John_Hartley Posted 8 November , 2006 Share Posted 8 November , 2006 Soldiers Died lists my man's place of birth as being Drambury, New York City. I don't seem to be able to find it via Google. Does it exist? Is it an error within SDGW - and, if so, any good guess where it might really be? Harry George Wood would have born there (wherever it is) in about 1896 (and was in Stockport in 1901). TIA John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 8 November , 2006 Share Posted 8 November , 2006 John I have a National Geographic US Atlas. The only similarities I can find are: DRANBURY Connecticut (next door to the north east of New York/New York State),and, CRANBURY New Jersey (next door to the west of New York/New York State). Best wishes Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 9 November , 2006 Share Posted 9 November , 2006 Actually I did a few searches myself and couldn't find anything either. I even looked for Drambury St. I think there is also a Danbury, CT. I think you might have a typo on your hands. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lembke Posted 9 November , 2006 Share Posted 9 November , 2006 Soldiers Died lists my man's place of birth as being Drambury, New York City. I was born and raised in New York City, and never heard of "Drambury, New York City". Was in New York State for 27 years and am not far away now, and have read the New York Times daily for 50 years, and I draw a total blank. New York City is in New York State; possibly some functionary saw Drambury, New York, say a little village "upstate", and since New York City is better known than New York State, he just officiously changed it to that. Probably totally wrong. Possibly the soldier gave a false origin, possibly a fugitive, or a maddened spouse in pursuit? Bob Lembke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 9 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2006 Thanks, folks. At least confirmation that there's a error. If my guesses are right, I think his father emigrated after the death of his first wife and possibly remarries in the States. Are there any on-line records I might access for this? Father has the unusual name of Nephi Wood. That might help me pin it down. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 9 November , 2006 Share Posted 9 November , 2006 If my guesses are right, I think his father emigrated after the death of his first wife and possibly remarries in the States. Are there any on-line records I might access for this? Father has the unusual name of Nephi Wood. That might help me pin it down. John Start by looking here John: http://www.ellisisland.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 9 November , 2006 Share Posted 9 November , 2006 Just did a quick search on ellisisland, but found no Nephi Wood.... are you sure on the first name, or might Nephi be short for something? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph J. Whitehead Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 It is probably a typo or written incorrectly by someone who did not understand what the soldier said. I came across a soldier from the 8th Bavarian RIR who was listed as being born in Buffalo Bill, New York. While Buffalo Bill was an historic figure at that time he was most likely born in Buffalo, New York. I have checked your name and found no reference to any location in New York. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 It is probably a typo or written incorrectly by someone who did not understand what the soldier said. I came across a soldier from the 8th Bavarian RIR who was listed as being born in Buffalo Bill, New York. While Buffalo Bill was an historic figure at that time he was most likely born in Buffalo, New York. I have checked your name and found no reference to any location in New York. Ralph I have a similar thing in my collection. I have a WW2 Italian identity disc that belonged to an Italian soldier who had been born in America, place of birth being one of the details given on a WW2 Italian identity tag. Some time since I tried to find this "American town" in a gazeteer or in an atlas, and I never managed to do so. IIRC the town name was "Heiner". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 John your thread title reminds of emails which come in via genealogy groups, answering their own questions with titles like, "Where is Ashbourne, Derbyshire?" Anyway I did a bit of googling as I thought Nephi might be a biblical name. It isn't, but it is the name of prophet from the Book of Mormon, first published in New York in 1830. I'm wondering whether the use of Nephi as a first name might suggest some American ancestry? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 10 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2006 John your thread title reminds of emails which come in via genealogy groups, answering their own questions with titles like, "Where is Ashbourne, Derbyshire?" Albeit, in this case, I definately havnt answered my own question. Nephi is certainly the father's real name. Birth registered in Stockport in 1852 and married, to Elizabeth Hall, in 1871 (also in Stockport). There are too many Elizabeth Halls amongst the local deaths over the several years to be sure when, or even if, she died before Harry was born. I suspect I'm now up a dead end corridor. Thanks for the assistance. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 Albeit, in this case, I definately havnt answered my own question. Nephi is certainly the father's real name. Birth registered in Stockport in 1852 and married, to Elizabeth Hall, in 1871 (also in Stockport). There are too many Elizabeth Halls amongst the local deaths over the several years to be sure when, or even if, she died before Harry was born. I suspect I'm now up a dead end corridor. Thanks for the assistance. John John Try the Mormons. A Mormon name probably means converts to the faith, and if anyone is likely to have family history records it is the Mormons. The Mormons were "recruiting" in England as early as the 1830s and targeted Preston and the area around. "Brooke states that 'the Mormon missions to England were targeted at the heart of the radical tradition'. 12 This was Preston, Lancashire, then a rapidly-growing town with a long history of radicalism. The choice of Preston, a relatively short distance from Liverpool where the first missionaries landed, may have been more accident than design. One of the missionaries had a brother there, James Fielding, once a Methodist and now a Primitive Christian, who led the small Vauxhall Chapel. Initially he invited them to preach but quickly withdrew further offers. 13 However the Mormons, with their belief in healthy living including abstinence from alcohol, were welcomed by the fledgling temperance movement which was founded in Preston in the early 1830s. They allowed them to use their hall, the one-time Preston Cockpit, as a base." Source: http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mormon/paper.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 John Following on from Beppo's suggestion, I looked at the Mormons' FamilySearch site and found 3 Nephi WOODs born c.1852/3 in England listed in the 1880 US Census., and this one just MAY be your man's father: The wife's name is right. Was your man's father a hatter on the 1901? (couldn't find him on a quick look at Ancestry) Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 Actually Mormons are well know for their genelogical records so that might well be worth your while to contact them. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 10 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2006 Jim That has to be them. Thanks, mate. Stockport's main industry was hatting (right up till the fairly recent time that folk stopped wearing hats). I can't find Nephi on the Census, though, so he may still have been abroad. I reckon I've found Lea(h)'s birth in 1873 in nearby Denton (which would tie with also being near where Nephi & Elizabeth married). I presume that, living in Utah, they must have converted to Mormon. Certainly they had married in an Anglican church. All adds to the story - even if I still don't known where my man was born. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 John Agreed, has to be them! I've found a probable in Stockport on the 1901 - Levi Wood, 50, born Hyde, Cheshire, felt hatter, with his son Harry Wood, 4, born USA, foreign subject. "Levi" is not shown as a widower, but no wife is listed. Still no Drambury, but a little bit more evidence.... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 10 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2006 Jim There is something weird here. Local BMD records show the birth, in Hyde, of Levi in 1841 (making him 60 not 50 when the Census was taken). There are two local births called Nephi in 1852. Nephi Howard W in Hyde and Nephi in Heaton Norris (now part of Stockport). Plain Nephi seems to paly no further part (at least as yet). Nowt is straightforward though in this game, innit. My guess is that Levi & Nephi Howard must related. Brothers? Cousins? Nephi Howard marries Elizabeth in 1871 and must be the family you have found living in Utah. There's nothing to indicate that Levi is also on the 1880 Census. Nephi Howard is listed by CWGC as being Harry's parent, yet you indicate that Harry is shown as being Levi's son on the Census. I believe Levi had married in 1885 and probably remarried in 1902. This might explain why no wife listed on census. I'm beginning to wonder if Levi just pretended that Harry was his son, rather than explain what may have been a complex set of relationships. I would have thought that "fraternal polyandry" would still have been fairly well acceptable in the Mormon communities of Utah but would have been unlikely to have found much favour in turn-of-the-century Stockport. What do you reckon, folks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottsGreys Posted 10 November , 2006 Share Posted 10 November , 2006 John: I found this in Ancestry.com LDS (Latter Day Saints) Historical: ID: I182158 Name: Nephi Mclain WOOD Given Name: Nephi Mclain Surname: WOOD Sex: M _UID: 86CC87FBE869FF4F94BAC59EEFEF2F65964B Change Date: 15 May 2005 Birth: 7 JUN 1852 in Stockport, England Death: 18 APR 1926 in La Grande, Union, Oregon Burial: 21 APR 1926 La Grande, Union, Oregon LDS Baptism: 1860 Endowment: 6 MAR 1871 Ancestral File #: 4RR0-PP Marriage 1 Roxsena Ann HARMON b: 19 FEB 1868 in Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah Married: 11 JUL 1887 Children Roxsena Ann WOOD b: 15 APR 1888 in Butteville, Salt Lake, Utah Nephi Robert WOOD b: 15 JUN 1889 in Butteville, Salt Lake, Utah Mary Elizabeth WOOD b: 31 MAY 1891 in Big Cottonwood (Holladay), Salt Lake, Utah Emily Hildorma WOOD b: 27 FEB 1894 in Joseph, Sevier, Utah Rosina WOOD b: 27 MAY 1895 in Joseph, Sevier, Utah Samuel Lorenzo WOOD b: 20 MAY 1897 in Joseph, Sevier, Utah Joseph Le Roy WOOD b: 22 DEC 1898 in Joseph, Sevier, Utah Alexander Mc Lain WOOD b: 25 FEB 1902 in Joseph, Sevier, Utah Myrtle Lillian WOOD b: 20 MAY 1905 in La Grande, Union, Oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 10 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2006 Chris Thanks. I guess this must the chap I refer to as "plain Nephi" in the previous post. I hadnt been able to find a death in the UK for him. There are just far too many people called Wood emigrating from my part of the world to become Mormons!! There has to be some sort of family relationship. Although this started as just being a very minor part of the research into this guy (just trying to establish where the heck he was born), I'm quite fascinated by it. I'm going to do a bit of research at the the local history library in Stockport and the one in the neighbouring borough where Nephi Howard and Levi came from and see if I can unpick who is who and, more to the point, what is what. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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