Does anyone have access to the Providence City directories, 1880-85?
I’m looking for listings for the BERGEN and CLARKE families in those years or possibly even earlier.
Charles BERGEN married Sara CLARKE there in 1883, he claimed to have been born in RI and that his parents were Lewis (Louis?) and Christina (Christine?) Bergen from Sweden. Sara claimed to be the widow of a CLARKE and 1900 census says she immigrated from England in 1881, so I’m not sure if she was already widowed when she came or if he died in RI or what this 1st husband’s name was.
I do not find any of these people on 1880 census anywhere, but 1900 has Louis and Christina BERGEN in Detroit MI with a daughter born 1876 in RI and Charles and Sara are then in MO and a different State every census after that.
I’d like to find these people on the city directory as they are elusive before 1900, thanks!

Hi, i can look that up for you.The 1880 local census is often not on the Net.The vital records is the same situation.Will look.Tom Doan

Ancestry has the 1883, 1884, and 1885 Providence City Directories. Louis/Lewis isn't listed in any of them. The 1883 book has Charles R. Bergen, groom, boards at 7 1/2 Charles Field Court. Charles isn't in the 1884 or 1885 books.

Thank you very much!
Charles Bergen married Sara Clarke there in that year and was listed as a groom then too. I assume grooming horses? So I guess that was the only time he got listed in the directory?
I only have access to Ancestry at the library and didn't find the Providence directories if on that version. I'll try again to see if Sara Clarke is listed too.
Thanks again!

Thanks Tom, by the way, are you the Tom Doan who used to live in Elmhurst IL? Just a long shot as I knew someone by that name in 1970.
Was there an 1880 local as well as federal census? Maybe that's a good way for this to go. I'm amazed how people can hide in plain sight on the census by someone getting a part of the name wrong or whatever. Thanks for all!

The next Providence Directory was 1887, and Charles wasn't listed.
There was a Sarah Clark (no "e"), listed as a widow in the 1883 and 1884 Directories.
I agree that groom, probably had something to do with horses.

Thanks! Probably not the same as Sara, but can't be too sure.
I wonder if she, an older widowed woman, brought money into the marriage. As Charles was an unskilled "groom" in 1883, I wonder how or where he learned to be a "ladies tailor" by 1900?

HI, 1884-85 has a John Bergen-silversmith,302 Prarie Ave.
William 1 Black St. pearl worker.1885-86 has John same addy,
Mary widow 100 Plain St,Thomas bds 100 Plain St. teamster,
William same info as above.I haven't checked the other DIR's
yet.Tom Doan

Thanks Tom!

hi, I didn't find anything else in the DIR's.I did find the
marriage date.Can't find the paper with it on it.It was in
1883.Tom Doan