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Thanks for this! I'm still trying to solve the mystery of Eleanore - I suspect she may be his second wife.

Richard's brother:

U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Name: Herbert Leo Sieradski
Birth Date: 4 Aug 1895
Birth Place: New York
Age: 20
Passport Issue Date: 21 Oct 1915
Passport Includes a Photo: Yes
(This was a replacement - his original had been taken by Graf von Bismark when Herbert working in mines in Westphalia. Notes say he speaks very good English)

On the subject of passports:

U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Name: Liza Sieradski
Birth Date: 14 Apr 1899
Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Residence: New York New York
Passport Issue Date: 18 Aug 1922
Spouse Name: Richard M Sieradski
Spouse Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Passport Includes a Photo: Yes - she's pretty!
(Main purpose of passport was to accompany husband in Poland, and to visit Czechoslovakia and Austria for her health. She states she's never been to US before. She also states Richard had liven in US from 1900 to 1920 uninterrupted - that isn't the case).

and

U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Name: Richard M Sieradski
Residence: Paris
Passport Issue Date: 16 Aug 1924
(This was for a 12 month extension of existing passport)

and this:

U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Name: Richard Mark Sieradski
Birth Date: 26 Sep 1896
Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Age: 24
Residence: New York, New York
Passport Issue Date: 6 Nov 1920
Father Name: Martin Sieradski
Father's Birth Location: Poland
Father's Residence: Lode, Poland

He's lived in Poland from 1906 to 1908 and Italy from 1919. This was an emergency application because his passport had been surrendered. He planned on visiting several European countries on banking business.

Thanks for this last piece of information. It's all so interesting.

This seems to be Martin applying for a passport for his daughter Lillian:

U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925
about Martin Sieradski Name: Martin Sieradski
Birth Date: abt 1894
Age: 15
Residence: New York City, New York
Passport Issue Date: 25 May 1909
Passport Includes a Photo: No

Says he's a subject of the Emperor of Russia and is applying for passport for his minor daughter Lillian born New York City, 19 Aug. 1893

Says he resides New York City and is a merchant there, left US 19 Feb. 1901 and is temporarily sojourning Lodr, Russian Poland, intends to return US with 5 years. Desires passport for identifying his daughter as an American citizen.

Thanks so much. Yes, that would seem to be his father and the Polish connection.

Possibly Richard's father arriving in US:

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

Name: Martin Sieradski
Arrival Date: 9 Jul 1892
Birth Year: abt 1868
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/Race- /Nationality: Polish
Port of Departure: Hamburg
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Normannia

He was a merchant and didn't appear to be travelling with any other family

** The Polish connection may be how Richard came to be married in Poland.

I can't find a death for Liza, but I guess it could have been anywhere.

Yes, or second wife? Liza seems to have disappeared into the ether...

Eleanore would have been born before the marriage .....

Was wondering daughter-in-law?

Anyway, thanks everybody - I got way more than I bargained for - you lot are wonderful sleuths!

Amazing. Yes, one of the scientific magazines talks about him spending time in Brazil. Not sure how he ended up in a cemetery in Virginia as he seemed to be based in NY.

He certainly got around:

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960

Name: Richard Mark Sieradski Sherton
Birth Date: abt 1887
Age: 36
Port of Departure: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Arrival Date: 5 Jul 1923
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ports of Voyage: Buenos Aires [Montevideo] [Santos]
Ship Name: Almanzora
Shipping Line: The Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.
Official Number: 136353

He was travelling First Class and occupation was "Manager". He had been living in Brazil and was going to stay with L Haig at 32 Linden Gardens, London.

Wow, thank you everybody (sorry MarieCeleste, I had the SS records but they don't give place of birth or death very often, particularly on older records, that's why I needed other records. I'll remember in future). The marriage info is super interesting - so do we think Eleanore is the daughter, born in 1920? And I wonder what happened to the wife? I'll go back to the cemetery and see if there is anybody with that name around the area.

U.S., Consular Reports of Marriages, 1910-1949

Name: Richard Mark Sieradski
Age: 24
Birth Year: abt 1897
Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Spouse's Name: Liza Kleszczelska
Spouse's Age: 22
Spouse's Birth Year: abt 1899
Spouse's Birth Place: Lodz, Poland
Marriage Date: 10 Jun 1921
Marriage Place: 14 Plac Grzybowski, Warsaw, Poland
Consular Location: Warsaw, Poland
File Number: 133/2070
Certificate in File: Yes

They were married by Rabbi so name probably changed because of anti-semitism.

(PS - if you already has the Social Security Death Records would have been handy if you'd posted them at the start!)

I think Maureen's got it!
On this passenger list his name was originally Sieradski-Sherton but the Sherton has been crossed out:

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Richard M Sieradski Name: Richard M Sieradski
Arrival Date: 26 Jan 1938
Birth Year: abt 1897
Birth Location: Massachusetts
Birth Location Other: Boston, Massachusetts
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Southampton, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States
Ship Name: Aquitania
Search Ship Database: Search the Aquitania in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database

Birth on original 26 Sep. 1896, Boston, Mass.

Maureen - that is SO interesting. If it's him, I wonder why he changed his name?

Marie - if you do a Google search you can find a couple of references in old scientific magazines to a Richard M. Sherton inventing a refrigerant in the 1930's and there are photos.

I think this might be his birth:
from Family Search:

Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915 for Richard Mark Sieradski
name: Richard Mark Sieradski
event: Birth
event date: 26 Sep 1896
event place: Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
father: Martin Sieradski
Mother: Helen
volume/page/certificate number: P. 174, L. 7809
film number: 1843694
digital folder number: 4006255
image number: 185


Maureen

Hazel, if he was born in 1896 then I'd expect to see him at least on the 1900 & 1910 US census, but nothing.

PS - have added Eleanor above

Where did you get the info that he may have been a chemist?