Where do I even start?
I'm picking up a 50 year search for the history of my 2nd great grandfather, William Manley Holmes. He is a ghost before he was married in 1903 in Tennessee. He would only ever tell family members that his family was from England, and some say he spoke with an accent. An oral history from his granddaughter who is now deceased, states that he was born in England, his father was a doctor, and he wanted to be a horse jockey. He ran away from home at the age of 14/15. He frequently changed his birth date and year (1874-1877) on paperwork filled out for jobs and the census. He frequently said he was born in Michigan, Canada, and England. He definitely was running from someone or something, and didn't want to be found. Is there an orphan database to search? Its so hard coming to a dead end and finding nothing.
Respuestas
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I found an old post about this same individual. I don't know if there is any clues for you, or if perhaps you already know about this post: https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/can-ont-kent.rootsweb.com/2011/4/
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Have you tried passenger records/emigration/immigration records for the suspected places?
SeekingMichigan.com has a lot of records available
Could you share the marriage source for Tennessee? Perhaps we can glean some additional clues from that Marriage Record?
Have you submitted DNA? (Yes, I ask this question a lot! DNA can be a useful source for connecting families and learning more about people with an unknown past.) My DNA pinpointed the areas in England that I have family. I found that this information from Ancestry DNA was spot on. Part of my family was from Cornwall, England and I did not know this at the time that I submitted DNA.
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Speculation I've mustered to piece together on possible leads based on oral histories of his deceased granddaughter and oldest grandson with no definitive proof:
"William Manley was born in England. His father was a doctor. He wanted to be a horse jockey. He ran away from home at the age of 14 to Canada. He married Nancy Lucy Moore in Tennessee in 1903. He was much older than Nancy Lucy." When asked about his past, even by his wife, he refused to give any information.
Birth Certificate I'm currently waiting on from the GRO through Ancestry.com: 1877
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2X6T-44C
Some crumbs I have been able to find, but not been able to locate photos of these:
Possible record of immigration.
October 29, 1892
Liverpool England to Quebec Canada
Age 15 under the name “WM Holmes”
Vessel-Numidian
Possible immigration record
“William Holmes” enters Michigan in 1893 and formally denounced the government of Great Britain on May 16, 1893 becoming a naturalized US citizen.
He formally shows up here:
Marriage Certificate: 1903
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHM-W91N
World War I Draft Card:1917
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3PZ-VHC
From 1917 on we have hard copies of census reports, job applications, family oral histories.... Before 1903 is a complete and total mystery.
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"Barbara" is someone my grandmother was working with to find some answers. They were unable to come up with any definitive information. I have not tried the DNA yet. I'm just starting into all of this. It has peaked my curiosity. I really need to look into it! Do you go through a doctors office?
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Also the Tilbury reference in the roots web forum comes from one of the job applications that William Manley filled out for one of his sons in Birmingham, Alabama.
He has personally listed in his own handwriting Detroit Michigan, Michigan, and Tilbury Canada as locations of his birth. He told two of his family members he was born in England.
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