Brick Wall

[poirot]

James Littlejohn 1804- 1887 and Alexander 1807-1875 were brothers. James had a son also James 1837-1889. Alexander 1877-? was the son of  James with his second wife Christina Ross.

Charles Littlejohn 1836-1930 the son of Alexander & Mary Walker would have been his uncle. The fact that they both lived in Detroit makes me wonder if they ever met.

I inherited hand written trees from two of my fathers sisters and neither of them had any details about Alexander only that they knew he had emigrated.

It gets confusing when names are repeated.

Cheers,
Poirot

[shellyesq]

1930 Dearborn, Michigan city directory

Littlejohn, Aleck, laborer Ford Motor Co., resides 1809 Mulkey

[poirot]

I don’t think the Alexander Littlejohn on the 1930 census is my relative.

There is another Alexander b. 1877 in Wilshaw, Lanarkshire who in 1891 age 14 was a Baker’s apprentice. In 1901 he was 24 and a Baker still in Scotland.

The Alexander on the 1930 census in Dearborn is a Baker.

The arrival date of 1889 does not tie in with either Alexander.

Also the admission to Detroit in 1923 has Alexander age 45 and occupation is a Baker.

[shellyesq]

Have you looked for a birth record for your Alexander?  An exact birth date might clear up who’s who.

[poirot]

I have the birth certificate for my Alexander which I bought from Scotlands People some years ago.

He was born 13/3/1877 in Belhelvie Lodge, Aberdeenshire the son of James Littlejohn & Christina Ross.

The other Alexander was born in Wilshaw, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire in 1877 and he was the Baker.
I don't have his exact date of birth without paying for it on Scotlands People. I can't find him on familysearch.

[*Sandra*]

The 1923 border crossing states Alexander Littlejohn was from Elgin not Wishaw Lanarkshire.

Sandra

[poirot]

If this Alexander is my relative he is single and the person on the 1930 census is divorced so should I be looking for a possible marriage for him?

[shellyesq]

I didn't see a marriage or divorce for him in Michigan, although, in theory, it could have happened anywhere.  I wouldn't be surprised if the marital status was given by someone else, since there were 12 men rooming in that house.  I'm trying to figure out how he was listed as a baker for an auto factory - did Ford have a cafeteria with fresh baked items for their employees or did the census taker somehow bungle this?

[poirot]

What I don’t understand is where he was in between dates,

Last recorded in Scotland on 1891 census when he was 14 and a farm servant.

Then if it was him in 1923 where was he living in the meantime and then in 1930 in Detroit.

Sandra mentioned that his place of birth was listed as Elgin when I know he was born in Belhelvie, Aberdeenshire. Elgin is in Morayshire about 72 miles away.

I know his father James was a Gardener working on large estates and all his children were born in different places.

Why can’t I find a death for him as that was why I posted this thread and who advised my three aunts?

I have been looking at his siblings records to see if any of them has posted a tree. Also contacted a solicitor in Forres who dealt with the family to see if they have records going back to the nineteen fifties which is when I think he may have died.

It looks like it will always remain a mystery and I am really grateful for all the responses so far.

Poirot