James, a "gas/steam fitter" first seen in New Haven, CT c. 1853, .listed in City Directory 1855/56. He m. Abigail DeMartin c.1853 New Haven (no record), son William Henry b. there 1854 (recorded). They disappeared until listed in 1870 New Haven Federal Census with 2 sons, 2nd son, Albert Edward, claimed to have been b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Jan 7, 1862 (no record); James claimed to be 46, born in England. No research of the intervening years (1855-1870) has yielded any record of this family although there were others of the same name but accessing city directories proved them to have no connection.
James & Abigail were my great-grandparents (James-Albert Edward-Mildred-me) and have been the main focus of my research since 1993. In England I have found several others of the same name and birth date but, without some knowledge of his birthplace or parents I cannot claim any one, no record of his arrival in this country, no evidence of his being naturalized, no death record, nothing. His brother's death certificate (Hartford, CT 1903) gave erroneous information as to his parent's names or places of birth. So many brick walls.
