Emigrant to Bronx and WWII Registration Card

[Northerngirl]

Hello to all Emigrants to USA forum members.

The possibility is that I may be moved from this forum to a more military based forum ... but here goes.

I think I have found a WWII Registration Card for a great uncle who emigrated from County Mayo in Ireland to the Bronx in New York.

I have a copy of a Registration Card for 1942 which gives information about this individual's address, age, occupation, spouse and place of birth.  I wonder if this is some sort of card for conscription.  There is a reference number which may suggest it is military in origin.

Whichever way, I wonder how I will begin to research how and when this (potential) great uncle emigrated to NY.  I've had a brief look on Ancestry.co.uk but am baffled at the mere options.  I put his name in a general emigration database with no joy.

Where do I begin my search.

Yours J.A
Northumberland England.

[Genealiza]

The only WWII Draft Registration Cards online for the public are those referred to as the "old man's registration." It was for men born between the years of 1877 and 1897.  Any other cards are not available to the public due to privacy laws.  The WWII DRC were not a conscription into service, just a database of men that could be called into service,  if they were needed.

If you give the name and birthdate of your gr uncle, maybe someone here could find him for you.--Genealiza

[Northerngirl]

Thanks for the reply Genealiza.

I've actually got the image from Ancestry and its title states 'US WWII Draft Registration Card 1942' - so this, presumably, is this 'old man's registration'.

The name is Darby Mills which is an unusual name in County Mayo and is most likely to be my grandmother's brother who would have been born in Gortmellia Erris Head (near Belmullet/Castlebar) in about 1894.  My mother tells me that as much as she knows the male Mills of my grandmother's family emigrated.

I wonder if you can help me clarify something else also.

The address is American and as I am English don't quite understand it.  In England we have the number and name of the street, town, county and country - quite simple for we Brits to understand e.g 42, Down Street, Little Town, North County, England.

How do I interpret 508 East 140 Street NY?

Is 508 a house number or a  street number - and what about the 140. That is - would there be an a 509 East 140 Street or 508 East 141 Street as neighbouring property etc - I'd like to look on the internet to see if the address still exists and may be viewed on Google Earth.

Yours in thanks J.A.

[Lambendsor (aka IGS)]

508 is the number of the house.
East 140th Street is the name of the street (and West 140th Street is across the Harlem River in Manhattan)

508 East 140th Street appears to be between Willis and Brook Avenues in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. I think it's near the corner of Brook.

Here is some info on houses nearby:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/realestate/26scape.html

I gather the address would have been for a house rather than an apartment building. As is usual in New York City, 508 would be between 506 and 510  and the odd numbered houses would be across the street.

[Northerngirl]

Hi IGS

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I'll have a look at the site later.

J.A.

[Lambendsor (aka IGS)]

One more thing:

Here he is on the Social Security Death Index:

Darby MILLS    
Birth Date: 20 Oct 1894
Death Date: Dec 1980
Social Security Number: 102-28-3634
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: New York
Actual Death Residence: Europe

[Northerngirl]

Hi again.

Thanks for that IGS.  I've just managed to get the record myself from Ancestry.  It tells me he died (probably) in Dublin.  The word US Consulate is given in brackets - so supposedly as he was a US citizen would have had the death register there. Perhaps he was on holiday.  I know that this is him as the birth date from the DRC matches.

J.A.

[YvonneR]

Hi J.A.

Here is Darby's passenger list entry...

Ship "Scythia" departing Cobh (Queenstown) 21st November 1926, arriving New York 29th November 1926


Martin Mills age 27 and Darby Mills age 32, both born Ballina, Ireland

Father, Darby Mills, Barnathra, Bellina, Mayo

Going to, Cousin, Mrs B Broderick, 230 E 42nd Sreet, New York

Neither have been in the US before and they intend to stay "Permt."


Haven't found him in 1930 but will have another look

Agnes

[Northerngirl]

Wow Agnes 1896.

Thanks for that information.  Where did you get it from?

I am sooo impressed. 

The Martin and Darby with their father as Darby means that it is very likely that they are my grandparents cousins who all lived in the same tiny hamlet of Gortmellia.  I think that Barnatra, Ballina was the local post office point and so the address would be given for there despite the hamlet being about 7 miles away.   I know that was the addres my grandmother gave when she was contacting home. It seems that they include an 'h' in the word when saying it as Gortmellia is often seen as Gorthmellia.

Now then the B Broderick - a cousin - is very interesting - what is the betting that it is B for Bridie (Bridget).

Thanks a million Agnes.

J.A.