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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: winslett on Sunday 21 August 16 00:45 BST (UK)
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I am looking for my ancestor Eliza [maiden name uncertain -- may be Warle or Woll] (est 1792 - 14 Sep 1825). Family tradition was that when she was age 16 (est 1808) she and her sister Christina were orphaned and sent to America, and that her maiden name was Maria or Marie Warle or Woll. Family tradition was she was Spanish, but her supposed maiden name(s) is not Spanish. I have been unable to find any immigration record for the sisters, although I have found records for other women named Maria Eliza Warle who are the wrong age.
In 1813 she was using the name Eliza Palmer and was a widow residing in Philadelphia, PA as noted in the Philadelphia directory. There was no 1812 Philadelphia directory published and none of the Palmer men in the 1810 directory died before the 1811 directory was published, so I was unable to isolate a possible given name for her first husband. If she and Mr. Palmer were living in Philadelphia when he died, her husband likely died about 1812. They had one son James Palmer (born est 1813) who lived to adulthood.
The next record I found for Eliza was a marriage notice in the Petersburg Republican newspaper, Petersburg, VA when she married William Bell Wood on 8 Dec 1819. She had 3 daughters with him (Virginia, Christina and Elizabeth) and died in childbirth in 1825.
I am interested in what her real maiden name was, her immigration, and/or finding her parents.
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From a Philadelphia newspaper May 26, 1810:
Married: On Sunday evening by the Rev Dr Abercrombie, Mr George Palmer printer to Miss Eliza Wall both of this city.
From the Christ Church in Philadelphia, George Palmer m. Eliza Wall 20 May 1810.
Might I suggest that you search the British archives for expats or diplomats abroad; or Spanish archives for Church of England birth records.
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Thank you so very, very much. Based on your break through research, I found Eliza's immigration record for 1806 coming to Philadelphia with a known sister. She was Elizabeth Wahl on the manifest and the ship was out of Amersterdam with no other listed stops. (So far I have not located her family in Ireland, Netherlands or Germany although there are many options of course.) Her husband George Palmer had a very successful printing business until his death. Finding out about Eliza has stumped our family for 4 generations and I would like to give you credit if you would like to provide you name and any location data to me at vwinslett at rickmurphy dot org.
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Aw shucks. No, no need to credit me. It's called spreading research karma.
However, I urge you not to get too excited.
A George Palmer & Eliza Wall had a son who moved to Massachusetts and whose descendants are fairly well documented. Their story is similar to yours--Eliza was born in Spain to English citizens. However, their George Palmer Sr., a printer, died in New Orleans in 1817. I found his estate papers on ancestry (George Palmer, late of Philadelphia) and they went on for over 30 pages. No relations were mentioned and there was a snippet from a petitioner saying that there was "no wife or other relations known in the city." Of course, George & Eliza could have been estranged and Eliza was going about as a widow...or you have the wrong people. It is odd that Eliza's son would have been raised in Massachusetts while she moved down to Virginia...or there could be a perfectly plausible explanation.
If you'd like to PM me with more details, I may be able to help you further. But kudos to you--I couldn't find the ship manifest of which you speak!