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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: slf28 on Wednesday 12 April 17 17:32 BST (UK)
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hi, i'm looking for any record of a birth in Crystal City in 1886. All I have is the following entries in UK census:
1891 - Nellie Hood - Niece - 5 years old - America, Crystal City - in household of Edward Murdy in Scarborough
1901 - Ellen Hood - Daughter - 15 years old - United States English Subject - in household of Faulkner Hood in Leicester
On the face of it, she would appear to be the daughter of Faulkner Hood (his correct name is actually Franklin Hood) and Mary Jane Hood (nee Murdy) but the fact she is referred to as niece in 1891 makes me suspect she may actually be the daughter of one of Franklin's relatives.
Thanks in advance
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Do you know what state Crystal City is in? I've never heard of it, but Google tells me that there is a Crystal City in Missouri and one in Texas.
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I haven't heard of it either.
Do you know what happened to her - if she married a fathers name should be on the certificate.
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Could Edward Murdy and Mary Jane Hood nee Murdy be brother and sister then Nellie would be his niece?
Sorry I see he was her father so Nellie should be his granddaughter.
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Hello Erato and Milliepede. Regarding which Crystal City it is, I can only assume this actually refers to the area now falling just south of Washington. I will try and briefly explain why I think it is that one.
I already know that the Hood family had an earlier connection with Canada (which I am trying to explore on another board on Rootschat). In addition, again with help off here, it seems that soon after Franklin and Mary Jane (also referred to as Jennie) were married in 1884 in Scarborough, UK, they travelled over to New York. According to the ship manifest, they were destined for Baltimore which I believe is not very far away from Washington. It would seem that they only stayed in North America for a few years because they are back in England for the 1891 census, with Nellie/Ellen. My biggest hope had been trying to find a Hood family in Baltimore in the 1890 census but unfortunately most of those records have been lost, so hence I am now trying to find Ellen's birth's records.
Hope this ramble all makes sense!
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According to this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_City,_Arlington,_Virginia and https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/where-we-live-crystal-city-not-just-underground-anymore/2014/12/31/1c8436d4-8575-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html?utm_term=.04cf2743c59e - the area in Virginia wasn't called Crystal City until the 1960's.
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Is this the family of interest? Did they have relatives in Baltimore?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-R3SS-PF?mode=g&i=625&cc=1849782
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Hi Shelley, well that blows my theory straight out the water!
Maybe it is the one in Missouri as that is next closest although I've just done a bit of digging and came across this great article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) · Sun, Jan 15, 1888 which describes it in not very flattering terms!
https://www.newspapers.com/image/138104856 (Copyright © 2017 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved)
And I've just noticed there's even one in Manitoba but the census entry I have definitely says United States. Back to the drawing board.
Thanks for the help.
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hi Erato,
yes that is my family. Frances was Franklin's mother (note she says she is a widow but I can't trace her husband, John's death even though I confirmed he was at the wedding of Franklin and Mary earlier that year) and David was Franklin's brother. I have to assume they had relatives in Baltimore but am unable to confirm yet :(
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Other than Hood and Murdy, what surnames might be related to them?
Crystal City, Missouri is a small town which was entirely devoted to glass manufacturing until recent times. It is located just south of Saint Louis. Someone heading west from Baltimore by train might well wind up in Saint Louis and seek work there. Was Franklin involved in the glass industry when he returned to England? You could try the Crystal City public library to see if they have any town records.
http://www.crystalcitymo.org/history/index.html
http://jeffersoncountyonline.org/libraries/CrystalCity/CrystalCityLibrary.htm
Crystal City, Texas is more off of the beaten track - southwest of San Antonio, near the Mexican border. It is a farming and ranching community which today is a major spinach producer. It also has a public library.
https://librarytechnology.org/libraries/library.pl?id=24709
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Was Franklin involved in the glass industry when he returned to England?
Can't quite read occupation clearly in 1901 - engineer then ? chemical?
Ah mechanical engineer.
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Hello both, sorry for late reply
Erato, thanks for the info regarding (both) Crystal City. The only other family name might be Bradley (the maiden name of Franklin's mother, Frances). As far as I can tell, as Milliepede mentions, Franklin was indeed a mechanical engineer, possibly working with steam engines, which may well have been of use in Crystal City Missouri. I believe they left the UK because he had been declared bankrupt in 1884 and may have been escaping his creditors, so that could of been a great place to lie low for a couple of years. Thank you both once again
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Just as an update, I have been in touch with Crystal City public library (Missouri) who, despite their best efforts (many thanks to Tania Laughlin, Director), were unable to trace any records of the birth. It seems that at that time, there wasn't a church there (nor any saloons!) but she did provide details of all the Jefferson County Hoods from the 1870 census so there may still be a link somewhere as yet undiscovered.