Looking for Finnegan''s in 1900 census

[Sheridanfine]

Hello

I wonder if anyone can help me find my Finnegan's in the 1900 census

I can't find out when my Great Grandparents died and I am hoping that if I can find them in 1900, it will enable me to find the names of my Grandmother's siblings.

Thanks so much for reading this and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Best wishes

Yvonne

[Leander]

Hi, Yvonne.

Phew! I see your problem -- it's like they disappeared. :-)

I spent some time looking around and have no additional info to offer. But I will try again later.

Cheers!

Deb

[Sheridanfine]

Hi Deb

Thank you soooooo much for having a go at an impossible search. I really knew that it was hopeless but I have seen your excellent work on behalf of other's and I was keeping my fingers crossed real tightly that you would take it up for me (very cheeky of me <big grin>)

Once again Deb, you are wonderful for even having a go, Thankyou

Best wishes

Yvonne

[Leander]

Hey Yvonne,

Please share the following info, if you have it:

Elizabeth's siblings, if any.
John's siblings, if any.
Catherine's siblings, if any.

Also, what was John's occupation?

I'm looking into a few different things and that info would be helpful. If you don't have it, we'll just work with what we do have.

I've just about given up finding them in 1900. I tried many spelling variations, but that didn't work out either. I guess 1900 was "the lost year".

Thank you for your kind words. It's funny, though, because the period that I love to research is the colonial period and a little beyond, from the 1600s to about 1800. Although the Civil War is interesting and I've done some of that, I don't have a lot of experience (nor resources) for anything after the early 1800s. So I feel a bit lost in late 19th and early 20th century. :-)

-- Deb

[Sheridanfine]

Hi Deb

This is so kind of you and I really do appreciate it so much.

I do hope that I have written it all clearly and if there is anything that I can do for you Deb, it would be a great pleasure

Very kind regards

Yvonne

[Leander]

Hi Yvonne,

Well, I'm completely befuddled; can't find too many of your Finnegans after 1910. Actually, I can't find any of them for certain (I just looked for the males and the mother, Julia). Where did they go?

I haven't given up yet, but am hitting my head against the wall on this one.

Let's think about this logically. I thought, at first, that perhaps John was serving in the Spanish-American War, but couldn't find him in any of the regiments.

Then I thought maybe he and some of his family went overseas, perhaps back to Ireland or to the UK on business, but couldn't find them on IrishOrigins.

I haven't checked Canada yet, but that's another possibility.

Then I figured that, since Elizabeth and John were married in 1891, by 1910 their older child (especially if the child was born within a year or 2 of their marriage) could be old enough to be out on his/her own, which isn't going to help us.

In 1890, NYC officials were not happy with the results of the federal census and they took their own census, which was conducted by the NYC police. They found that about 13% of the people were missed by federal census takers. Part of that police census is on Ancestry (not all of that census survived) and I did a quick check for "Finnegan" and didn't find anything, but you may want to look at that and try other spelling variations.

Now for the good new...New York State did its own censuses. The bad news is that those censuses are not widely available. They are also not indexed, even though some small towns and counties have transcribed theirs. This means that someone has to go through millions of names, page by page. Not fun! :-)

I will look to see if they are published elsewhere.

[Sheridanfine]

Hi Deb

You have been working hard for me haven't you and I cannot thank you enough because having searched for these dratted Finnegan's, I really shouldn't have put you to all this trouble.

Also I will follow your recommendations regarding the 1890 police census and a search of Canadian records.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Deb for giving me hope again.

My best and most sincere good wishes to you

Yvonne

[Ancestralbone]

I find with most names that are English and Irish they get missed spelled on a census record. If you can provide John and Elizabeth's children's name that would be most helpful. Also alot of these families used very common names for their children like Catherine. I am looking on ancestry but finding to many couples that are John and Elizabeth Finnegan.

[Leander]

Hello Yvonne,

If you're still out there let me know. I have a contact in NYC who will go to City Hall and try to find those records. Unfortunately, I've lost many of the names we were researching.

Please provide names and any dates that you might have. It could take a month or so, but perhaps we can help to obliterate your brick wall.

Best wishes,

Deb

[Sheridanfine]

Hi Deb

Thank you very much for your continued interest.

Unfortunately this is one brickwall that is possibly best left alone.

I appreciate everything you have done and wish you well in your own research as well as for others.

Take care

Yvonne