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Archiver > LONDON > 2001-12 > 1008292000


From: "Kate Martinson" <>
Subject: RE: [Lon] Morptowooi
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 01:07:46 -0000
In-Reply-To: <024301c1837e$4c238a00$ec45b4d0@tcac.net>


Hi Kathryn (were you named for "What Katy Did" too?!)

Had a good look and it certainly does look like Morptowooi. The most
Anglicised I can make it is Morptonosi - and that still ain't right, you
just don't get English placenames ending in "i", which it certainly is. The
suggestion on the list that it is a phonteic Welsh place is a distinct
possibility, especially as Tommy Jones, a record or two above your guy, was
born and last resided in Lampeter, which is in Wales and he is also
described as "English". I would strongly recommend joining a Welsh list
and asking there if anybody recognises the place.

What did strike me, however, is the way that his record is stamped over with
"non-immigrant alien" - I'm not sure whether that would mean the chap was
just visiting and intended to go home again (the earlier manifests are much
more informative in this regard), or whether there is some kind of dual
nationality going on here because it is also stamped on a few records
further down the page - one of whom is a Welshman born in Tennessee!!!! To
be honest, I think you should also have a good look Stateside as it sounds
like it could be a Native American word (praps near Chicago, where JW had
already been...?

Sorry I couldn't clear this one up for you - I love deciphering old
handwriting (so long as it's not one of mine! - I have the same problem with
one of my ancestors on the 1881).

I'm posting this back to London-L as well, in case anybody else has any
tips.

Best wishes

Kate

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Enfield [mailto:]
>Sent: 13 December 2001 02:32
>To: Kate Martinson
>Subject: Re: [Lon] Morptowooi
>
>
> I think it is the real document but I could be wrong. This is the info. I
>would love to hear what you think. List or manifest of alien Passengers
>The Carmania - is the ship
>the image # is 165
>His name is John wm(William) Mawford he is #13 on the list
>BTW 14 and 15 are also mine.
>The date is 2 March 1907
>They are going to SD
>If there is anything else let me know. Looking forward to hearing from you.
>Kathryn (when I was little I was called Kate)
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kate Martinson" <>
>To: "Enfield" <>; <>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 8:35 AM
>Subject: RE: [Lon] Morptowooi
>
>
>> Is this a transcribed entry - it's hard to imagine a native Englishman
>> making up a place name like this and it's certainly not a phonetic
>> transcription. If it's from the ISTG, you could ask the transcriber to
>look
>> again at the entry, or even request a scan to be sent to you. Have you
>> looked for him on the Ellis Island database?
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Kate
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Enfield [mailto:]
>> >Sent: 11 December 2001 20:06
>> >To:
>> >Subject: Re: [Lon] Morptowooi
>> >
>> >
>> >This was the place my gguncle put as his birth place on the ship records
>> >when coming to the USA. He stated Morptowooi England......
>> >I am thinking that I can't find, and it was maybe a deception. I
>> >am not sure
>> >though.
>> >Thanks
>> >Kathryn
>>
>>
>
>
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