I am trying to trace a male KAVANAGH who left BIRKENHEAD, Cheshire, England sometime between 1885 and 1900. He and a 'brother' JAMES left Birkenhead/Liverpool and on the way it is rumoured that James 'drowned at sea'. It is believed that the brother (name unknown) arrived in California as 2 descendents visited Birkenhead in the last few years -2 ladies - one from San Francisco and the other from Los Angeles. I live in Canada and was given this information by a newly found 2nd cousin in Birkenhead. If anyone has information re this person I would be very grateful as I am unable to trace James (my gr-grandfather) who was born in Ireland in 1848. His father was PATRICK KAVANAGH and that is all I know.
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Kavanagh - birkenhead - california
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Dear Val - it would be very strange for him (James) to have committed suicide - he was a married man with 7 children at that time and on his way to make a new life. The reason we know he was dead is that in the 1891 UK Census Elizabeth is shown as a widow and his last child was born in 1886. Were did you find the information re the suicide?
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Originally posted by ARickett View PostI am trying to trace a male KAVANAGH who left BIRKENHEAD, Cheshire, England sometime between 1885 and 1900. He and a 'brother' JAMES left Birkenhead/Liverpool and on the way it is rumoured that James 'drowned at sea'. It is believed that the brother (name unknown) arrived in California as 2 descendents visited Birkenhead in the last few years -2 ladies - one from San Francisco and the other from Los Angeles. I live in Canada and was given this information by a newly found 2nd cousin in Birkenhead. If anyone has information re this person I would be very grateful as I am unable to trace James (my gr-grandfather) who was born in Ireland in 1848. His father was PATRICK KAVANAGH and that is all I know.
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Val is saying that PATRICK, (the brother?) committed suicide, not James. Could the family story be confused? However, many a married man with children has committed suicide, so you cannot say he didn't, just because he had family.
Just because James' wife is shown as a widow on the 1891 census does not mean that her husband was dead, it merely means she wanted people to think that he was, because a widow got a lot more sympathy than an abandoned wife.
OC
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Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View PostVal is saying that PATRICK, (the brother?) committed suicide, not James. Could the family story be confused? However, many a married man with children has committed suicide, so you cannot say he didn't, just because he had family.
Just because James' wife is shown as a widow on the 1891 census does not mean that her husband was dead, it merely means she wanted people to think that he was, because a widow got a lot more sympathy than an abandoned wife.
OC
Margaret
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Originally posted by ARickett View PostDear Val - it would be very strange for him (James) to have committed suicide - he was a married man with 7 children at that time and on his way to make a new life. The reason we know he was dead is that in the 1891 UK Census Elizabeth is shown as a widow and his last child was born in 1886. Were did you find the information re the suicide?
Margaret
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Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View PostJust for information - the surname is recorded as CAVANAGH in English bmd records.
OC
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It's been a few years since I last posted and since then I'm still searching for James' date of death BUT in the last few weeks through a series of FB connections and serendipitiously?? speaking to someone on FB Messenger I am now in contact with a 2nd cousin who has sent me the birth cert. of her grandmother, Margaret who was born 6 Oct. 1886 in which it states her father was deceased. So that gives me a window of 9 months instead of the 4 years to search for his death. Wish me luck - heading over to England in a week to continue the search.
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would not the death at sea have been recorded at the first port of arrival??
In this case, would that not be the US?My grandmother, on the beach, South Bay, Scarborough, undated photo (poss. 1929 or 1930)
Researching Cadd, Schofield, Cottrell in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire; Taylor, Park in Westmorland; Hayhurst in Yorkshire, Westmorland, Lancashire; Hughes, Roberts in Wales.
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There is a record on FMP of a Patrick Kavanagh aged 40 years having ?jumped overboard from the SS America on the way to New York. This is possibly the one Val found previously which was deemed to be a suicide.
The date of death is given as 17th October 1886.
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The manifest for the SS America arriving in New York on the 22nd October 1886 records a James Kavanagh aged 40 years. I have looked through and cannot see a Patrick. My eyes not too good so I may have missed him. Page 279
I don't know where the death of Patrick/?James Kavanagh would have been registered. There is no additional info unfortunately on the records to link them with your James from Birkenhead.
VeraLast edited by vera2013; 05-05-17, 08:03.
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Thanks OC. I was always confused as to whether there were two brothers off to America but then there has been contact with descendents so perhaps they didn't travel together.
Apparently the recording of deaths at sea could be a bit tardy back then and sometimes details were not always correct or even recorded.
Just read your post. I'm getting confused. I'm thinking that James is Patrick and that the info to the authorities wasn't correct. The Captain of the ship died on voyage to the USA so maybe things were a little fraught.
VeraLast edited by vera2013; 05-05-17, 08:54.
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