mystery... my Gt.Grandad was born in NY 1874 but I cannot find him or his family

[NZvixx]

my mothers Grandad was born in New York in 1874 (11th March)
James Thomas Rogers
this is pretty much all the info we have on him from the US

his future wife sailed from Liverpool, England to Phil. in 1894 and by 1897 she & James were married (I think!) and living in England and had their first of 7 children that year

there are later records from the UK to indicate he remained there. There is also a WWII draft card stamped by the US consulate in Manchester, UK. It gives his home address as Phil, Penn so I wonder if that's where his parents moved to from NY.

I have a birth cert of a Rogers baby born on the right date in NY but not sure if it actually is his - there is no name on the cert for the baby so possibly a stillborn, and if I look at that family in the next census he is not showing.

Keep coming up against dead ends and could do with ANY help or advice 

[shellyesq]

What were the parents' names on the birth certificate?  Where was the family in the census?  Is it possible he was a twin & the other twin was stillborn?

[merjones]

World War I Draft Registration

September 20, 1918 Philadelphia Pennsylvania

James Thomas Rogers born March 11, 1874 Native born citizen
Employed as an Iron Planer working for Victoria Iron Works Denton, Pennsylvania
Married with 2 children

[NZvixx]

World War I Draft Registration

September 20, 1918 Philadelphia Pennsylvania

James Thomas Rogers born March 11, 1874 Native born citizen
Employed as an Iron Planer working for Victoria Iron Works Denton, Pennsylvania
Married with 2 children

yes - got copy of that
it's actually Denton in Manchester, UK and is stamped by Manchester US consulate

[NZvixx]

What were the parents' names on the birth certificate?  Where was the family in the census?  Is it possible he was a twin & the other twin was stillborn?

I suppose it could have been twins but James doesn't show on the census with the family after??
mother is Nellie F. Lown
and father John E. Rogers
address 307 w.28th street, New York
d.o.b. 11 March 1874 (the same date that James puts on his WWII draft registration card)

I got this cert via NYC record dept when I emailed them with details of his d.o.b etc but I'm not convinced it's him as full name of child is blank on cert

[jorose]

What was his wife's name?
I see in 1911 they have a child Hannah Ashbrook Rodgers.

http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html
 - NJ marriage in 1896 for James T. Rodgers to Mary A. Ashbrook, I'm not sure if the original might show further info.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usher/ushersct/5510.htm
 - this shows a marriage in NJ in 1887 (scroll down to 6 "Marriage Return; Usher, Walter Scott b. 1864  and have a look at the image) which does have quite a lot of info on it so presumably what's on the pilot search is just an index.

http://www.state.nj.us/state/darm/links/reference.html#collections
 - I believe you'd apply here to get a copy of the marriage.

[NZvixx]

What was his wife's name?
I see in 1911 they have a child Hannah Ashbrook Rodgers.

http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html
 - NJ marriage in 1896 for James T. Rodgers to Mary A. Ashbrook, I'm not sure if the original might show further info.

Blimey thank you!!!
that looks like their marriage - I never thought to search under New Jersey (had only tried NY & Phil)
His wife was Mary Ann Ashbrook


I'll see if I can get a cert and hopefully his parents names from it (fingers crossed or I'll come to a halt again!)

not sure what your link about Usher was though?!?!

[AMBLY]

Hi   

I think Jo posted the link to the USHER marriage, to illustrate what levels of information you may find on a New Jersey marriage record  - ie: for your RODGERS / ASHBROOK marriage (esp re parentage etc).

Not sure if you already have this but this looks like their return to the UK in 1897
 
SS PENNLAND , departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Arrived Liverpool 10 Jun 1897
Embarked Philadelphia:
Jams T RODGERS 23, Machinist, Foreign born
May RODGERS 22, wife, English born

The forenames are written as what looks like Jams and May - but the writing is such that it's pretty clear the writer is scooting over his 'e' and 'r' formations in such a way they are not obvious!

I  would have to agree with your doubt about the birth cert for the male ROGERS child with the same DoB as your James. Below, this looks very much like the parents of that child.....the surname of the wife's mother LUNN is near to "LOWN" and the wife is stated as having had  2 of her chidren died before 1900, and possibly at least one of those before 1880.

1880: 6th Avenue - New York City,  New York
Head: John E ROGERS, 30, White, male - US Weigher, b NY, Father b Conn, Mother b Virginia
Wife: Helen F ROGERS 30, white, female, b NY, parents b NY
Mother-in-Law: Charlotte LUNN 53, white, female, widow, b NY, parents b NY

1900: 340 Grand Avenue, New York City, New York
Head: John E ROGERS 50, US Weigher, b Apr 1850 Maryland, father b Conn, mother b Virginia
Married 28 years (from abt 1872) to:
Wife: Helen F ROGERS 43, b Oct 1856 NY, parents b NY, birthed 3 children - only 1 still living.
Dau: Lillian A ROGERS 15, b Jul 1884 NY, father b Maryland, mother b NY
Lodger: Albert P SOUTHWICK 45, wid, Author, b May 1855, b Mass, parents b Mass.

Cheers
AMBLY

[NZvixx]

oh thanks for that info - am so glad I came on here, just a few days ago too and now I have several new pieces of info.

I've got the order form off that website so will hopefully get a marriage certificate with James parents details (I already know Marys info from UK records) the vital names on there should get my mum some of the info she's always wanted to know about the mysterious origins of her American grandfather she never met