Find Ancestors

Wonder if anyone could help find an elusive branch of my family in the USA. I know I've posted about them in the past but I am really struggling here. Can't seem to find anything no matter how hard I look and I just know there has to be something. Maybe I am doing something wrong! Thanks to all who helped with the marriage cert decphering!

(Both spellings Bennett & Bennet are used in the records I have)


Henry Francis Bennet (b. c1850) and Eliza Hogg (b. c1847) were married in Manhattan, NY on 2nd April 1872, residence at the time is given as 285 Mott St, NY. Although I can't find them on the USA census returns for 1870.

There is some confusion over Henry's place of birth. On 1881 UK census is Liverpool, UK, on 1891 UK census is Pine Bluff, Arkansas and on 1901 UK census is Co. Mayo, Ireland!!!! His parents according to his marriage cert (although difficult to decipher) are Robert Bennet and Susan McGuire/McGurer?)

Eliza is always born in Liverpool, UK. Her parents (according to near illegible marriage cert) are John Hogg and Sarah McKal?

Their eldest daughter, Isabella was born in America , (although confusion between NY and NJ) c1873 according to her age on the various census returns and on her marriage cert which I have a copy of.

Their second child Louisa was born in Liverpool on the 22nd June 1874. The third child William was also born in Liverpool in 1876.

Any info of the families in the USA (not sure when they arrived as yet) or a record of a birth for Isabella would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
Lianne

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Sep 1846 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hogg Elizabeth Liverpool 20 541

This birth could be her..get the cert. find the mother's name.

Suzanne

1881 just for reference

Henry BENNETT Head M Male 34 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Railway Laborer
Eliza BENNETT Wife M Female 33 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Isabella BENNETT Daur Female 8 (British Subject), America Scholar
Louisa BENNETT Daur Female 6 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Scholar
William H. BENNETT Son Male 4 Liverpool, Lancashire, England


Dwelling 12 Court 1 House Clive St
Census Place Toxteth Park, Lancashire, England
Family History Library Film 1341873
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 3644 / 17
Page Number 28

Thanks Selena but I have all the info on the family after they returned to the UK its before they went to america and while they were there that I cant find

If he was born in Arkansas, might it be worth having a look through these images to see if a family member had bought land there?

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/

(NB this may not be in anyway a helpful suggestion - I have never done any searching for US records ... )

Hi Ivy

thanks for the tip but no-good for me in this instance, excellent resource though and will probably help me with another branch of my family, thanks.
Lianne

Nudge
please help I'm going insane - I seem to be going round in circles

Hi Lianne,

This site:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=908

gives some historical details for Pine Bluff Arkansas. If the Bennett family were there in the 1850s but had left by 1872, it seems they would have been likely to have left by steamboat. I wonder whether they would have left earlier still, before the Civil War? Would Robert Bennett have been caught up in that?

The page mentions a Methodist church and a Catholic church established in Pine Bluff before 1850. Have you been able to locate the records for either of these churches?

There were just 460 people in Pine Bluff recorded on the 1850 census according to the webpage (and 1,396 by 1860). Have these records survived?

I also cannot find Henry in America in 1870. I tried looking for him in 1860 and 1850 as well as his father. I'm assuming you've tried to find them in England prior to 1872?

While one would expect people to stay put for a number of years, I have seen two or three families arrive in America, only to leave again within a year or two. Perhaps Henry arrived after the 1870 American census?

Of course mistakes occur on census returns, but I think it's a bit odd to have written down "Pine Bluff" if it wasn't true. (Writing down an incorrect country is one thing, but to have written a city down. Someone had to have knowledge of Arkansas.)

Could this be him? (Note, it does say male on the original)
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Henry Bennett
Arrival Date: 26 Oct 1871
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland
Destination: United States of America
Place of Origin: England
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: English
Ship Name: Wisconsin
Port of Arrival: New York
Line: 29
Microfilm Serial: M237
Microfilm Roll: M237_350
List Number: 1079
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States

Hi Lisa,

Those are very good points. Although Henry is a feather dyer in 1891 in Lancashire, he is shown as working on the railways on the 1881 Liverpool census. Wikipedia says

"The first railroad reached Pine Bluff in December of 1873."

I wondered if the 1891 census had muddled Isabella and Henry's places of birth, but I see that in that year both give a place of birth in America (Isabella in New Jersey, which fits with Henry and Eliza's marriage?). Is it possible that Henry worked on the construction of the railway to Pine Bluff and then returned to the UK?

However, Arkansas is a long way from New York/New Jersey. The 1891 census gives his place of birth as (?)ine Bluff, America. Could it be a different Pine Bluff from the one in Arkansas?

Hi Lianne.

try this.......www.pbjc-lib.state.ar.us/

This the public library for Pine Bluff Arkansas.

Malcolm.

Pm email address if that does not work, will send a link.

Hi Lianne,

Although on the 1881 census, Eliza is shown as being b abt 1848 and a year younger than her husband, on the 1891 census, she is shown as being born abt 1846, and five years older than her husband. I wonder if she may be a little older still - there is this Eliza in 1851 in Liverpool:

Name: Eliza Hogg
Age: 10
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Sarah
Gender: Female
Where born: Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Everton
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Registration district: West Derby
Sub registration district: Everton
ED, institution, or vessel: 1j

Household schedule number: 20A
Household Members:
Name Age
Eliza Hogg 10
James Hogg 12
Jane Hogg 8
John Hogg 39
John Hogg 6
Sarah Hogg 37
Sarah Hogg 4
Thomas Hogg 13
William Hogg 2

Hi thanks for all your input.

Ivy, that 1851 census could be a hit as her parents are listed as John and Sarah on her marriage cert (although it also gives her DOB as c1847 and not c1841)

LisaJ - I was also of the same train of thought as your. i.e if he wasn't from Pine Bluff then a) where did he get Pine Bluff from - (he must have at leat spent some time there??) and b) why write it if he wasn't even from America. I'll start looking for other places called Pine Bluff in the States.

As I have their wedding certificate from NY, I have been using the details given on this as the most probable correct information but am now not sure if this has been wise. On this Henry is born in Ireland in c.1850 and Eliza in Liverpool in c.1847.


Thanks for all your ideas, I'll get cracking on looking again!
Lianne

Hi Lianne

My mum's grandfather was the only family member (except his twin sister and one? sibling) who was born in the states. Everyone else was either Canadian, Irish or English. Grandpa Bob told everyone he was born in Canada and I believe on the 1881 Canadian census his birthplace is even Ontario, Canada. My mum said he was embarrassed to be the only family member who was born in America. (I do have proof he was born in the states.)

Could your Henry have felt the same way? Is that why he said he was born in Ireland, because he didn't want to admit his American birth?

However, I do find it odd that I cannot find his family in the states. You would think they would have shown up on the 1850, 1860 or 1870 census.

Hi everyone

Thank's fro all your help.

Not sure whether to give up on the Pine Bluff thing, I cant find any record in the various US census returns for the family and there are a couple of possibilities for immigration records of Henry at least. Plus he is born in Irealnd on his marrigae cert and on one of the census reurns I found him in with his family. I was thinking that this must be the most likey possibility.

He only mentions Pine Bluff once in the records but why!!!!!!!!!

It makes my wonder - if he made up his place of birth (as he has listed, Pine Bluff, Liverpool and Ireland in the various records as his place of birth - and so he obviously is lying about 2 of them!) what else has he fabricated?????

Bit of a long shot but could this be a sister to Henry?
Mother's surname is 'similar'

SUSAN BENNET
Birth: 05 SEP 1867 0217, Dromore District, Down, Ireland

Father: ROBERT BENNET
Mother: SUSAN MCCLURE

Selena

PS another possible???

John Bennett
Birth: 09 JUN 1872 , , Ireland


Father: Robert Bennett
Mother: Susan Mc Clune

Thanks Selena,

can I ask where you got that info from please

It's definately a strong possibility. I'd like to look into further, I have been looking for this info for almost 3 years now!

Lianne :)

Hello Lianne, I got the information from the IGI - International Geneaological Index - (free site)

www.familysearch.org

I did a blank parent search. I left out the childrens names and surnames, left year and everything blank and just entered Robert Bennett as father and Susan as mother.

Have a play around on the site.

Selena