the 1881 census aged 9 but disappears afer that.and margaret born in 1872 in waterhouses durham. even trawled through the deaths but its a no go.seems funny when i have found all the other siblings spouses kids ect. think they probs may be dead , but heres hoping.

[Jan1954]

Have you considered this?

There is an Elizabeth Manuel who married a Robert Johnston, Jan - Mar 1888, Durham, Vol 10a, Page 396.

They can be found together in 1891, but Elizabeth's age is slightly out at 41. RG12/4170/Folio ?/page 24 living in Hebburn.

Thinking about it, it's a bit of a long shot...

[Jolly Roger]

Hemlington Row, is the next village at the top end of Crook going towards Durham.
Have you tried look for a marriage for the two you cannot find?

Jolly Roger

[Jolly Roger]

The only marriage I can find for Margaret is

Margaret Manuel Sedgefield 10a 343 in 1911 june quarter

but she would be 40ish.

Jolly Roger

[birdlip]

Hi there,

not sure if you've considered all the alternative spellings? You may think these are possibles on freebmd...

a marriage;

Elizabeth Ellen MANNELL Dec 1887 Easington 10a 591 (spouse John Woods or Thomas Purvis)

and a death;

Margaret Holliday MENNELL 20, Dec 1889 Teesdale 10a 133

regards birdlip

[susanwillis59]

know for a fact that the spelling is ok have found the sisters parents. also all the siblings and spouses and children and they are all accounted for just these two they all stayed in the area or very nearby margaret was 9 on the 1881 census but is gone by the 1901 have trawled the marriages on every web site i can think of and the deaths but nothing and yet have found every one of her sibling no probs, and elizabeth is an enigma.but thabks for looking.

[suedent]

know for a fact that the spelling is ok

The spelling might be OK on the certificate but have been misread by the person doing the indexing.

My great aunt & uncle had the surname A'Lee, I found their marriages indexed as O'Lee & McAlee. My grandfather died in the 1980s & his death was indexed as Ailee! In all three cases the name was spelt correctly on the certificate.

[susanwillis59]

Hemlington Row, is the next village at the top end of Crook going towards Durham.
Have you tried look for a marriage for the two you cannot find?

Jolly Roger yes tries that all family accounted for, siblings partners and most of the offspring just these two are missing been on every web site i can think of and still nothing margaret is 9 on the 1881 census but gone by 1901 and elizabeth. tried the deaths but no go as well, the hunt goes on, but thanks for trying.

[ChrisKelly]

Maybe I'm being stupid or something, but in 1891 Margaret (b.1872) appears to be living with the rest of her family in said California Terrace:
RG12; Piece: 4074; Folio 37; Page 21

In 1901 Margaret (still single) appears to be in Brandon & Byshottles:
RG13; Piece: 4678; Folio: 78; Page: 30

Interestingly, in the censuses her place of birth is given as the USA.

[ChrisKelly]

Looking again at this, I think it's quite likely that Margaret was indeed born in the USA. The evidence in favour is:
- it would be a very bizarre transcription error to make (in the 1891 census) given that 7 other children in the family are all recorded as born in Bowden Close or Waterhouses.
- if it was a mistake in 1891 why would Margaret still say she was born in America in 1901?
- if it was a mistake for Margaret why would the same mistake be made for her brother Thomas whose place of birth is given as USA not only in 1891 but ten years earlier in 1881?
- in 1871 census the family (Thomas, Margaret, elder sister Elizabeth and parents William and Isabella) appear to be absent suggesting that they could very well be abroad.
- in the 1891 census for Helmington Row (RG12/4074), Margaret and Thomas are not the only persons whose place of birth was recorded as the USA. In fact there are at least 15 others. So not so unusual after all.

The evidence against Margaret (and Thomas) being born in the USA is I suppose that it seems so implausible. Why on earth would William, a poor coal miner, and his wife Isabella, decide to nip across to America, have two kids, and then come back again?? Bizarre. Perhaps William got offered an attractive all-expenses-paid relocation package? :D
Hmm, probably not.

[suedent]

The evidence against Margaret (and Thomas) being born in the USA is I suppose that it seems so implausible. Why on earth would William, a poor coal miner, and his wife Isabella, decide to nip across to America, have two kids, and then come back again?? Bizarre. Perhaps William got offered an attractive all-expenses-paid relocation package? :D
Hmm, probably not.

Cornish miners did it all the time, I can quote several cases of Cornish families with one or more children born in the USA & they have returned to Cornwall. Some families went back and forth several times over the years.

Incidentally with a name like MANUEL I wouldn't be suprised to find that the family had a Cornish connection. The name appears quite a bit in Cornwall, I have some in my own tree, all from the mining areas of Cornwall.

[ChrisKelly]

Cornish miners did it all the time, I can quote several cases of Cornish families with one or more children born in the USA & they have returned to Cornwall. Some families went back and forth several times over the years.


Well all I can say is extraordinary! I wonder how much it cost to make the trip? Presumably it wasn't cheap.

[suedent]

Well all I can say is extraordinary! I wonder how much it cost to make the trip? Presumably it wasn't cheap.

Sometimes they were recruited by Mining Companies who I presume sponsored their voyage but more often than not they state on the shipping manifests that they have paid for the passage themselves. Perhaps their families clubbed together for the fare & they sent the money back home once they were earning.