A “big thank you” to my sister for the two posts on the Clough’s. She will be back with more! The Clough’s have been a very interesting branch of our tree to learn about. They are part of that early California pioneering group that came west and stayed. Making us fourth generation Californians. Many immigrants that made their move to the United States from England and Europe stayed to build a home and family in this young country just as the Clough’s did in the new California.
But sometimes they went back.
What was their motivation to move and then why would they return to their motherland?
That was my question this week when I was looking at the records for Ann Hall, my 2x Great Aunt.

Ann Hall was the daughter of Samuel Hall and Sarah. I had been looking for Sarah’s maiden name and reported on finding it in my blog last month “Who were Richmal Heap’s Parents?”.

Ann was a sister to Richmal that I had not been paying attention to. After writing that blog a cousin, Mike, commented that, William Parkin, one of the executors of Samuel Hall’s will, was married to his, Samuel’s, daughter Ann. I had, when I first found the probate index, been curious about who William Parkin was. I knew that he had lived next door to Samuel and his wife in the 1861 UK Census and was also an Iron Moulder. Thinking that while he was much younger than Samuel, maybe William had been an apprentice under Samuel and thought of as a part of the family. Well according to cousin Mike he was a part of the family. So I started looking at William Parkin and his wife Ann.

Just love having all these distant cousins chiming in on my blog and making me take a closer look at some of these relatives and discovering their very interesting stories.

Well, back to Ann…..

Ann was first found in this 1841 UK census.

In 1851 I have been unable to locate Samuel Hall or any of his children including his daughter Ann (e).

She does show up in a Marriage Index for St. Michael’s in Ashton under Lyne. That is dated 4 June 1857. Husband William Parkin whose father is noted as Edward Parkin marries Anne Hall daughter of Samuel Hall.

In the 1861 UK Census you can see that William and Anne are living next door to Samuel Hall, and both Samuel and William are listed as Iron Moulders.

Ann and William’s son, John C., is listed as born in America while their second son Samuel E. is shown born in Lancaster, Ashton. In 1861 Samuel is only 1 year old. That means they had to have returned no later then 1860.  I then decided to look at all the census for John C. (Charles).

In the 1871 UK Census we see that he is shown born in “America, Columbus, Ohio”. It is really great to get specifics like this on the census.

Here in 1871 we see there are two more boys born to William and Ann: William E, and Thomas H., both born in Lancashire, Ashton U Lyne.

So now I dash off to see if I can locate William and Ann traveling to and from America. They are in Ashton under Lyne on 4 June 1857 when they marry in the Parish Church (St. Michaels) and John C. is born in Columbus Ohio in 1858. Samuel is born in 1860 in Ashton under Lyne so those are my search parameters.

During this period travel between England and America is by Packet (sailing ship) and Steamer. Ships left Liverpool England on a regular schedule to three different ports in the United States: Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

(click on image to enlarge)

 

I have been unable to locate them on either outward bound from Liverpool or inward bound. Liverpool is about 50 miles from Ashton under Lyne and was more than likely their port of departure. I have all sorts of stories running around in my mind about what would have caused them to travel to America and then return to England. The political climate in the United States in the late 1850’s was quite volatile. Things where heating up toward the Civil War.  Iron was being cast into lots of everyday items. Iron stoves, irons to press clothes, bedframes and door hardware and more specific items such as machine parts for manufacturers. William could have work in many different industries as an Iron Moulder. Did he travel to America for a specific job? Did he have family that had moved there earlier? Why Columbus? In Columbus, Ohio the Ohio Statehouse was opened in 1857.

Columbus does not look like a thriving metropolis. Were they just visiting?

In 1881 UK Census all of William and Anne’s boys are at home.

In  this census we see the family living at 307 Ashton Road. This is what it looks like today.

Well, across the street is  vacant land so they could have been on either side of the street. These are the only buildings at that point on Ashton Road today.

In the 1881 census we see that John C. is 23 years old and listed as an Iron Moulder place of birth U.S. America British Sub.. Samuel E. is 21 and listed as a machinist born in Ashton, Lanc.. Wm. E 19 assist School Man (?) and Thos. H. 16  a Joiners Apprentice.

In 1891 William and Ann are still living at 307 Ashton Road in Oldham and John Charles now 33 and the only one at home with them. The next census finds them living in the same place and John Charles is now married to a Sarah F.

In the 1911 census we find that William is no longer with us and John Charles is shown as head of household and still living at the same address on Ashton Road.

Ann is shown as being 82 years old and a widow.  John Charles and Sarah have been married for 18 years, meaning they were married about 1893 when John Charles was 35 years old. Note John Charles own signature at the bottom and their address.

In the 1903 Index of Probates and Wills I found William Parkin.

This is our William who died 2 April 1903. his effects are about the cost of a second class cabin in 1855 out of Liverpool to America.

I have no idea when Ann died but I will keep looking.

So still the question. Why did they travel all the way to Columbus Ohio sometime between 1857 1nd 1858 only to return to England by 1860? Maybe their return was simply a case of being homesick.