US Births

[barry.andrew]

Can anyone advise me about US birth records. My grandmother's brother was a Richard Hocking and all his children were born in the US - The 1891 census reveals the following at Baruppa, Ruan Highlanes

Richard HOCKING Head Married 31 Farmer
Ellen HOCKING Wife Married 32
Henry HOCKING Son 7 Scholar
Richard HOCKING Son 5 Scholar
Annie HOCKING Daur. 3
Minnie HOCKING Daur. 2
Lydia HOCKING Sister Single 32 General Servant Domestic
Arthur DUNGEY Servant Single 19 Farm Servant

The census shows all the children were born United States of America - Overseas British Subject.

Anyone any ideas?

Barry Andrew

[Megan Roberts]

Ancestry has extensive USA BMD records, but you really need to know which state, or it would a very long job looking for them.

Do you know where his wife was born? If she is from the same place as Richard it suggests that they travelled together, and it narrows down the time frame to look for them together. For instance assuming that they married before going to the USA, then you are limiting passenger list searches down 1883, and coming back 1889.

[DianaCanada]

There is a Minnie Hocking, age 2, born in Montana on the 1901 census with William and Margaretta Bicknell in Newquay, Cornwall. Could this be the same Minnie?

[DianaCanada]

If this is your Minnie, though, Montana doesn't seem to have birth records before 1907.

[barry.andrew]

First I should have said my great - grandmother's family. My great garndmother was Annie Maria Hocking and she married William Andrew. That is the connection to my family. Richard Hocking seems to have been my great grandfather's employer as in 1891 he is labelled as "Farmer" Beruppa, Ruan Highlanes and William Andrew is labelled "Agricutural labourer" at Beruppa.

In 1881 Richard Hocking was a Farm Labourer in St.Columb. He was married in Cornwall. However I have no idea of what State the children were born in. I am interested only to the extent that he went to the States as a farm labourer and 10 years later was back in Cornwall as a farmer. By 1901 he is gone again but I haven;t tracked him since. I have done general searches on ancestry (I do not have a subscription) but can only find census reports. They may have been come and gone between censuses.

Barry

[barry.andrew]

There is a Minnie Hocking, age 2, born in Montana on the 1901 census with William and Margaretta Bicknell in Newquay, Cornwall. Could this be the same Minnie?

My problem is that without the rest of the family being present I have no way of confirming that.

Barry

[DianaCanada]

Hi, Minnie is listed as a niece. Presumably to the head of household's wife, Margaretta. Also in the household is a Henry Hocking, b. Newlyn East, golf green keeper. He is 68 and listed as head of household's father-in-law. Does this help?

[DianaCanada]

In 1881 Henry Hocking above, age 48, is listed in Colan, Cornwall with wife Anna and six children which include Richard 21 and Margaretta 8. As this given name is rather unusual, am pretty sure we have the same family. Richard is born in Colan too and is certainly the right age to have married within a few years and fathered the children above.

[DianaCanada]

There is a marriage in the St. Austell district, Cornwall of Richard Henry Hocking and possible bride Ellen Cundy. Sep 1882.

[barry.andrew]

I see the beginning of a solution here. In response to the postings the Henry Hocking at Colan is my great grandmother's father. I discovered yesterday that Richard's wife Ellen (or Ellan) died at Baruppa Farm 1893 and is buried at Ruan Lanihorne Parish Church. Having lost his wife in 1893 and his sister in 1898 it may be that Richard headed West again and that Minnie (and possibly the rest) and developed a line in the States. If he married again (and he probably did) that could account for why I cannot recognise the family. It would appearc that this Minnie is a strong possibility.

My concentration, up until now, has been on the main ANDREW line and I just wanted to explore these US births to follow up an interesting element to the family.

Many thanks

Barry Andrew