Born in the USA

There were two things that sparked my interest in family history from an early age. One was that we were a sociable family and often had visitors. On the whole I called older friends and relations Auntie or Uncle and eventually asked how they were related to me. Some of them were quite distantly related though close in other ways, this led to me eventually drawing up a formal family tree.

“Three cheers for the red, white and blue“

The second thing was that my Great Grandmother Nellie Willis was born in the USA. To recap earlier blog posts, her English father brought her and her sister Kitty back to County Durham after their mother died. But Nellie left behind Aunts and a runaway Uncle from her mother’s side of the family. When I was young I hoped to eventually find family in the USA and to maybe go out there and visit them, a childish fantasy, but it got me interested in my American cousins and in family history in general.

I have blogged about Nellie’s Aunt Eliza in Which Elizabeth Halden? and promised more to follow.

What happened to Eliza, sister Mary and elusive brother Edward? Did they fare well in the states? Was there a large family waiting to hear from me their cousin in England (only child of an only child of an only child)?

My blog about Elizabeth shows that she remained in England when her siblings and parents left for the States. She married a miner called Thomas Hiden, I find this slightly odd as her occupation is given as governess and I do wonder how their paths crossed.

Elizabeth is living with Thomas and daughters Rachel Ann and Eliza in the 1851 census, records show the couple also had a daughter Jemima who was born and died between the 1841 and 1851 censuses. I can find no other record for Eliza, certainly not in the Walsall registration district, but it seems she must have died fairly young.

She deserves her own blog post.

Elizabeth Halden/Hiden/Twigger

With enormous thanks to Nina Reauveau who helped me so much with the research in the USA.