Stuck on Ellis Island

[C_Bishop]

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if anyone out there knows how i can go about researching my 3x gt Uncle George S Harris. From what family say, he immigrated from London to the USA, he lived in Hawaii, he worked for a company Castle and Cooke, where he met his wife (the bosses daughter) Violet Cooke. Now this is where i get a little stuck. I'm not sure what year he actually ventured to America, or where the marriage took place (assuming in San Francisco or Hawaii) Family say they came over to the UK on their honeymoon, but for some reason out stayed their visa.  Violet was allowed back in as she was a USA citizen, but George was stuck on Ellis Island where he had to wait until his case was investigated.  How long he stayed there we have no idea, but he contracted tuberculosis which advanced speedly and he soon died. Now i have Violet and George in the 1920 census together living in Honolulu as a married couple so i just don't know how this all fits together. By 1930 George has died and Violet is a widow. I also have a number of shipping records, the last travel document of George and Violet together was in 1923 which maybe when they returned from the UK (maybe a belated honeymoon??)

Is there any resouces out there which could have George's case on Ellis Island? I have tried to find his death but have had no luck either. Would love to give this elusive Uncle some kind of timeframe on his adventure to the USA.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks
Cat

[merjones]

The only traveling I could find for this couple was from Hawaii to San Francisco, California.  However I did find the following:

George S Harris b.1892 immigration year 1918 (from 1920 Census)

1920 married to Violet Cooke b Sept 14, 1888

Violet traveled to San Francisco in September 1927 without George so maybe
he was deceased by that time.  On the 1930 Census in Hawaii it lists an adopted daughter.

Violet died Sep 15 1970 Kula, Maui, Hawaii

merjones

[C_Bishop]

Hi merjones
Thank you for your responce. I didn't see the immigration year on that census so thank you for pointing that out! I'm thinking he may have died in 1923 if the family story is correct as they have a shipping document stating they were travelling to Honolulu from a foreign port, in handwriting down the bottom of the page it looks like it says something about a immigrant inspection.

Yes Violet ended up adopting 3 girls, and she never remarried.

Is there any resources that i can use to find Violet and Georges marriage. And what is the case with death records around the 1920-25 era, i haven't been able to find any deaths for George. Maybe due to his possible death on Ellis Island and not being a USA citizen??

Thank you once again for your help.
Cat

[C_Bishop]

CORRECTION:
Wife mey have been named Violet Atherton!
I have just recently made contact with her neice and she refers to her as Violet Atherton Harris.
My direct family always only referred to her as 'Aunt Violet' but i had heard from another relative that he believed it was Violet Cooke.

Not sure! Yet would explain why i've found it hard to find anything. If this is the case then her mothers maiden name was definitely Cooke.

Off to search!
Cat 

[shellyesq]

If he died within New York City, as I suspect Ellis Island would be considered to be at that time, you can try checking the death index at italiangen.org.  I'm not having any luck finding them on any New York passenger lists.  If George was detained at Ellis Island, there may be a record of that.

I found George & Violet on a passenger list for the SS Matsonia from Honolulu to San Francisco on 7 Mar. 1923.  Unfortunately, it looks like Ancestry scanned the same page twice and didn't have a second page for them.  At any rate, it says:

Harris, George S., age 31, male, married, occupation - acct, nationality - England, last permanent residence - Honolulu, T.H., nearest relative - father Robert Henry Harris, Middlesex, England, final destination - Honolulu, T.H.

Harris, Violet A. (not sure of middle initial, but A. would match Atherton), age 33, female, married, wife, nationality - England, all other info the same as George

I don't know too much about the details, but I recall that there was a time in immigration law that women who were US citizens gave up their US citizenship if they married a man who was a citizen of a different country.  Maybe someone knows if that was applicable during this time.

I see Violet on a passenger list from Honolulu to San Francisco in Feb. 1928 and she is listed as widowed.  She was listed as a US citizen born 14 Sep. 1888 in San Francisco.  Her residence was Kula, Maui.  Another passenger list from Honolulu to San Francisco in Sep. 1927 also lists Violet as widowed.

[aghadowey]

Think it was sometime after WWI that women didn't automatically assume thier new husband's citizenship. My great-aunt (born in U.S.) married in U.S. in Aug.1922 and became a Turkish citizen for a time without ever leaving the U.S. She became a U.S. citizen again after husband applied for citizenship but even 60 years late she was quite annoyed about it.

[merjones]

1900 Hawaii Territory

Violet M. Atherton born in California Sep 1888 (close) and living in Honolulu with:

Charles H. Atherton born 1867 in the Hawaiian Islands, his parents both born Massachusetts, occupation cashier.

Minnie M. Atherton born Aug 1866 in Ohio, her parents, New york

Juliet M. Atherton born Jun 1890 born in Hawaiian Islands

Laura Atherton born Aug 1892 in Hawaiian Islands

merjones

[shellyesq]

Violet Atherton looks to be a match, as there is a passport application from 28 Jul 1916 for Violet M. Atherton who was born 14 Sep. 1888 in San Francisco and living in Honolulu.  It says she can be communicated with at c/o Castle & Cooke, Ltd., Honolulu, Hawaii. 

There's a tree on Ancestry that says Violet M. Atherton's parents are Charles Henry Atherton & Minnie Myrtle Merriam and her spouse is George S. Harris.   

On Google books, an annual report published in 1922 by Hawaiian Mission Children's Society lists "Harris, Violet (Atherton), Mrs. Geo S   Honolulu" as a life member of the society, 1921. 

Also in Google books, Violet Merriam Atherton is listed as a student at Oahu College from 1899-06.  Her address was 706 King Street, Honolulu.  Also listed at the same address was Charles Henry Atherton, student from 1879-84, who married Minnie Merriam, and Laura Annis Atherton, student from 1899-06.

[merjones]

1910 Honolulu

Frank Cooke Atherton, 1877, born Hawaii, parents born Massachusetts

Possible connection to your Violet Atherton through her father Charles. It's possible that Frank Cooke Atherton and Charles H. Atherton are brothers.  And this would give you the Cooke connection.

1900 Honolulu

Joseph B. Atherton 62
Brigit Atherton 56
Frank C. Atherton 22 occupation bookkeeper
Kath M. Atherton 20

and a variety of household servants

merjones