Missing History

[esmotteram]

Folks howdy! It' been a couple of years since last thread posted but I thought I would try this personal Brickwall.

My Great grandfather and name-sake Ernest Stephen Motteram (ESM1) emigrated from Barrow steel and iron to Pittsburgh USA in July of 1890 to work in Andrew Carnegie's steel mills.

In July of 1891 we are fairly certain he was a player in the disastrous Homestead Steel Strike that resulted in both strikers and strike breakers being killed, National Guard mobilized to quell the riot. WE have an 1873 Winchester rifle that was apparently issued to Pinkerton agents hired to break the strike. It had been protected by someone who knew steel and buried for years (ESM1)...which may mean my great grandfather was very close to the action and the "gauntlet" that disarmed the Pinkertons.

The net effect of the strike was individuals hunted, wages lowered, conditions worsened in the mills, unions banned.

MY PERSONAL BRICKWALL: I have no photos of my Great grandfather, but reasonable archives, EXCEPT no info from USA census until 1910 (20 years)! No other history either.

A Brit third cousin recently (year ago) published a picture of Barrow steel workers with an identified relative and the comment "that the man to his left looks like your family too"!(photo circa 1900).

This started me thinking that possibly ESM1 fled back to Barrow in the strike aftermath.

Other info possibly related:
1) My grandmother Mary (Rawlins) Motteram returned to Barrow (Ulverston)to deliver my Grandfather(ESM2) 24 June 1897 and returned to USA six months later. No mention of ESM1 either side of the Atlantic.
2)next record of ESM1 is leaving Liverpool for USA in 1905. No arrival record in UK found.
3) Emigration in 1890 but didn't apply for Naturalization in USA until 1929.
4)third child Nellie may also have been born in UK (no records found). Later births are recorded in the USA in/after 1910 USA Census. Family together at this point.
5)Related family names in Barrow: Fleet, Harris and Stevens.

This is a longshot for sure, but any help would be appreciated, I would really like to find a photo at any age also.This site seems to be able to find information not found or not available this side.

Thanx E

[Lesley Robertson]

You have only one UK census that falls in your time gap - the 1901. The England/Wales one is on Ancestry - have you checked it?
Also, is there any possibility that he ended up in jail after the strike and rioting?

[esmotteram]

Interesting! I've searched Carnegie records of employees etc, but never thought of "jail"! I would have thought that had he been jailed it would be mentioned in family history (laughing here). Strikers that were ID'd have taken on "hero" status (or villain ) depending on perspective. Individuals killed and jailed are recorded fairly well. I'll have a look.

[suemalings]

The site I use has a copy of Ernest Stephen Motteram's Naturalisation Record. His Declaration of Intention shows:

State of Pennsylvania. He resided at 623 19th avenue, Monhall, Allegheny and his occupation is stated as being Retired on Pension. He was married to Mary (in 1888 Barrow in Furness) and had 5 children. This document is dated 1937 when he was 70 years old.

However there is also another Declaration (valid for 7 years) dated 1919

There is also an obituary which I cannot read as I do not have a subscription, but it is filed under the name of Mottkah and has been changed by someone by the name of Motteram.

There is a Draft Card but the date of birth is June 24 1897. The Employer's Name is Braddock Public School District.

Perhaps I am looking at the wrong ESM!

[esmotteram]

The 1901 UK census does produce an Ernest Mottram (sp) boarder, about the correct age (31) from Manchester. Just not enough info to connect the dots. I feel I've gone thru Ancestry and FamilySearch fairly thoroughly, but I keep going back there.
I haven't had any luck with embarkation lists or travel. I can't figure how/or when he go to UK to return in 1905.

[esmotteram]

The site I use has a copy of Ernest Stephen Motteram's Naturalisation Record. His Declaration of Intention shows:

State of Pennsylvania. He resided at 623 19th avenue, Monhall, Allegheny and his occupation is stated as being Retired on Pension. He was married to Mary (in 1888 Barrow in Furness) and had 5 children. This document is dated 1937 when he was 70 years old.

However there is also another Declaration (valid for 7 years) dated 1919

There is also an obituary which I cannot read as I do not have a subscription, but it is filed under the name of Mottkah and has been changed by someone by the name of Motteram.

There is a Draft Card but the date of birth is June 24 1897. The Employer's Name is Braddock Public School District.

Perhaps I am looking at the wrong ESM!

I have all these, but again, they are not in the period 1890-1910. The Draft card is his son ESM2, my Grandfather).

[Lesley Robertson]

I thought about jail because, if I remember the dates correctly, they had arrived relatively recently before the trouble. They might have kept quiet about it in case it affected his naturalization.. similarly, he could have gone somewhere (even as far as England) for the same reason.

[esmotteram]

You have only one UK census that falls in your time gap - the 1901. The England/Wales one is on Ancestry - have you checked it?
Also, is there any possibility that he ended up in jail after the strike and rioting?

ESM1 return from UK 1905 and arrival in New York asks some interesting questions: First have you ever been in prison; to which he states NO. Polygamist NO, Anarchist NO, combining for a job offer NO, Health - Good, deformed/crippled NO. It gives a Dalton address UK, but only says Pittsburgh (no address, even though explicitly asked for)
He is an "engineer" and has $35.

[Lesley Robertson]

Back to the drawing board, then…

[wimsey]

probably not helpful, but Barrow Herald of 20 April 1886 reports that 18-year-old Ernest Motteram, of 60 Vernon Street, sustained a broken knee at the steel works and was hospitalised