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I have been trying to trace my grandmother Jane for some years without success. She was born in August 1887 in Kent, England and was a nurse. In 1907 she married Frederick Ficke of London and had two children, Kathleen and Edwin. She separated from her husband but to my knowledge never divorced.

On 11 July 1945 she arrived in New York and since then there has been no trace of her.

Please can anyone help?

Mike

Hello Mike, welcome to the boards.

Do you have her exact date of birth and parent's names? That can be very useful for some US death records, depending on the state.

I see when she arrived in New York that she was going to join a friend Roger S Stiles at 8 Cumberland Road, West Hartford, Connecticut.

Do you know what her relationship to him was and has he been followed up?

Household transcription
1911 census

Person: FICKE, Frederick
Address: 4 Church Road N E

FICKE, Frederick Head Married M 27 1884 Cabinet Maker Bow London
FICKE, Jennie Wife Married2 years F 23 1888 House Duties Chatham Kent
FICKE, Kathleen Daughter F 0 (7 MONTHS) 1911 Hackney London
ARMSBY, Jane Mother In Law Widow F 44 1867 House Duties Chatham Kent
ARMSBY, George Mother In Law M 11 1900 School Chatham Kent.....(Brother in Law)
RG number: RG14
Piece: 1129
Reference: RG14PN1129 RG78PN37 RD11 SD4 ED24 SN134
Registration District: Hackney
Sub District: South West Hackney
Enumeration District: 24
Parish: St John At Hackney
Address: 4 Church Road N E
County: London

For details of parents....

1901 England Census
about Harriett J Armsby Name:Harriett J Armsby
Age:13
Estimated birth year:abt 1888
Relation to Head:Daughter
Gender:Female
Father:James Armsby
Mother:Jane E Armsby
Birth Place:Old Brampton, Kent, England
Civil Parish:Chatham
Ecclesiastical parish:Chatham St Mary
County/Island:Kent
Country:England

Registration district:Medway
Sub-registration district:Rochester and Chatham

Household Members:

James Armsby 38
Jane E Armsby 36
Clara C Armsby 15
Harriett J Armsby 13
James R E Armsby 7
Geo Clement Armsby 1

Spouse missing from entry...

Marriages Dec 1886 (>99%)
Armsby James Medway 2a 8[356][56]

Here she is...

Marriages Dec 1886 (>99%)
Stephenson Jane Elizabeth Medway 2a 835

Name: Roger S Stiles
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Ward 14, Hartford, Hartford Town, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Marital Status: Married
Race (Original): White
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Birthplace: New Jersey
Birth Year (Estimated): 1899
Last Place of Residence: New York, New York
District: 10-154
Family Number: 108
Sheet Number and Letter: 6B
Line Number: 56
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 538
Digital Folder Number: 005461427
Image Number: 00176
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Roger S Stiles M 41 New Jersey
Wife Marian Stiles F 30 New York
Daughter Eleanor Stiles F 7 Massachusetts
Daughter Sarah G Stiles F 1 Massachusetts

There's a lot of information on the man she was going to in the US, he was Roger Shackelton Stiles born 1898 in New Jersey.

He'd been in the UK not long before your gran left as this is him returning to the US a few months earlier:

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Roger S Stiles
Name: Roger S Stiles
Arrival Date: 12 Jan 1945
Birth Date: 27 Nov 1898
Birth Location: New Jersey
Birth Location Other: Newark
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Greenock, Scotland
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Aquitania

There's nothing to suggest that Jane was "with" him as he's with his wife Marian on the city directories through the 1940s and 50s.

At least it gives a clue as to which state she went to.

PM received from Mike (explained about replying on here) :

"Thanks so far....

She was born 17 August 1887 in Old Brompton, Medway, Kent. Parents, James Armsby and Jane (nee Stephenson).

Roger S Stiles is a new name to me, how did you know that she was going to him? As a nurse it's possible that she was in that capacity as one reply shows that he had two young daughters."
.......................................................................................................................

Mike, in answer to your question about Roger S Stiles - he's named on the second page of her US immigration record. I've also just noticed on that record that her intended duration of stay was 6 months.

I'll send you the images via pm (that's about the only time we use private messages as you can't post images on here :-) )

Just out of interest:

Deaths Mar 1961 (>99%)
FICKE Frederick 76 Leeds 2c 263

That's interesting Beverley, that Frederick may have died in Leeds.

When Jane went to the US her immigration form gave as her contact in the UK a Lawyer called F W Bell in Leeds.

Hmmmm

Kathleen Ficke age 7 months on the 1911 census.

I am not seeing a birth registered for her.

I am not seeing a birth registered for an Edwin Ficke mmn Stephenson either.

Bit early

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Sep 1909 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fitch Kathleen May Islington 1b 315



EDIT. No, on 1911 census different parents


Andy

This is the only Edwin Ficke but different mmn:

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Mar 1915
FICKE Edwin W G Richards Islington 1b 638

?????


In the right area. Correct first name for wife??

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marriages Mar 1914 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FICKE William Richards Hackney 1b 534
Richards Jane M Ficke Hackney 1b 534


and

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1915 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FICKE Edwin W G Richards Islington 1b 638


Andy

I think this is the correct marriage based on the info provided by Mike and also the 1911 census:

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915

Name: Frederick John Ficke
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1909
Registration district: Shoreditch
Inferred County: London
Volume Number: 1c
Page Number: 234

Records on Page:
Name
Jane Armsby <<<<
Ada Bagnell
Frederick John Ficke
John William Morris

London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
about William Ficke




Name:William Ficke
Estimated birth year:abt 1889
Age:25
Spouse Name:
Jane Mabel Richards
Spouse Age:25
Record Type:Marriage
Event Date:19 Mar 1914
Parish:Hackney St Peter
Borough:Hackney
Father Name:Frederick Ficke Ficke
Spouse Father:George John Richards
Register Type:Parish Register

Address for William is 6 Church Road.


on 1911 census for Frederick, 4 Church Road


Andy

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

PricklyHolly, I have the Ficke/Armsby census' but it's good to be confirmed.

AnneCardiff, thanks for the Stiles info, it's opened an interesting line of enquiry.

BeverlyW, Frederick did die in Leeds in 1961 but Jane's contact with the city is new info as I thought that she spent most of her time nursing in London. Their lawyers were different.

MarieCeleste/Andrew, re the births - none of Frederick's children were ever registered, something that has led to interesting conversations with registrars! The background is complicated and I'm sure that you will understand when I say that I cannot go into details as some of those concerned are still alive. Suffice to say that, I've been along the William line of enquiry already.

Again, thanks everyone, I appreciate your help but, can anyone suggest a way of cracking the American end?

Mike

On the outgoing passenger list, 2/7/1945 it gave her address as Sycamore Cottage, Knutsford Rd, Grappenhall (cheshire), stating US as intended permanent residence. The area would tie in with her passport being issued at Manchester on 30 June.

Do you have any idea how Thelma Ficke(r) fits in to this - married to Ernest Frowd in Leeds, 1944 - they were granted probate when Frederick died.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
about Frederick Ficke Name:Frederick Ficke
Probate Date:5 Jun 1961
Death Date:24 Mar 1961
Death Place:Leeds, England
Registry:Wakefield

Of 25 Henconner Lane Leeds.

To Ernest Frowd transport manager and Thelma Frowd (Wife of the said Ernest Frowd.)

Effects: £5267 4s 3d

Mike, I don't know if we ever could crack the US side, that's if she did indeed stay there - her immigration record did say she only intended to stay for 6 months. I guess that could have been a ruse to get into the country? I don't know what "the authorities" would have done when her 6 months had expired......

It might be worth trying to find the Stiles daughters (they'd only be in their 70s) to see if they have any recollection of an English nurse in their childhood - an extreme long shot but if you've been searching for years any new avenue is worth pursuing.

Meanwhile, I have looked in the US city directories; worldwide passenger lists & border crossings in the names of Jane, Harriet or Jennie (as per the 1911) and with surnames Ficke or Armsby - nothing.

I've also done a search on deaths for those first names with her exact date of birth but there were just way too many. I've looked in the British Newspaper Archives and the limited US newspapers that I have access to - nothing.

(Having said the above, I was starting to get boggle eyed so some fresh eyes may see something I've missed).

One area I haven't looked is Scotland (haven't got any credits left for ScotlandsPeople), another long shot but as she departed from Scotland to the US, could she have returned there?