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Patting self on back

Discussion in 'Search tips - discussion' started by Liberty, Jul 2, 2014.

  1. Liberty

    Liberty LostCousins Megastar

    Ok friends, If I can't congratulate myself who will?

    I have been mildly intrigued by my GG GM's niece, Jane Isabel Gillis, who had 2 husbands with the non-English names of Hans Sorensen and Frederick William Larsen. (Her father ran a boarding house in South Shields, which presumably had something to do with it) I didn't know what had happened to her after her second marriage in 1891. However, trawling through the FamilySearch site, I found christenings for 2 daughters, Florence and Maud. Expanding the search for them, I found the family in Oregon USA in 1900.

    I found that Frederick and Jane were there with 4 children, including a son transcribed as Gosle, born in August 1887 in England. Jane said she had 4 children, so he was presumably hers, although he was born before she married Frederick, so MIGHT have been a stepson. To me, the orininal looked as if it might have begun with a G or a J, maybe an 'i' rather than an 'l', perhaps ended with an 'r'. No name I knew of, though of course it might have been Danish (like Frederick). In 1910 his name was transcribed as Joasie, so I was rather bemused as to what his name really was. When I looked at dates, I realised he was born before Jane's first marriage, so if hers, would presumably have been registered as Gillis. By looking for possible candidates I found a birth on BMD transcribed as 'J* Mon*gre' Gillis. This was in South Shields, in the right quarter so looked most likely, although the actual name still evaded me.

    I looked at the image, and although it was poor, it looked rather like 'Joie Montealgre'. So I stuck this into an Ancestry search, and once I had tried it without any surname it offered me (well down the list) a christening for someone called 'Joie Montealger' (no surname). On looking at this I realised I had found my boy - christening in South Shields in September 1887, parents Jane Isabel Gillis and Joie Montealger.

    I have not yet pinned down Mr Montealger, but I have my eye on the J J Montealegre who appears in the 1911 census, aged 47, born Costa Rica. Or possibly the Juan Jose Montealegre (Spanish) who arrived at Ellis Island in 1916 (having been living in London) aged 53. Whichever one, or another, it does look as if Jane Isabel had a weakness for foreign gentlemen.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  2. Tim

    Tim Megastar and Moderator Staff Member

    Seeing as they transcribed Isabel as Iabel, how sure are you that Joie should not be Jose? :)

    Although I think Joie is such a happy name.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Liberty

    Liberty LostCousins Megastar

    I am pretty certain he WAS Jose - possibly the only Jose Larsen in town. I was 'just' pleased to have found the record of birth for him, from such an unpromising census entry. In later life (specifically his draft registration) he appears as Jose Monte, though oddly enough his marriage certificate has him as Joasie M.
    F W Larsen always given as his father, though
     
  4. Margery

    Margery LostCousins Member

    Great detective work, Liberty. I just love it when something like this falls into place. Now, if I could just trace my Mary Smith........
     

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