Cybrgran
11-09-2008, 2:56 PM
My grandfather (b. 1871) above left his wife and ten children Manchester in 1916/17 to seek his fortune in America.
He sailed on the Manchester Miller, we think as crew, he was a carpenter/coach builder. We think he jumped ship in America.
The Manchester Miller was torpedoed and sank just of fastnet on her return from Philadelphia to GB in 1917.
Some letters have survived one to his brother, the addresse being on the 23rd Jan.1917:-
C/O Mr J Dereham
Automobile Works
Rosemont
PA.
He speaks in this letter of doing a high class trade in the Automobile Line for the Packard Co.He (Mr Dereham?) is a Galway man and a catholic he has been good to me, he said he would see me through. I was sent out her by the manageers of the Pack in Phile. and my fare paid with orders to be employed and told I would have a friend and so he had turned out.
Another letter to his wife not dated has the address:-
737 Lancaster Ave.
Bryn Mawr
Philadelphia. PA
Again saying how good the big boss Mr J J Dereham was and that he was now earning 16 Dollars and would be sending money to her.
As far as we know he was never heard of again. The only conclusion we came to was that perhaps he died during an Influenza epidemic. Perhaps no one knew him in his lodgings so he would have been buried a pauper.
My question is, is there any way I could find information,
a, relating to the crew of the ship
b, would he have had to join a Trade Union and do they have records.
c, And any other advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
I have had so much help already from the kind and generous people on this Forum that I feel this time I may be "pushing my luck"
Thanks in antiicipation.......................Cybrgran
He sailed on the Manchester Miller, we think as crew, he was a carpenter/coach builder. We think he jumped ship in America.
The Manchester Miller was torpedoed and sank just of fastnet on her return from Philadelphia to GB in 1917.
Some letters have survived one to his brother, the addresse being on the 23rd Jan.1917:-
C/O Mr J Dereham
Automobile Works
Rosemont
PA.
He speaks in this letter of doing a high class trade in the Automobile Line for the Packard Co.He (Mr Dereham?) is a Galway man and a catholic he has been good to me, he said he would see me through. I was sent out her by the manageers of the Pack in Phile. and my fare paid with orders to be employed and told I would have a friend and so he had turned out.
Another letter to his wife not dated has the address:-
737 Lancaster Ave.
Bryn Mawr
Philadelphia. PA
Again saying how good the big boss Mr J J Dereham was and that he was now earning 16 Dollars and would be sending money to her.
As far as we know he was never heard of again. The only conclusion we came to was that perhaps he died during an Influenza epidemic. Perhaps no one knew him in his lodgings so he would have been buried a pauper.
My question is, is there any way I could find information,
a, relating to the crew of the ship
b, would he have had to join a Trade Union and do they have records.
c, And any other advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
I have had so much help already from the kind and generous people on this Forum that I feel this time I may be "pushing my luck"
Thanks in antiicipation.......................Cybrgran