Ellen Sykes (nee Hutchinson) remained in Philadelphia until her death in 1910. Her husband worked in woollen mills, so he followed his Yorkshire trade across the Atlantic Similarly, Joel Topham remained in the city too, although trades / occupations weren’t so fixed in his family.

Interestingly, the putative father of one of Richard’s grandchildren, also emigrated to Philadelphia. Did the city have a history of woollen mills? This was one of the main industries in Huddersfield in Yorkshire, where these ancestors all lived.

Sorry, I should have clarified that this research is all based in northern England. I have, however, discovered that one of Richard’s daughters emigrated to Philadelphia, however. I’ve found her in some Federal Censuses, and also a death record. Very helpfully, it names her parents.

My son is nearly 19 and still evolving. This time it’s definitely an improvement! 😉😂

Oh, and newspaper searches have yielded nothing. I suspect it’s too early for the marriage to have been reported, but I was hoping I might find a death notice or funeral report in 1868. Richard was a clockmaker, so I assume he would have had some modest social status.

The first child was born in 1823, and I *think* the correct baptism for the father is 1797. So I’m focusing on marriages from 1815 onwards. I’ve not used the full text search function at FamilySearch much, so I need to learn how to do that properly.

I still recall those early days. You have a few weeks of thinking you’re on top of things, and then something changes - eating, sleeping, behaviour. Looking back, it feels like it was simple and easy; but in each moment it was flipping difficult and tiring.

This marriage might be Yorkshire, might be Lancashire. Also, it could have been a Catholic marriage (although an Anglican one would have been needed for civil purposes). The only help is that clock and watch maker is a relatively unusual occupation (if it’s mentioned).

What a heartwarming story!

The most famous tree in Chicago right now. She really is a beauty.

I have another line of enquiry. Richard appears on the clockmakers of Bolton website with a mini biography. I’ve emailed them to see if they have sources for him. 🤞🏼

Still no luck; putting it back on the ‘too difficult’ pile.

Looking at the ancestral journeys gives more insight. These focus on three areas which match my documented ancestry closely: West Yorkshire, Beds / Herts, and a broad sweep of the West Country, especially the Forest of Dean and Dorset. As before, Devon is still absent, although it shows on Mum's.