Birth in Prussia 1859

[strawberrymivvy]

I may be missing something really obvious but can anyone help me as to why an ancestor born in 1859 should have been born in Prussia?

His father is shown on the 1861 census as a labourer, so "nothing special" (I can't immediately find him on 1851 census to see his occupation then). They had 3 older children, all born in Co Durham, so what would have made not only a very average joe move/travel to Prussia, but take his wife and presumably children with him?

I had a quick hunt on Google for any ideas, I see that Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power in that year, but nothing immediately springs to mind to answer my query.

I'm fairly certain it's no error as all but one of the future censuses until his death show his place of birth as Prussia (one says Germany)/British Subject. And the one that shows a British place of birth just has him "dittoed" from the person above him.

Thanks in advance guys!

[strawberrymivvy]

He is Ralph Kirsop, son of Henry (born 1815) and Jane (1818). Siblings William (1845), Thomas (1847) and Mary K (1853) all born Co Durham

[strawberrymivvy]

Thanks Notanotherminer, I suppose I'm one of the many who sees working abroad/emigration as a modern phenomenon, amazing to think our ancestors upped sticks to countries that they had no idea what they were like or how to communicate

[strawberrymivvy]

Yes, sure they are connected in some way, but not as yet in my tree. I've previously been told that the variation in spelling of one or two "P"s is to do with the C of E/Catholic split in the family, but not sure how accurate this really is. I imagine the variation in reality comes from different enumerators/parish priests interpreting the name differently!

[strawberrymivvy]

Yes, I had his baptism thank you. I've spent a LOT of time painstakingly going through the online Durham records on the new Family Search site. Got quite a few leads from that, pity they don't have more counties on there.

[strawberrymivvy]

I've not come across that site before, thanks Notanotherminer.

I think I've got most of these baptisms as I duly recorded every Kirsop event I came across when ploughing through parish records, and have tied them into my family where possible. Thomas and Isabel(la) are my 4 x great grandparents