Joseph Booth my maternal 2x great grandfather was born in England on 14 November 1838 or 1833 to Joseph L. and Alice (Robinson) Booth.
In 1842 the Family immigrated to the United States aboard the Garrick out of Liverpool, landing in New York on 17 September 1842.
The Garrick was a 3-masted, square-rigged ship built in New York in 1836 by the firm of Brown & Bell. 895 ton, 157’6″ x 35′-4″ x 21′ (length x beam x depth of hold). She served in the Liverpool Dramatic Line from 1837 to 1853. The Garrick was the fast packet of her generation and during her packet line career her average westbound passage was 32 days, her shortest being 18 days, her longest 54 days.¹
When the Garrick sailed into New York Harbor there was no Statue of Liberty, there was no Ellis Island, there was no Castle Garden.
Castle Garden, today known as Castle Clinton National Monument, is the major landmark within The Battery, the 25 acre waterfront park at the tip of Manhattan. From 1855 to 1890, the Castle was America’s first official immigration center, a pioneering collaboration of New York State and New York City.²
Before 1855, there was no immigrant processing center. The shipping company presented a passenger list to the Collector of Customs, and the immigrants made whatever Customs declaration was necessary and went on their way. ³
The Family took sometime before they finally settled permanently on Staten Island, New York. Possibly Joseph senior had trouble finding employment in his field. Joseph’s brother Isaac was born in 1843 in Pennsylvania, his sister Alice born in 1845 is shown as born in Massachusetts, and sister Sarah born in 1846 is shown on census’ as being born in New Jersey.
For the 1850 US Census I have not found the family.
In 1859 we do find Joseph marrying Ada Jane Jones the daughter of George and Jane (Langley) Jones.
Their first child is George M. Booth born in 1860, sometime after June, when the census is taken, and their home is in Castleton, Port Richmond, Staten Island New York.
In 1862 their second son Walter L. is born. In 1865 William R. is born. In 1867 (9 October) my great grandmother Ada Jane is born.
In 1869 and 70 Joseph and Ada Booth purchased property from Benjamin Roe of Castleton (Staten Island) on the easterly side of Taylor street (in Ada J. Booth’s name). In the description of the property it backed up to William Bamber’s property on the eastern side, the purchase price was $150 (William Bamber was Joseph’s brother-in-law).
Later we find their address listed as Roe Street. Maybe the street was renamed?
In 1870 their son Isaac Sylvatus is born and that same year Joseph’s father Joseph L. Booth died.
In 1872 their daughter Harriet is born, then in 1875 Charles L. Booth is born.
On 25 December 1885 their son George M. died in Brooklyn about a year after his marriage to Abbie King.
Richmond County
New York (click to enlarge image)
By the 1900 census Joseph has worked as a blacksmith and carriage maker for 50 years. They have a comfortable home on Staten Island and they have a large family. Their son Walter is still living at home and is listed as a carpenter, as is their son Charles. Harriet (Hattie) is also living at home, single and works as a bookkeeper. Their son William lives two doors down Roe Street and is listed as a printer. He and his wife Mary have one son Arthur. Their daughter Ada Jane lives next door with her husband Charles Heap (a plumber) and their three children.
Joseph’s family of eight children has grown to now include 10 grandchildren.
Joseph Booth died 3 August 1904.
1.http://www.cimorelli.com/cgi-bin/magellanscripts/ship_dates_volume.asp?ShipName=Garrick