French Embassy employee's

[quiffdo]

Hello all,

I have just discovered that my Grt Grt Uncle Peter Paul Whelan was not a priest but the secretary at the French Embassy on the 1910 census whilst living in Washington district of Columbia.
Also on the 1900 US census he was working at the French Consulate but at this point was living in Philadelphia City.
I also found a ship record of him travelling back from France with his family to New York in 1915, which was either coming back from a secondment there or coming back from his wife's family as she was French.

My query is can anybody spot him on the 1920 and 1930 US census and where would I email to see if there are still records of his employment history with the embassy.

He died in New York in 1938. Born in Ireland 1874.

Many thanks
Danny

[PhotoFamily]

Have him in 1900, 1910, 1920. Interestingly, he reports in 1920 that he is not a naturalized citizen. Could, of course happened after that. Didn't find a passport application. Wonder if he was out of the US in the 1930.

Have you tracked down the death certificate?

Are you trying to trace the children? Hmm, some could be living . . .

Will send. Still looking for 1930

[PhotoFamily]

And, uh, his wife isn't Elizabeth Louise as your first posting indicated, but rather Cecilia M?

[PhotoFamily]

1930, he's in Manhattan as Paul Whalen. Wife's name is mis-transcribed as Curlie. Reports he is naturalized citizen. Living with sons P*** & H****.

[PhotoFamily]

There is an index to New York Declaration of Intent, Southern District, which includes NYC, for Peter Whalen. The index only gives name & film/record number, and that it would be between 1917 & 1950.

US Citizenship is a two step process, which became more detailed in 1906 (i.e., good for you, if you can find the record). The potential citizen makes a declaration of intent, then five (?) years later petitions for naturalization. Both records should exist, but may not yet be online or even indexed. And there's the problem of where. It appears he naturalized between 1920 & 1930 (barring reporting or recording errors). He's at the same address in both, so he probably naturalized in the NYC court system. Makes the index record seem promising.

BTW, besides the birth information in the 1900 census, there is also years of marriage, and women reported number of children and number of living children.