Hello,

I am desperate to find some information that might help me unravel my ancestry.

I have a father and son, both who have connections in New York, but were born in Liverpool, England.

Thomas Melling was born in 1857 in Liverpool, and worked as a building contractor / Sanitary engineer. Family anecdote has it that he helped to design and build the geometric sewer system in New York, and was out there in 1889 when his wife died back in Liverpool. He travelled back to Liverpool, and then went backwards and forwards, before dying in Liverpool in 1907.


His son William Henry Melling was born on the 20 June 1881 in Liverpool, and is thought to have done some work in New York along the same lines as his father. He married in 1907 a Margaret Hughes, and had three children. He had a successful building contractors in Liverpool, but vanished without a trace in 1915.

I have searched and searched the UK death indexs, the war lists, and have found nothing - so I wondered if he might have scarpered over to New York, as presumably he had contacts there.

I have a potential hit on the 1920 New York Census for William, and on the 1900 census for Thomas, but because I am an Ancestry UK user, I can't access the records without upgrading to Premium, which I can't afford. I was wondering if someone could help me with a look up?

Also if there are passenger lists for the time frame, I would be eternally grateful if someone could have a look for me.

1920 United States Federal Census about William Melling
Name: William Melling
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 23, New York, New York
Age: 45 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1875
Birthplace: New York
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Anna
Father's Birth Place: New Jersey
Mother's Birth Place: Ireland
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 861
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
William Melling 45
Anna Melling 40
Wm J Melling 16
Mary Melling 11
Margaret Melling 7
Thomas J Melling 4/12
View
Original
Record

View original image
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New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about William Melling
Name: William Melling
Arrival Date: 29 Apr 1923
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1880
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: British (English)
Ship Name: Caronia
Search Ship Database: View the Caronia in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: England
Line: 25
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_3288
Birth Location: England
Birth Location Other: leversknlas

1910 United States Federal Census about Thomas Melling
Name: Thomas Melling
Age in 1910: 60
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850
Birthplace: England
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: England
Mother's Birth Place: Ireland
Spouse's Name: Mary
Home in 1910: Manhattan Ward 20, New York, New York
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Year of Immigration: 1856
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas Melling 60
Mary Melling 54
Irene V B Heyes 22
Marie Heyes 10
Thedore Hill 1

Hello-
can you access regular websites anywhere?

http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/ I put in the name Melling and came up with some hits.

http://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html

also this other website is wonderful for historical newspapers and the name Melling also came up with a bunch of articles mostly on a Clayton Melling.
It looks like Elvis gave you the other info you needed.
Good luck-Karen

Thank you both for your help - I will have a trawl through those sites now.

Sadly the census results aren't my line, so the search continues!

Thanks again, most kind

Beccy

The 1923 ship's manifest record which elvis reported may be viewed on www.ellisisland.org

That record states that William Melling who arrived in NY on that vessel was planning to stay in NY City for three months and his home was in Levenshulme, England. (The location is misspelled as Levershulme on the manifest.)

Good luck in all your searches,

L E Calvin

Thank you very much!

Cheers

Beccy

Let me know what you need and I will look for you,
Im in New York
Contact me at grneyedlady57@aol.com
Helen

When I was researching our family, my grandfathers
name came up linking me with you.
I am not sure where the link is?

Do you have a John Galway Holmes on your Tree please?
He is my grandfather.