Sarah H Blackhurst Barber (1848-unk) – My Most Recent Immigrant Ancestor

Sarah B Blackhurst is my most recent immigrant ancestor. Sarah was born in England, most likely in Sheffield, Yorkshire, about 1848 (I think Dec 1847). I use the 1900 Census for the basis of birthdates because it indicates the month and year of a person’s birth in addition to his or her age. In Sarah’s case, the Census reports her birth as Dec 1867 but her age as 42, which would place her as born in 1857[i]. Consequently, I only pull the month of her birth from the 1900 Census. I then use the 1850 Census, in which she is two years old, and derive a  birth date of December 1847[ii].

The 1850 Census also indicates that she was born in England and living in Detroit at the age 2 indicating an arrival before June 1850.  Additionally, the 1920 Census indicates the date of her arrival as 1850[iii], so, I’m fairly sure of that she arrived in 1850.  I haven’t found the family arriving in the United States in any immigration documents, so far but will continue searching.

Seventy-year-old Sarah is enumerated in the 1920 Census living in Manhattan, New York, New York[iv]. I have been unsuccessful finding a death record for Sarah thus far.

Randall J. Seaver, in his blog Genea-Musings, suggested this topic.