England to Sistersville in 1911

[Muggins in Sussex]

I think on Ancestry I have found Caroline Ruth Dowsett (my great aunt or maybe my grandfather's wife - or even my grandmother- it is complicated! :D) travelling from England to Sistersville, West Virginia in 1911. She is described as a servant and it looks as though she was travelling alone.

It just seems odd. By 1918 she was back in England - getting married twice!

Again this is not really a question - but just wondered if anyone had any thoughts as to why she might be travelling there alone

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

She went there to avoid being on the 1911 census?

[Muggins in Sussex]

PMSL, Merry :D:D:D:D

[Olde Crone Holden]

US of A was the land of golden opportunity, so maybe she just went for a looksee, and better wages as a servant over there than back here.

Interesting though - wonder if that's where she met Mr Platt???

OC

[Olde Crone Holden]

Oh, right!

A one horse tiny village of 300 people until they struck oil, when the population rose to 15,000 almost overnight in 1895.

Posh hotels, opera houses etc. Lots and lots and LOTS of rich, unattached men!

OC

[Peppie]

Is that on the Ancestry ships thing? If so a kind member here grabbed me a couple of voyages and what I didn't realise was there was actually 2 pages of info, which also included the name of the person who paid the ticket and the next of kin at home and the address they were planning on staying at and who with.

Worth checking you might be able to give us some more clues ;)

did you get the legal stuff I sent at the weekend? :p

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks OC - interesting!!

And thanks Peppie- it was on the Ancestry passeger list- have PM'd you re e-mails gone AWOL!

[KiteRunner]

So on page 2 it says she was going to visit her uncle Hugh Smith, who had paid for her ticket. Can't quite make out his address but it was New something, Sistersville.

[Muggins in Sussex]

Gosh, Kite - thanks

I should be able to get to the library tomorrow to take a look.

I haven't come across any Smiths before !!

The plot thickens, if it weren't thick enough already :D

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Are you sure that there aren't 2 Caroline Ruth Dowsett's if you didn't know about her having a Smith Uncle, or have you not traced her family back?

[Muggins in Sussex]

Lynn, I am sure it is her because the age is right, and the name and address of next of kin are right.

And thanks again, Peppie, re the info about 2 pages - I had no idea there could be more than one page! - and to Kite for looking.

Tomorrow will look up the other rellies I have found on the Ancestry lists in case there are further pages for them too

[Peppie]

I graned when I saw the name smith :D maybe able to see how you can link them ? :D

[Muggins in Sussex]

LOL, Peppie :D - I've been lucky so far most that all the surnames have been relatively unusual.

Just looked on Family Relatives for a possible Dowsett/Smith marriage - should have known that would be too simple!! :D

[KiteRunner]

What was Caroline's mother's surname?

[Muggins in Sussex]

Hello Kite - I am not 100% sure, but I think she was Annie (Ann) Parish born Chard 1860

[WendyP]

HI All


For those of you with access could this be Caroline's mum in the 1871 census with the surname of Smith. Ann also has a brother called Hugh which would make him Caroline's Uncle.


RG10; Piece: 2404; Folio: 71; Page: 27

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks, Wendy -

Will have a look

[Muggins in Sussex]

Wendy - thank you again - I am sure you must be right because in the census records after her marriage to John, Ann/Annie's place of birth is Combe/Coombe St Nicholas - the same as the record you have found. Her marriage to John Dowsett must have been a second marriage, I presume

Thank you

[KiwiChris]

Sorry, a little off topic, but regarding the passenger lists, how do you access the second page? I would be delighted if I could find this extra information for one of my people but can't see how to get it. I have looked at the next image and it is just the next list of people and not more information for my man. What am I doing wrong?

[KiteRunner]

Chris, on the one I looked at, I just clicked on "next page" and it was there. Is it the same database that you're using?