Patrick and Annie O'Brien

Patrick and Annie Johnson are William parents ? Not sure if I am reading your post right

Sorry...two great country's separted by a common language!

Yes...I have been researching William for over 20 years...and he said the Patrick and Annie (Johnson) were his parents....William was mostly reluctant to talk about his past...and did use the name Bryan for work at one time.

Unable to locate where William was born around 1900 but most likely Canada/USA after Patrick and Annie emigrated. William almost certainly was raised in NYNY...but can't be sure.

I have submitted my DNA through Irelandxo/23andme and hope to narrow down my search (fingers crossed).

So....my current plan of attack is to try and find a Patrick and Annie who emigrated to Canada/USA and had a child William. Maybe like trying to find a needle in a hay stack

Best Regards, Mick

Mick,

Do you know where William died ? maybe a death certificate will tell more ?

We should be able to find out more if we knew exactly what his birth year was.

Also did he marry , and who ?

Sorry about all the questions, just making a plan of attack :)

I am trainling trough ten pages of the 1901 Ireland census in case the family was still in Ireland and that William WAS born here. www.censusnationalachives.ie

Annemarie

Did William have a sister Nellie ? (it could be another couple with the same name)

Father Patrick O'Brien, mother Annie J Johnson 

source :https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V22J-ZNV

Hello Annemarie,

Yes, most of Williams life in Australia post early 1930s can be accounted for including his death.

However, the problem is, he stated in court, when caught as a stow-away searching for work, that he was Toronto born so as to qualify as British Commonwealth subject and therefore able to travel feely (which he did for about 8 years before WW2). The family believes that this was a ruse to avoid possible deportation as a US Citizen (an alien in Australia). The death certificate perpetuates this economy with the truth.

On one WW2 identity document, William stated, born 15 April 1900 (Toronto Canada).

Similarly, yes he married an English lady in Australia ...who emigrated here at age 17.

It is certainly possible that William had a Sister (and other siblings and possibly another family by marriage that he left behind when he sailed to travel the world in his early 20s.

The family often wonders why the reason for the "secrecy"...but keeping your "business" to oneself was not unusual for William's generation.

Thank you very much for your efforts so far, Regards Mick

There are so many William O'Briens born in April 1900 in Ireland that it is impossible to pin point the correct William, the civil birth registrations only give the month of birth and not the day

Checked in Ontario and there is no William O'Brien born in April 1900.

Did the marriage certificate of William and his english lady give any details ?

Hello again Annemarie,

Sorry, as I said over 20 years of this and obviously I am too close to the problem!

To recoup, Williams death certificate perpetuates his or someone else in the family...economy with the truth about his origins...as Toronto Canada.

The Marriage certificate may be closer to the truth, because at age 27 William declares born New York city USA. William certainly had the accent and swagger of a Nu Yoker!  Parents are stated as Patrick (Electrical contractor) and Annie Johnson.

I 1987 I worked in the US and thought I found a 1900, 1910 census match with a family living at 201 East 73rd who had correct parents names and of course a William at about the right age. However, that family may not of course be the ones.  Subsequent research wasn't conclusive.

So I decided to change tack and search the Irish connection.

Sadly, I visited Ireland in the 90s and everywhere I walked I looked at faces that might be familiar!

I would be most happy to jump on an aircraft to chase down a real lead....I live in hope!

Regards, Mick

Annemarie,

I checked this possible connection on Ancestry dot com.

The Brother of Nellie, William (Bill) was born 1916, died 1990.

So not my William!

10,323 Williams to go out of 10, 324!

Cheers, Mick

Hi Annemarie,

I am currently researching Irish BDM and Census as you suggested....

An assumption I have made, is that women might have had (generally speaking) a small window for child bearing.....say teens to 30's??? I assume this due to the generally harsh living conditions, sickness etc etc

My William born circa 1900

Example: 1901 Census

11.3 Old Street, Malahide, Dublin

Patrick 23, Annie 21, married, both R/C

In your experience, is it a good strategy to try and narrow the field/search criteria like this?? Obviously, dosen't allow for the odd aberration of a women giving birth in her 40s (there were some big families in those days).

Best Regards, Mick

Footnote: on Finding Your Roots, a woman's life expectancy in New York lower East side in the 1800s = 45.