James and Theresa LEE, Liverpool to USA

[Sue Mackay]

LancashireBMD has him down as Lemon KLEEN - sounds like a washing-up liquid!

One of the slippery, elusive branch, obviously

[barbara lee]

Lemon Kleen

What a daft name! I love it

Barbara

[AdeleE]

Theresa fibbed a little about her age in 1911. She was born Theresa KLEINE Dec 1869 Liverpool 8b 218. Father was Lehmann according to the censuses.

I wonder if this is her death registration:

Name: Theresa Lee
Death Year: 1965
Age (est): 96
Registration district: Liverpool South
Volume: 10d
Page: 620

[AdeleE]

And if they stayed in Liverpool, this is the best match I could find for James' death:

Name: James Lee
Death Year: 1939
Age (est): 62
Registration district: Liverpool South
Volume: 8b
Page: 78

[barbara lee]

Thank you AdeleE and Wirral for your suggestions.

That certainly does look like Theresa's death in Liverpool in 1965. I may have to send for that certificate to see if she was a widow of James and who was the informant. Who knows, I might find somebody who knew something about her. Jameses are more common, so I am going to be more cautious about his death for now.

So it is beginning to look like James didn't emigrate at all, but stayed in Liverpool. But his family certainly completely lost touch with him. James was spoken of as the mystery man who disappeared.

I have just noticed something else odd. I have the military records of his youngest brother, who was killed in WWI. In 1919 his widow Polly was asked to complete a form showing all the brothers and sisters "of the full blood", who were to get the commemorative scrolls from the King. She has neatly entered the two married sisters and the two other brothers, but James is not mentioned at all. It's as if she had no idea he existed. Nothing ever came down to me about a dispute, or a reason they didn't want to speak to him - it seems James just cut himself off from his family.

Strange ! I will await the death certificates with interest.

Barbara