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Undocumented Irish immigration to USA (1850 - 1900)?

Undocumented Irish immigration to USA (1850 - 1900)?

Posted: 1 Apr 2015 8:56PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Bennett
I'm curious if anyone has tips on researching and confirming if you have a relative that was an undocumented immigrant from Ireland. For the longest time I've had a brick wall with my Bennett family. Recently I had a family member suggest my 2nd or 3rd great grandfather might have been an undocumented immigrant from Ireland. It is possible one of them entered the US from Canada since there are records of them being in Canada (but no immigration records) as well as records of them being in the US (Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alaska, Iowa). This would be in the 1850's to 1900 depending on which individual illegally immigrated. Beyond that conversation I don't have any hard facts to support this theory (especially since I have a birth certificate for my 2nd great grandfather that states he was born in Iowa and that his father (my 3rd great grandfather) was born in Ohio). I don't 100% trust the document stating that my 3rd great grandfather was born in Ohio since I have found no records of that and have done research with various Ohio genealogy groups with no luck finding him in Ohio.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
-darren

Re: Undocumented Irish immigration to USA (1850 - 1900)?

Posted: 10 Apr 2015 7:42PM GMT
Classification: Query
Newspaper obituaries can be very useful for life history information and parentage. It's worth checking all the relevant local newspapers that may have existed as they have given the obituary different levels of detail. Bear in mind that an obituary records what the surviving family members knew (and, as importantly, wanted the community to know - they may have omitted or changed some information) about the deceased and if they had been told half truths or untruths then they would probably repeat them uncritically in the obituary.

Re: Undocumented Irish immigration to USA (1850 - 1900)?

Posted: 10 Apr 2015 9:18PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thanks… I definitely understand about being weary regarding info provided in death certificates. I have a newspaper obit for my 2nd great grandfather but it was no help (same info as death cert and the source of the death cert info isn’t reliable). For my 3rd great grandfather I have no details of him after the 1900 US census and can’t find any newspaper articles for the last known location (Harrison township, Missouri). I can find his wife in Arkansas and Oklahoma in censuses the 1920 and beyond but she is listed as a widow. I cannot find either of them from 1900 to 1920 anywhere in the US or Canada.
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