At some time in the late 1920s, like so many people from Liverpool before them, Sarah and Joe decided to emigrate to the USA. I don't know the reasoning behind this move; Joe had a very secure position in his father's succcessful company in a trade that was essential to the 100s of ships that used the Port of Liverpool at that time.Their son Edgar was 8 and settled in school. The family continued to be close knit - judging by the number of photos from those post War years in the 1920s! Here are a few of the 100s I am lucky enough to have.
Edgar at school, 1920s
3rd row, extreme left
Another day out! Ed's head can be seen poking
above the seat. He is in between Joe and Sarah's dad, Henry
Sarah and her sisters are there too. It must be about 1925
Audrey aged about 4? This would be just before they left
for the US. This is not a digitially colourised photo; it must
have been hand-tinted at the time.
Audrey and Edgar circa 1926.
Sarah and two of her sisters.
A lovely wedding photo!
The bride is Sarah's sister, Lilian marrying Tom Percy.
To the right of Joe (holding Ed and next to Sarah) is Joe's father, Joseph
(an interesting man who I will write about later)
Next to Joseph is Sarah's dad, Henry, the shipwright
seated second left is her sister Kathleen Grace, who lived to be 112!
Although obviously a very happy and close knit family, Joe and Sarah decided to make the trip across the Atlantic in 1929. Joe had two brothers who had made the move to America before the Great War - Duncan and Haward. They must have had some input in the decision. And so, in 1929, the family obtained their visas and headed for their New World!
They travelled on the Laconia. How do we know this? They took a photo of course!
Ed on board!
Audrey remembered roller skating on deck!
We have lots of documentation around their stay in the States
Sarah kept everything - thankfully - passing it down to her
daughter, Audrey, who also saved it for us to find.
I love these with their details of eye and hair colour, dates of birth etc.
We don't have one for Joe, oddly!
Joe and Sarah settled in Buffalo, New York and (of course) we have many photos from their time there. We have a really good idea of the work that Joe was doing - his father kindly wrote him a reference that gave an incredible amount of detail about the training and work experience he had in England, as well as an excellent character reference
"He is a non-smoker, total abstainer, and leaves this country an honourable reliable man in every sense" Indeed he was.
Joe was engaged by McDougall-Butler Co as a Foreman Varnish Maker and later became Assistant Superintendant.
Joe, Sarah and their children stayed in America for three years. Sarah and the children returned home in 1931 because Sarah's father was seriously ill However apparently Sarah desperately missed Liverpool and decided not to leave it to return to the States! And so the family settled back England.I think Joe packed up and came home on his own after Sarah refused to budge! However, Audrey and Edgar really enjoyed their adventure and often spoke of it in later years.
Here are some photos of their life in America
Haward and family. This looks a very American scene!
We have a Christmas Telegram, sent from "dad"
I am not sure whether it was Sarah or Joe's dad and there is no date,
I would guess it is from Sarah's dad as it is "from us all"
All three brothers in Joe's family were in the US and only his father remained in
Liverpool.
Sarah, Audrey and Edgar looking happy
Audrey in a decidedly more chilly scene!
Am pretty sure this is one of Joe's brothers' houses in New York
Sarah kept the paperwork from her return to the UK with Edgar and Audrey. She was given permission to stay in the UK for up to a year, from 17th Feb 1931 to 17th Feb 1932.
As can be seen from the reverse, there was no record of re-entry to the US
Sarah's father died in May 1932 and it would seem likely that she wanted to remain with him until then; however this meant that her permit would have expired. I have a letter from Joe's company that gives the date of his final return to the UK as July 1932. In a few short months, the family had left behind their dreams in America and returned to Liverpool. Audrey and Edgar had a very happy life with their parents and in their own married lives; there were no regrets.
Joe and Sarah were home.
The family thrived. The children did well at school and once again, they had many happy family occasions (as evidenced by yet more photos!). However, as the 1930s progressed, their lives, like millions of others, were once again about to be changed by a World War...The Liverpool blitz would affect them directly.....
No comments:
Post a Comment