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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Miss Amy E. Creaser, From Yorkshire, England to Lawrence, MA, Circa 1880s



I had a little bit of an advantage with this photograph.  It's clearly labelled, "Amy Creaser" and although it was taken in Boston at the Towne Studio, I know that Amy lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  Once again, it's a case of provenance.  It was discovered with a collection of portraits from Lawrence, Mass and Nova Scotia that once belonged to Mary Harrison of Maccan, Nova Scotia.  Mary lived in Lawrence during the 1880s.  In addition to Amy's carte de visite portrait, there were also photographs of George, Annie, and Joe Creaser, taken in Lawrence.

So, who was Amy?  Well, I started by searching around Lawrence.  In the Massachusetts Town Vitals Collection, 1620-1988 I found a marriage record for Amy E. Creaser, born about 1861, and Edward S. Riley, who married on the 19th of July 1890 in Lawrence, Mass.  Amy's parents are listed as Elizabeth and John Creaser.

In the 1900 census, I found John and Elizabeth Creaser, with children Annie, born 1867, England; and Mary E., born 1874, England.  It appears John and Elizabeth Creaser immigrated to the US in 1881.  I also found Amy and her husband in Lawrence.  At the time they had five children:  Cora, Charles, Edward, Edith and Marion.

I thought I'd see if I could find Amy and her parents in the 1881 England Census.  Amy and her sisters Edith Jane (b. 1870,  London Lower Norwood, London, Middlesex, England) and Mary Ethel (b. 1874,Oldham, Lancashire, England) are living with their grandparents Thomas and Mary Cole of Nafferton, Yorkshire.  The parents are not there.  Amy and her eleven-year-old sister, Edith are working as factory hands.  It is interesting to note that the Smith grandchildren of Thomas and Mary Cole are also living there, and again, no parents.

On April 25 1881, Amy, her mother, and siblings arrived in New York aboard the ship, Nederland.  They travelled in steerage.  Note the appearance of Joseph, age 2.



I searched for her father next.  I found a  John Creaser who arrived about year earlier, on the 19th of April, 1880 at the port of Philadelphia aboard the Indiana.  George W. Creaser, a young man of 15, accompanied him.   It's unclear if George is a son or some other relative of John's.  Of course, without more research I can't say for certain if John and George even belong to Amy's family.  I know that in Yorkshire, there are a number of Creaser families with similar given names.

This photo probably dates to the early-to-mid 1880s.

UPDATE JULY 24, 2012:  This photograph of Amy, along with three other Creaser images, have been reunited with a descendant who wrote, "I just stumbled unto your 4/12/12 post on Amy E. Creaser while googling a family relative and was just amazed at the photo and information which you provided. I have been spending months getting this side of my family recorded. All your information agrees which what I have been able to piece together --cudos. The 2 year old Joseph who immigrated with his mother and sisters in 1881 was my paternal grandfather. The George who arrived in Philadelphia in 1880 was a son to John and the older brother to Joseph."  So glad these photographs are "going home." 

2 comments:

  1. Hi, this is an older post but i like to let know and that there exist alienfiles in Antwerp, Belgium of this Amy Creaser and familymembers:

    Amy creaser °17/2/1861 Beverly, York + photo age +-66 (she signed over the photo) wdw. of Edward Riley.
    Her parents: John Creaser & Elizabeth SMITH. She lived with her son Edward Riley in Antwerp:
    www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99C-KQNY?i=291&wc=M6TQ-13J%3A342119601&cc=2023926

    Marion Riley °1899 Lawrence+ photo
    (parents Edward & Amy Creaser): www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99C-KQV1?i=285&wc=M6TQ-13J%3A342119601&cc=2023926

    Edward Riley °30/6/1894 Lawrence, Massachusetts
    (parents Edward & Amy Creaser)
    m. 1922 in Woodstock
    with Mildred Fuller °17/1/1893 Aimsbury, Massachusetts:
    www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899C-VLXT?i=213&wc=M6TQ-VWR%3A342092701&cc=2023926

    Percivall Neller Creaser °Harrisville, Burrillville, engineer
    m. 1933 in Antwerp, Belgium
    with Maria Van Akelyn °1908 Antwerp
    + a photo of both incl. 1 child but 3 are listed;
    Roland Edward °1938, Margaret Anne & John Allen (twin) °1944, all born in Englewood,
    he lived before his marriage with Mr.Riley in Antwerp, the same as Amy above
    His parents: Henry Joseph Creaser & Bertha May Neller
    www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99C-Q9MP-S?i=396&wc=M6TQ-6P8%3A342053801&cc=2023926

    a file of Edith Riley °1896 Lawrence is not published due to privacy laws.

    (!) there are 2 more files in another database of migration files in Antwerp of:
    Percivall & Edward Riley m. with Fuller
    > See here: cityarchive (free search-&downloadeable) database of migration files in Antwerp, Belgium.
    http://zoeken.felixarchief.be/zHome/Home.aspx?f=100&inv=2962

    (look at the long blue bar)
    1st select in the first column: 'FAMILIENAAM' (Surname)
    2nd 'BEVAT' (contains) and
    3rd type a piece of a surname + Enter

    *Example 'HLIN' instead of McLaughlin, so you get variants (!)
    **Also 'Y' or 'IJ' gives gives a difference, try out both (!)

    Source of the above files/links via Familysearch:
    ► Step 1 INDEX; only remember the filenumber BUT double-check filenumbers (some files are the same in both databases) www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1477769?collectionNameFilter=false
    ► Step 2 FILENUMBERS;
    look for the link where your needed filenumber in fits and browse through the microfilm *notice that filenumbers are written in the top-left-corner so you can follow where you are on the microfilm between files. www.familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https://familysearch.org/recapi/sord/collection/2023926/waypoints

    -----
    Guide and more info about the archive in Antwerp, look at the geni project (in Dutch and English - select language button below the title/ left from the project photo)
    www.geni.com/projects/Belgium-Antwerp-Police-Immigration-files/43538

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  2. Wow, thanks for the great research on this family, Vero. Much appreciated. Anyone researching the Creasers who read this will be very happy indeed!

    ReplyDelete