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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: ShaunJ on Sunday 21 March 10 08:58 GMT (UK)
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John Harold Austin was born on 23 April 1893 in St Petersburg/Petrograd, Russia where his father James Austin managed a calico print works. Sometime between 1904 and 1911 the family relocated to Cheshire, England where they lived in Clarendon Road, Newton, Hyde. There John trained as an accountant.
On 1 April 1914 he sailed from Liverpool to Philadelphia on the SS Merion to join his friend E J Dyson in Frankford, PA.
His 1917 draft registration shows him residing in Penn Street, Frankford and working as a cost accountant with Barrett Chemical.
In that year he married Isabel Armstrong in Philadelphia.
In the 1920 census he is in Philadelphia with wife Isabel 19 and daughter Doris aged 1. At the same address are Isabel Armstrong aged 80 (his wife’s grandmother ?) and her daughter Margaret Thompson aged 42, both born Ireland.
By the time of the 1930 census, John is no longer around. It has been suggested that he may have been killed in a motor accident in the 1920’s. (Can anyone find a death record?)
Doris appears to be listed twice in the 1930 census.
There is a Doris M Austin aged 11, father born Russia, mother PA, listed as a niece-in-law in the household of Frank M Davenport in Philadelphia . Frank has a wife Sarah born PA circa 1906 with an Irish father. Frank and Sarah were married circa 1925 per the census. Presumably Sarah is Isabel’s sister – can anyone find them in the 1910 census?
There is a also a Doris Austin (12) in the household of Daniel and Isabela Simpson, also in Philadelphia . Isabela was 29 and had first married at the age of 17 so this looks to be John H’s widow. There are other Austin children listed: John H Austin 11, and George 8. Daniel was aged 28 and first married at 21, and there are three Simpson children shown, eldest aged 7, so it looks like a remarriage for Isabel to Daniel in 1922/3.
This John Harold Austin, “son of Mr & Mrs Daniel Simpson” of Philadelphia, was killed in a kamikaze attack on USS Bennett off Okinawa in 1945. A relative has posted a photo of him. http://bobrosssr.tripod.com/473contrib.html and he looks very like another member of our Russia/Cheshire Austin family
Can anyone help me tie this together? I need to find a marriage for Daniel and Isabela Simpson circa 1922/3, and/or the birth details of John Harold Austin in PA circa 1920. Where to look?
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1910 Pennsylvania Miracode Entry. Philadelphia
Isabella Arrontron born 1840 Ireland, Age 70 years. with the following family:-
William George 40 Ireland Son
Margaret Thomson 34 Ireland Daughter
William R 12 Pennsylvania Grandson
James I Armstrong 28 Ireland Don
Saddie 4 years Pennsylvania
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1910 Philadelphia Ward 36, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Isabella Armstrong 70 Immigrated 1887
William George 40
Margret Townson 34 Daughter (Thompson)
William R Townson 12 Grandson born Philadelphia
James J Armstrong 28 Immigrated 1887
Saddie Armstrong 4 Adopted Child.
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Thanks for those, Dettori28
"Saddie" could be the girl who married Frank Davenport - she's the right age
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1900 Census Philadelphia Ward 36, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Isabella Armstrong 54 Had 6 children. 5 survive. Widow. Immigrated 1883
George Armstrong 30 Son. Immigrated 1883
James Armstrong 21 Immigrated 1883
Samuel Armstrong 16
William Thomson 27 Son-In-Law
Margaret Thomson 24 Immigrated 1883 Had 2 children. 2 survive.
William Thomson 2
George Thomson 2 months old.
John Obrien 48 Boarder
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I think I may have found Isabel in 1910, also in Ward 36 :
Charles Amstrong 32 born Ireland came to US 1883
Elizabeth 27
Isabella 9
James 7
Charle 1/12
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I wonder if Charles may have married twice, a similar one appears in 1900 Ward 36.
Charles Armstrong 22 Married 1899. Immigrated 1883. Teamster
Anna M Armstrong 19
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Charles Armstrong born 22 Feb 1878 married Elizabeth Mc Cormack. Elizabeth born 25 Jun 1882 in Philadelphia Died 14 Jul 1957. (No source)
Charles Died 10 Oct 1956 (No source)
Elizabeth daughter of Michael McCormack 1835 Ireland and Marie Dunne Jul 1839
in Killeenmore, Killeigh, Kings County, Ireland.
Elizabeth was a classical pianist. Charles a blacksmith.
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Rootsweb World Connect has entries here:-
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
or look under Charles Armstrong 1910 Pennsylvania
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1920 Census Ridley, Delaware, Pennsylvania
Charles Armstrong 42 Born Pennsylvania !!! Blacksmith at shipyards
Elizabeth N Armstrong 36
Charles J Armstrong 9
Joseph Armstrong 7
Kathryn Armstrong 3 years 4 months
Evia Armstrong 1 month
1930 Ridley, Delaware, Pennsylvania
Charles Armstrong 52 Born Northern Ireland. Blacksmith. Blacksmiths shop
Elizabeth Armstrong 46
Charles Armstrong 20 Auto Mechanic
Joseph Armstrong 16 Attendant at Gas Station
Kathryn Armstrong 13
Carin Armstrong 10
Betty Armstrong 8
Thomas Armstrong 6
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Not sure if this would be your John but it looks to be a possibility. WW2 Army Enlistment. John H Austin Born 1920. Enlisted 22 May 1944. Civil Occupation: Tinsmiths, coppersmiths, and sheet metal workers. 4 years of High Scool. Married.
There are no birth or marriage records online, to obtaining a birth certificate you would have to be quite closely related but the details are here:-
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/birth_certificates/14121
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/marriage_and_divorce_certificates/14126
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/death_certificates/14122
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Thanks for your help with this.
Not sure about that army enlistment - the John H Austin I am researching must have been born around 1920 but he was in the US Navy.
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World War 2 Navy, Marine Corps and Coastguard Casulties.
John Harold Austin. Wartender 3c USNR. Parents Mr and Mrs Daniel Simpson. 604 Johnson Street. Philadelphia. State Pennsylvania. Killed In Action.
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A possible SSDI Record to keep in mind for Isabel Simpson.
Born 4 Jan 1901 Died Dec 1969.
Last Residence was : 19148 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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A possible SSDI Record for Daniel Simpson.
Born 24 Dec 1902. Died Dec 1971.
Last Residence was:- 19148 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (The same as Isabel in Dec 1969)
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SSDI Record for Frank J Davenport. Son of Frank J Davenport (1909) and Saddie/Sarah Armstrong (1906)
Born 23 Oct 1925. Died 7 Sep 2004
Last Residence was: 19087 Wayne, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Obituary Link:-
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1051B587D8FC82B5&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
SSDI Record for Frank J Davenport Snr.
Born 19 Oct 1902 Died May 1982.
Last residence was:- 19050 Lansdowne, Delaware, Pennsylvania.
SSDI Record Born 1928 Betty (Baker) Lou Davenport Died 18 Aug 2004.
Obituary should be in the Morning Call Allentown. PA 26 Aug 2004 but it isn't coming up
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Once again many thanks to Dettori28 for all the contributions on this query. We've certainly filled in a lot of gaps.
John H Austin's 1917 marriage to Isabel Armstrong is listed on the LDS Philadelphia marriage indexes 1885-1951, as is the marriage of a Doris M Austin to James T Reilly in 1937.
http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/#c=1388247;p=collectionDetails
However I can't see anything there for the 1920's marriages of Frank J PrendergastDavenport and Sarah/Sad(d)ie, or of Daniel Simpson and Isabel
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Hello Shaun.
Yes. Quite alot of progress but just a few missing links. You had me going with Frank J Prendergast, wondered where he had appeared from but I think you mean Frank J Davenport.
Disapppointing not to see a marriage for him and Sarah/Saddie - it would have confirmed a surname for her. We know she was listed as an Armstrong but 1910 said adopted child - it could be that she was'nt legally adopted and may go under a different surname !! (Just a thought anyway - these things were quite expensive then !!)
Apart from that, we still have a missing death record for John H Austin and a marriage for Isabel to Daniel Simpson. (Although you have a time frame for those)
I wonder if you could get an RAOGK in Philadelphia to check for an obituary for John H Austin, if it was an accident of some sort you would think something would be in the newspapers.
I will put a link on to see if you can find anyone on the list that could help. Always worth an e-mail !!!
http://www.raogk.org/pennsylv5.htm
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Sorry about the typo!
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No problem Shaun. ;D
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I signed up to a commercial news archive database and found a reference in the Philadelphia Inquirer (25 December 1917) to the issue of this marriage license:
Isabel Armstrong , 1828 S.27th St and John H Austin 4707 Penn St
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I wonder if Charles may have married twice, a similar one appears in 1900 Ward 36.
Charles Armstrong 22 Married 1899. Immigrated 1883. Teamster
Anna M Armstrong 19
ARMSTRONG - on March 9 1906, ANNA MAY, wife of Charles Armstrong, aged 24 years.............funeral services.........at residence of her brother-in-law Mr William B Thompson, 1433 S. 19th St. Interment at Mt Moriah cemetery
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Excellent Shaun - a good days work. It did look a close possibility for Charles. So you are still missing the death of John and remarriage of Isabel. Still hoping your commercial news database will come up with an answer ;)
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Found a few more things.
Delaware County Library has an excellent (and free) digitised local newpaper database which has a 1956 obit for Charles Armstrong http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/Default.aspx
I also found a marriage for John H Austin's younger brother James S Austin - to Katherine Vesper in Philadelphia in 1929. I've been looking for that for a while. James arrived from England in 1921.
Online availability of the Philadelphia Inquirer only goes up to 1922 at present.
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Really pleased all your bits and bobs are coming together slowly - another good site. It is a shame about the Philadelphia Inquirer, needed some obituary info on a Catholic Priest but the date I wanted was March 1934 !!
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This web page has a good summary of what's available online for PA newspaper archives
http://trilogy.brynmawr.edu/guides/Philadelphia_Regional_News/
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Many Thanks for the link Shaun. I have passed that information on, if it does'nt help with the Catholic Priest, it may help with other relatives.
Thanks Alot. ;D
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For help with your Catholic Priest, try this link:
http://www.pahrc.net/
There is a fee for family research, but there is also a good deal of general information available on the site.
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Thank you LaurieA
I will pass that to the youngster researching. He has already had success and so far received.
A photo of his relative -
An obituary
A funeral mass newspaper clipping
A short biography
And the Promise of further information
It amazing what you can find, so he is delighted.
Many Thanks. ;D
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You're welcome. That's super that so much information has been received! Photos are especially nice, in my opinion anyway :)
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Thank you LaurieA - I transferred your information to the young mans thread and have replied on there. Hopefully you can give him some further assistance.
Best Wishes. ;D