Need help deciphering .....

[Ina]

Hi,
I need some help here. Can anyone make out where John Miller (12th name down) was born? It says American subject Pe****. There is a large check mark going right through the place name.

http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/disp ... m=11&pos=0

Appreciate your help.

Ina

[sporran]

Hello Ina,


only a guess, but it looks like Pennsyl(vania).


Regards,

John

[Andy]

I've got a sneaking suspicion the enumerator started to write Pennsylvania but gave up after "syl".

You're a better man than than I am, Gunga Din.

This would appear to be Cattie's disappearing grandfather. I've been hunting for him for years!!!! Given his later occupation I'm surprized not to find a Bicycle FRAME at the address!!!

[Ina]

Hi Andy,

You're right this is Catties grandfather. Like Sporran I see it as Pennsy......meaning Pennsylvania. However Cattie remembers him saying that he was born in New York. No way does this record show NY.

Ina

[cattie41]

Andy, what a memory you have! With all the genealogy you do I'm surprised you remember my missing grandfather... and his bicycles!

I think you may all be right about the "Pennsyl" - at first I thought it was "Peabody, MA" - in either case though, it doesn't resemble "New York" where the old man told me he was born!

I have his MC and his DC, but I still can't find his BC.

[Dz]

Can anyone make out where John Miller (12th name down) was born? It says American subject Pe****.

Where the heck is Subject, Pennsylvania? Near the NY border?
(The USA has plenty of citizens, but absolutely zero subjects...)

;-)

[DavidWW]

Can anyone make out where John Miller (12th name down) was born? It says American subject Pe****.

Where the heck is Subject, Pennsylvania? Near the NY border?
(The USA has plenty of citizens, but absolutely zero subjects...)

;-)

Try reading it as "America[n] Subject, Pennsyl" !!

Those born overseas were either shown as British Subject (i.e. British nationality = citizen of that country), with info on place of birth abroad; or, e.g. German Subject (i.e. German nationality = citizen of that country) Dusseldorf; or as in this case "America[n] Subject, Pennsyl".

Those were the instructions to the census enumerators, who didn't have any discretion to debate about the differences between "subject", "nationality", and "citizen" or "citizenship" ..........

From your point of view a terminological inexactitude , but the ill-paid enumerator was only following his instructions !!

Davie

[NancyinNJ]

I can't zoom in on the form to read it but remember talking to Cattie about it years ago...and thought it was Pennsylvania...not a far cry from New York if that's where the familly landed. Wasn't there something about coal miners too and Pennsylvania has those.

[Dz]

I can't zoom in on the form to read it but remember talking to Cattie about it years ago...and thought it was Pennsylvania...not a far cry from New York if that's where the familly landed. Wasn't there something about coal miners too and Pennsylvania has those.

Some of those coal mines are still actively producing, too - while others have been on fire, underground, for decades.

Let's also not forget that the same area of Pennsylvania gave the world the first oil well, too - rapidly dooming shale-oil efforts in other places as too costly an extraction process for crude.

[DavidWW]

I can't zoom in on the form to read it but remember talking to Cattie about it years ago...and thought it was Pennsylvania...not a far cry from New York if that's where the familly landed. Wasn't there something about coal miners too and Pennsylvania has those.

Some of those coal mines are still actively producing, too - while others have been on fire, underground, for decades.

Let's also not forget that the same area of Pennsylvania gave the world the first oil well, too - rapidly dooming shale-oil efforts in other places as too costly an extraction process for crude.

But let's not also forget that the fractional distillation process was first developed by "Paraffin" Young in Scotland, based on extracts from shale oil in West Lothian.

In addition, let it be noted that "Paraffin" Young took out worldwide patents on the fractional distillation process; and subsequently was successful in taking actions for breach of patent against Americans in PA and TX, with substantial damages awarded !!! <g>

Orraverybest

Davie ..... not only a genealogist but a chemical engineer !!!