Can anyone help me find Leonard and William in Chicago??

[Cressy]

Good afternoon again all you helpful Family Tree Forum members.

I'm hoping there are a few American record experts out there that might be able to help me.

I am trying to trace the fates of a father and son: -

William Tilden Crossingham born 2nd Feb 1844 in Dallington Sussex (my 2nd cousin 4 x removed)
and
Leonard Crossingham born Q1 1865 in Ticehurst Sussex (my 3rd cousin 3 x removed).

Rumour has it that William left his wife Mary (nee Barden) and family and took himself off to America, where he ended up in the hotel trade in Chicago. If this is true then it must have happened sometime between 1871 and 1881; as the family are together in the 1871 census in Tower Street Heathfield. But in the 1881 census Mary and children are shown at the Old Half Moon, Heathfield as Housekeeper and lodgers with no sign of William..... As the youngest child, Ada, was born in 1880, I'm guessing the William's alleged departure happened during the period 1879/1880.

This 1881 census is also the last time that their eldest son Leonard appears in UK records too.. I have found a passenger list for the Allan Line ship Phoenician dated 1886; sailing to Quebec with one L Crossingham, labourer, age not shown, as a passenger; who's final destination is given as Chicago.. Sooo. Does this support the rumours? or is it perhaps the source of them?

Anyway. The above are the last traces I can find of father and son and I'm wondering whether any one can help or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance and best regards

Paul...

[Christine in Herts]

Good afternoon again all you helpful Family Tree Forum members.

I'm hoping there are a few American record experts out there that might be able to help me.

I am trying to trace the fates of a father and son: -

William Tilden Crossingham born 2nd Feb 1844 in Dallington Sussex (my 2nd cousin 4 x removed)
and
Leonard Crossingham born Q1 1865 in Ticehurst Sussex (my 3rd cousin 3 x removed).

Rumour has it that William left his wife Mary (nee Barden) and family and took himself off to America, where he ended up in the hotel trade in Chicago. If this is true then it must have happened sometime between 1871 and 1881; as the family are together in the 1871 census in Tower Street Heathfield. But in the 1881 census Mary and children are shown at the Old Half Moon, Heathfield as Housekeeper and lodgers with no sign of William..... As the youngest child, Ada, was born in 1880, I'm guessing the William's alleged departure happened during the period 1879/1880.

This 1881 census is also the last time that their eldest son Leonard appears in UK records too.. I have found a passenger list for the Allan Line ship Phoenician dated 1886; sailing to Quebec with one L Crossingham, labourer, age not shown, as a passenger; who's final destination is given as Chicago.. Sooo. Does this support the rumours? or is it perhaps the source of them?

Anyway. The above are the last traces I can find of father and son and I'm wondering whether any one can help or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance and best regards

Paul...

I haven't spotted the USA records you're looking for, yet, but Leonard's baptism appears to be on FamilySearch: 2 Apr 1865 Burwash. Leonard Crossingham s/o William Crossingham & Mary. It's a J batch number - I think that that means it's a transcription and not a submission.

It's worth keeping an eye on what FamilySearch has to offer, because they're always adding records - some with free images. I can't see anything at the moment for your names. FindMyPast also has USA newspaper images and records - if you have a world-type sub.

Christine

[Christine in Herts]

I can't see anything particularly likely on FMP at the moment.

Christine

[bcbrit]

Hi Paul,

From ancestry.uk - National Probate

William Tilden Crossingham, of Tower Street, Heathfield
d. 18 September 1889, Sussex

This is possible the
William Crossingham
c.1820
d. Sept Q 1889
Hailsham, Sussex

Would this be Leonard's grandfather, and William's father ? If so, it might be worth getting a copy of the will, and seeing if either are mentioned.

bcbrit

[vera2013]

As the youngest child, Ada, was born in 1880, I'm guessing the William's alleged departure happened during the period 1879/1880.

Might help to narrow down the departure. Note that Ada born 8 years after previous child on 1881 census with the Coleman family.

There is an Ada K Coleman b 1880 Heathfield, niece of Edward Barden in the 1891. Maybe the same child as that in 1881.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/6598/SSXRG12_781_784-0641/12404654?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3duki1891%26h%3d12404654%26indiv%3dtry%26o_vc%3dRecord%253aOtherRecord%26rhSource%3d7572&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

Vera

[Cressy]

Hi all,

Many thanks for the responses. They are all very welcome.

Christine, thanks for your time, at least I'm not going word blind if you can't see them either ;)

Bcbrit, William Tilden (senior) died 1889 was indeed Leonards grandfather, he left £159 ish in his will which was to be divided equally between his 6 children, but no real leads there.

Vera, Oh I haven't even started on poor little Ada yet. I couldn't find a birth record and had started looking for Ada Bardens of the correct age, but you may very well saved me some time and pulled out hair..

Best regards

Paul...

[Christine in Herts]

Do you have membership of the Sussex Family History Group? Or access to the Sussex records, at all?

There are quite a lot of records there to help unravel the earlier history of the family - including children who were born and died between censuses, so don't appear at the decade intervals.

The Jane who appears with Harriet, later, appears to be the daughter of Charles, brother of William Tilden (1844).

Christine

[PhotoFamily]

You may have an uphill battle: If he left the UK in 1880, he is likely to have arrived in the US after the 1880 US census. The 1890 census went up in smoke. So you'd need to look for him in the 1900.

Familysearch has the 1900 online with images. It's an unusual enough name that searching across the US shouldn't create too many hits. It also has many Chicago records (BMD up to ~1940) - I didn't get a hit looking for the surname for that location

You can also try Chicago online directories. These folks have a few:

http://www.chicagoancestors.org/#tab-tools

Fold3 has more. You could check with your nearest Family History Centre - they may have free public access to the database.

State of Illinois also has a "Cyberdrive" of Marriage & Death records up to 1900 (listed in the reference section, I think) as well as Cook County Genealogy has its own online index:

http://www.cookcountygenealogy.com/

good luck.
sarah