Bretherton Brothers

My mother-in-law, Frances Ridley Olson, was a wonderful storyteller. She had the ability to grab your interest early and keep you eager to hear more. She told me many stories about her family. One that I remember concerned two of her uncles, her mother’s brothers. It seems they got so angry at their father that they got on a ship for America and never contacted anyone in the family again. Frances said she often wondered what happened to them. When she visited a new place, she would check the phone book looking for people with their names but never found them. Unfortunately she died before the explosion of genealogy documents became available on the Internet. When I started to research my husband’s lines, I decided to see if I could find out what happened to his grand uncles.

Frances’ maternal grandparents were Samuel Bretherton and Sarah Ann Barker. Samuel was born in Newton, Cheshire on July 26, 1840 to John Bratherton and Harriet Cork. In Cheshire records, the name is always spelled with an  “a”. When I started working on this family, I knew nothing about Samuel except that he was born in Cheshire. I found a likely entry in the BMD and ordered a copy of the birth certificate through Ancestry. It cost me $35 but opened up the entire Bretherton/Bratherton family for me. Worth every penny. 

Samuel was a sanitary engineer or “nuisance inspector”, a surveyor and by 1911, a farmer. Samuel and Sarah Ann were married on March 10, 1875 in St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Aston, Warwickshire. Their first child and only daughter, Ellen, was born about 9 months later. Ellen was baptised on April 16, 1876 in Fillongley, Warwickshire. Five sons, Samuel Ballard, George, Arthur, Frank and Albert, were born between 1877 and 1893. Of these sons, Samuel and George were the 2 who quarreled with their father and left home. Arthur stayed at home, never married and eventually inherited the farm. Frank died in 1910 at the age of 19. Albert has, perhaps, the saddest story. He fought in World War I, survived, came home, caught influenza and died in early 1919.

So what happened to Samuel and George. They both embarked on the ship Begenland on April 18, 1900 for Philadelphia. (1) They are listed as butchers. The Barker family were butchers and pub owners in Corley, Warwickshire and then Fillongley. I imagine both Bretherton boys worked for their uncle. They arrived in Philadelphia on April 30, 1900 and stated they intended to make their way to Canada. (2)

They were enumerated in the 1900 US Census in Philadelphia. Both boys had found lodgings in Ward 5 in Philadelphia.(3) I also found Samuel still in Philadelphia in the 1920 census but George disappeared. I have been unable to locate him in the US or Canada. Perhaps he decided that Australia or New Zealand were better choices for him. Or perhaps he died before 1910. In 1920, Samuel was 44 years old, still single and working in a foundry. He registered for the draft in 1918 and listed his father, Samuel, as his nearest relative.

I wonder just what the argument was about that made 2 young men get on a ship and sail away. And I wonder why they never contacted any of the family again, not even their siblings.

Do any Ridley/Brethertons have any changes or enhancements to this story? I would love to hear from you.

(1)Ancestry, "UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1800-1960," database, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Jul 2014), Saml Bretherton sailed on Begenland; The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England BT27.  

(2) "Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945," database, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Jul 2014), Saml Bretherton; Citing National Archives Micropublication T840, RG085, Rolls 1-181.  

(3)1900 U.S. census, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Philadelphia, enumeration district (ED) 0106, sheet 7B, dwelling 93; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1454.