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Research in Other Countries => US Lookup Requests => United States of America => US Completed Requests => Topic started by: Philcandy on Wednesday 13 January 10 19:49 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone help me with information about James P MAJOR who was living in New York around the time of the 1840 census?
He seems to be living at 10 Watt Street and he was a witness in a trial held in 1842. Added later: In an 1842 Directory of New York City, a Richard MAJOR, wool merchant, is shown as living at that address.
His sister Emma married into a family I am researching - the STENTs.
Any information about him, and especially locating him in the Census returns would be most welcome.
Many thanks
Philip Candy
Australia
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Hi Philip
This is possibly the Richard Major in your message as on his naturalization record the witness is Caleb Cridland the same as on Joseph Stent's naturalization record.
Richard Major
Date of naturalization February 4th 1839
Address, New York City
Former Nationality, English
Witness to naturalization, Caleb Cridland, NY City
Hope this helps
Yvonne
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How fascinating. It does seem to be the right person. And it suggests that he was also born abroad - probably in England.
Thanks so much for posting this Yvonne.
Philip
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A bit about Caleb:
As mentioned in the New York Directory for 1839-1840, Caleb Cridland was a woolstapler. His address was 7 Gold h 123 Amos.
A Caleb Cridland, living in New York, passed away 7 December 1841. He was a native of England. Looks like his age was 65 years (difficult to read).
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Adding in case there is a connection:
Henry Major, Merchant, lived in New York City, 1815, 1820, 1835
James Major, Weaver, New York City, 1820
Richard Major, Matmaker, New York City, 1835
There were other Majors mentioned, but I chose the above, due to their occupations.
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Hi Lisa, and many thanks for this. It all makes great sense.
Are you able to help me with any information about George M CARTER, who married Emma MAJOR in 1844 in New York?
It would be great to find her in later Census returns; she was born in England in 1816 and so would have been around 34 - more or less - at the time of the 1850 Census. I would expect her to be in New York or New Jersey, but she may have moved somewhere else with her husband.
Kind regards and thanks for your help.
Philip Candy
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I will have a look. I was trying to find Richard or James on the 1840 census, but I'm not finding them yet. Would you have Emma's approximate birthdate, please? That might help narrow possibilities for James and Richard.
I'll have a look now for Carter.
Update: I didn't read all of your post before posting my own. I'm assuming this is James' sister?
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Philip: Do you know if Emma stayed in the states, please? Having trouble finding her in 1850. Wondering if I might have better luck in 1860.
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Sorry, not finding an Emma married to a George Carter on any census. Will have another look "in the morning" unless someone else has had better luck in the meantime.
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I'm really at a bit of a loss. Emma and James are two of eleven children born to Richard and Sarah MAJOR, and baptised in Frome in Somerset.
The whole family seems to have emigrated around 1832, and I have found various marriages in New York. Four of them seem to have been in the same Dutch Reformed Church, all within a few years of each other.
I don't know what became of Emma and George - whether they moved away, emigrated, died, changed their names or just got mis-transcribed. But I fully hoped and expected to find them both in 1850, so close on time to the 1844 marriage!
Anyway, many thanks for all your help; it is allowing me to build up a picture of the family. By the way, all the sons seem to have been engravers or artists; in James's case quite a famous one.
Kind regards
Phil Candy
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Hi Phil:
I was looking for the family as merchants. I do remember seeing engravers. I saw the following last night, but didn't read all of the names, since his occupation was engraver.
1850 Williamsburg, Kings County, NY
James P Major, age 32, born in England, Engraver.
Mary, age 10, Frances age 5.
Richard, age 24, born England, Engraver.
Maria, age 22, born England.
Sarah age 1.
All children born New York.
Also included with this group was Henry? Thrush, age 22, Printer, born England.
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1860 Brooklyn Ward 13 District 2, Kings County, NY
Post Office: Williamsburgh
James T (looks like P) Major, age 42, occupation looks like "Enginen", born England
Charlotte A?, age 25?, born New York
Mary L, age 18
Fanny E, age 16
Pauline, age 9
Kate, age 7
Georgianna?, age 4
Minnie?, age 2
? Lyon, age 25, Servant, born Ireland
All of the girls were born in New York
No column for married, divorced, single.
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1870 Brooklyn Ward 19
Image does look like Meyer
James Meyer, age 53, born England, Engraver, citizen of U.S.
Charlotte, age 37, born New York, Keeping House
Fannie, age 24
Pauline, age 18
Kate, age 16
Georgeanna, age 14
Minnie, age 11
Bell, age 3
William, age 1
Ellen Clark, age 17, Serv't Domestic, born New York, parents of foreign birth
Kate? Clark, age 22, Serv't Domestic, born New York, parents of foreign birth
All children were born in New York
No indication of married, single or divorced
Columns for parents of foreign birth: James has father and mother foreign born. Children do not have this mark in their columns. :-\
On the following page is Charles Gerbert?, age 40, Printer. He is at the top of the page; the Majors are at the bottom of the prior page, would probably indicated they lived next door to each other.
Cannot read Charles' place of birth, looks like Prusva. Could be Prussia, I guess. Only noting this family because he was a printer and his family members were:
Lizzie, Minnie, Bell, Lizzie and Ella.
By the way, both Bells were females.
I believe the 1880 census may be found here:
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#
You may find additional information on this site, regarding the family members.
It appears that James did marry Charlotte and apparently her surname was Lyon.
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Richard Major is also on later census returns. If you cannot view his information on the above site, please let us know.
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Thanks so much for all this work, Lisa, and for such clever detective work (MEYER indeed!!)
I set out to find more about Emma's family through her brother, and you have done a great job of filling in the blanks. He ended up being quite well known and there was even a useful obituary for him in the New York Times in 1900 when he died; he and his brothers Henry Brougham MAJOR and Richard MAJOR seem to have been quite well known as engravers and artists.
I am increasingly thinking that it was their father Richard who was the wool merchant in New York. I suspect that the whole family will be found with Richard (senior) in 1840.
Emma had a sad story because she married a man named Joseph STENT in 1838 who turned out to be already married. There was a messy Bigamy case in New York in 1842 (brought by Emma but including her brother James P MAJOR as a witness) , and after that I was hoping - for her sake - that she married and had a better life. That's why I was hoping to learn more about the George M CARTER marriage, which I found on IGI. Several of her brothers and sisters also married in the same Church, but of course it's all just inferential at this stage.
I really appreciate all your help with this inquiry.
Many thanks for your help
Phil Candy
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Hi Phil:
You are quite welcome.
You may already know where James Major and Charlotte are buried, but in case you don't:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi
I tried searching the cemetery for any Carters; no luck.
Will continue to have a look around; I haven't exhausted all leads for Emma yet. I wish we had some idea of George's birthdate or birthplace, it could help with Emma's search. ::)
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1840 New York Ward 14, New York County
Rich'd Major
3 males ages 15 and under 20
1 male 20 and under 30
1 male 30 and under 40
1 male 50 and under 60
1 female under 5 years of age
1 female 5 and under 10
1 female 10 and under 15
2 female 15 and under 20
1 female 20 and under 30
1 female 50 and under 60
(I believe I copied it correctly)
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Lisa
This is great. I'm sure you have found the whole family here, so it might be possible (eventually) to locate what became of Richard MAJOR (senior).
In the meantime, thank you so much for tidying up this particular inquiry for me.
Kind regards
Phil
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Hi Phil:
You are quite welcome.
You may already know where James Major and Charlotte are buried, but in case you don't:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi
<snip>
This is a real bonus, Lisa. Thank you.
Imagine finding a photo of the grave with their actual birthdates on it as well!
Many thanks
Phil
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Hi Phil:
I was looking for the family as merchants. I do remember seeing engravers. I saw the following last night, but didn't read all of the names, since his occupation was engraver.
1850 Williamsburg, Kings County, NY
James P Major, age 32, born in England, Engraver.
Mary, age 10, Frances age 5.
Richard, age 24, born England, Engraver.
Maria, age 22, born England.
Sarah age 1.
All children born New York.
Also included with this group was Henry? Thrush, age 22, Printer, born England.
I have managed to find that Henry THRUSH was a cousin of James MAJOR. His mother - Ann - was a sister to James's father - Richard - so this census entry ties the two families together very neatly.
Thanks for helping me to solve this challenge.
Kind regards
Phil