British Born USA

[spark]

Hi

I have a Henry Commons (B~1873) and John Commons (B~1871), year from census ages.  Both British citizen born USA on the cenuses.  From siblings I know they were in the UK up till 1865 and back by1875.  Parents Patrick Commons and Mary (nee Concannon) both originally from Galway, Ireland.  Unfortunately I don't knwo where in the USA they went.  I was hoping their birth certificates might reveal this.  However this is where I need help!

I have tried the GRO to no avail, with the £4/shot search fee.  They suggest the US embassy, but has anyone got experience of this or ather avenues to try?  It doesn't help that the surname appears in various spellings in documents I have found - Comyns; Cummins; Commins

Any help gratefully received.


Cheers

Spark

[aghadowey]

If children were born in 1870s in U.S. of British parents U.S. Embassy (where?) would not be of any help.
Have you tried searching for them in 1870 U.S. Census?
What about passenger lists?

[avm228]

You won't be able to order the birth certificates (if any) until you know which state they were born in.  Some US states, unfortunately, were not yet issuing birth certificates at the dates you mention.

You may be able to narrow things down by finding immigration and/or (as aghadowey says) census records.  Do you have birthdates for Patrick and Mary and an occupation for Patrick?

Anna

[avm228]

Here's a useful site for finding vital records sources in the US - though as I mentioned before you won't get very far without first identifying the relevant state.

www.vitalrec.com

Anna

[alicemaud]

This could be them although Mary is known as Bridget but maybe because her MIL is Mary?

1870
Archbald Blakely Township, Luzerne, Pennsylvania

Commons, Patrick 30 Coal Miner Ireland
Commons, Bridget 30 Ireland

Next Door:
Murphy James 26 Labourer Ireland
Murphy Alice 25 Ireland
Murphy Ann 2 Pennsylvania
Murphy Mary 1 Penn
Murphy Thomas 2month Penn
Commons Mary 65 Ireland.

2 Doors away
Commons, Martin 26 Coal Miner Ireland
Commons Ann 37 Canada
Commons Patrick 6 Penn
Commons Mary J 4 Penn
Commons Michael 3 Penn
Commons William 11 month Penn

Roll M593-1364 Page 102

If it is not the right family, I would think that they might be related.

[spark]

Patrick B~1840
Mary B~1844-6 (census dependant)
Thomas B26/11/1865 Whitwick, Leicestershire, went with them but 2 elder sisters (to Thomas) stayed in the UK.

hope this helps

Spark

[aghadowey]

There seem to be a lot of people named Commons in Luzerne Co., Penna. LDS site lists (submitted) family from 1860 census in Blakely, Luzerne Co.: John Commons & children John 9, Margaret 6, Mary 1, ellen 1.