Glasgow to Connecticut, Which Port???

[dubbleu_b]

What was the most common route from Glasgow to the US (Connecticut) in 1873?

My gggg-parents John LIVINGSTONE and Crawford (SPENCER) married in Glasgow in 1851. There they had 10 children and left for the US in 1873. They first settled in North Grosvernordale, CT., then moved to Norwich, CT. where they stayed. They worked in the cotton mills.  Census records repeatedly list 1873 as their immigration year and Crawford's obituary specifically says July 1873.  I haven't found them in a passenger list yet, and the New York lists that I can access on microfilm aren't indexed, but I did read through the Glasgow to NY ships for July 1873 to no avail.  I'm wondering what the most common route taken for someone traveling to the US with a final destination of CT.  They aren't in the Boston passenger index either.   I'm also wondering if the mills they went to had advertised in Glasgow for workers and that's what took them to CT. as I haven't found other family there yet.

Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.
Many Thanks.
Wendy

[Hoka]

Most  went to New York.
You may check the Ellis Island site however I don't think they went back that far.

Hoka

[Hoka]

there is an article about Ira Briggs and the cotton mills in New London Ct. He owned several of them, he also has a son-in-law by the name of Jonathon L. Spencer. Jonathon L. Spencer also had part of the mills.
you can read this on this site.
www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ussearch.htm
in the search box put.
"cotton mill" new london.
use the quotes as I have them.
then click the circle for CT and search.

Hoka.

[dubbleu_b]

Thanks for both responses.  I've been reading through the NY passenger lists since they are not indexed for that year and I'll continue.

I hadn't seen the article you reference on the cotton mills.  Although that is not my Spencer, the info provides good background.

Thanks again.
Wendy

[carolineasb]

Wendy

Just a thought but I have relations "Tannahills" who actually travelled from Scotland to Argentina first in 1866(where they married in the Scots Kirk) & then to California so your relations may not have travelled direct to the US.

Hope this helps

Rgds

Caroline
PS my maiden name is Reid & I'm from Paisley in Renfrewshire - I see that is one of the names you are trying to trace

[dubbleu_b]

I hope that my Livingstones came the direct route and didn't take a secondary route like your ancestors!   I know that they were in North Grosvernordale, Connecticut before moving to Norwich (Taftville) Connecticut by 1880.  Crawford Spencer's obituary says she came in July 1873 but it doesn't say that they came directly.  I'd like to find out if other family members came with them as I'm having trouble locating parents of John Livingstone.  I'll keep reading the NY passenger lists for now.

My Reid's are James Reid married Crawford Warnock in 1802 (Renfrew).
Children: James, Thomas, Agnes, Mary, Margaret, John, Janet, William.

Mary Reid married John Spencer in 1830, Eastwood, Renfrew and had Mary, Crawford, Henry, James, John, Thomas, Janet, Margaret, William.

Crawford Spencer married John Livingstone in 1852 (Glasgow) and came to the US in 1873.  They lived in Connecticut until they died in 1916 & 1917.

I understand that Reid is fairly common in Scotland - any of these match yours?
thanks
Wendy

[idannie]

Hi, Wendy-
I grew up in Norwich, and my grandfather worked in the cotton mills in Taftville- Ponemah and US Finishing. You might want to check the passenger lists for Bridgeport, Ct. I think some ships came into New London as well - also try New Bedford, Mass. There were other ports in New England as well - I'll look them up and post them here -
By the way- my maiden name was Reed, but my bunch came from Ireland to New York state (Cohoes), and worked in the mills there - two of the second generation came from Cohoes to Ct. -my grandfather, Jim Reed, and a brother,Charlie, who ended up in New Britain.
Hope this gives you a lead or two...
Ann

[dubbleu_b]

Thanks. I'll check on the Connecticut passenger lists. So far I've found that the Nat'l Archives only has records for 1870 for Bridgeport and I know they were still in Scotland then.  New Bedford could be a possibility also since several of the Livingstone children ended up there after they married and had children. 

The Ponemah Mills sound like they built quite a community for their employees - I wonder if any of their records survive.

I'm pretty sure my Reids were in Scotland for the duration, although some of the children could have gone over to Ireland and continued on from there.  The spelling variations show up quite a bit...

Thanks for the suggestions...keeping my fingers crossed that they pop up somewhere on one of these lists!
Wendy

[idannie]

Wendy-
New London was a port as well as New Haven - The Ponemah mill records are probably around somewhere - it was still in operation into the 1950s - You might try contacting the Norwich Historical Society - they can steer you to wherever they're stored.

Also, the Norwich Bulletin has to have stories compiled through the years.

Ann