Pardon me, but I seem tp have misplaced a grandparent or two. Have you seen them?

Well, No. They're dead and buried and I do actually know where 6 of them are. That can't be right. 4.  Yeah, that's better. My grandkids will need to keep track of, let me see, 7 and 8 if the last one remarries.


That's not why I'm writing. I'm back on researching  genealogy and I could have sworn I had found 3 out of 4 arrivals in New York. The last time I had been searching.  At the moment I can only find the documentation for 2.

My eyes are bleary after 3 hours of record reading.



NOT their wedding

That too is not the reason I'm writing. I'm looking for Grandma Mollie. I might know how old she was or not. I do have the record of her marriage where I know she lied because she was four years older than Grandpa. That's why this particular record, probably not hers, was so amusing.

I tried reading some German passenger lists and that did not go well.

The Brits kept clearer, if not more accurate records.

My favorite was a possible, although she could not probably have been 21 years old when she came here. Perhaps? Anyway, I loved it because they listed people's occupations on most of the manifests. and

Hers was listed as ,    ready.........      SPINSTER.   That's right ladies and gents. Her occupation at the age of 21 was listed as spinster.

The year was 1902?  or 07 or 03?  I looked at so many and wrote notes  all over cards that I confused myself. I must have been a clerk in England in a past life.


    IMAGINATION


I'm a little girl and growing up in the old country, is very hard.  Pogroms, prejudice, no indoor plumbing. I'm a lucky little girl though. My daddy is a Rabbi. He's well respected and we're moving to Amerika.  YAY.  I can't wait. Truly, I can't, They are burning down the town as I think.

On the trip over in steerage I wonder what will I be when I grow up in the land of opportunity. My head spins with possibility. Or maybe it spins because I'm seasick and the smell here is beyond belief. Feh!

I look around at all the people in steerage with us. Families of other hopeful immigrants and it hits me. Who wants this kind of life? Husbands who demand unspeakable things. Giving birth to something that might kill you. Breast feeding. More children. The noise. The smells. Shivers are running up and down my spine. Or it might be chilblains.

I've got it.  When I grow up I am going to be a spinster. Yes. That's what I'll do. It sounds better than being one of those Sadie, Sadie married ladies.

And that's why my grandmother lied about her age. Really. She was a little long in the tooth for the time period. I'm not sure when Grandpa found out. I'm glad I wasn't there because I hear he had a temper. A really, really bad temper.  Poor Grandma. I know, I wouldn't be here if she'd stuck to her guns, but she would have been a much happier woman. Trust me, on this I know what I'm talking about.




Theory

Why do people get married?  Social Convention. Religious Beliefs. Family pressure.  Well, at least back then.


Now, your guess is as good as mine.  Did I say guess?  I meant to say theory.  That's right. Your theory is as good as mine. Maybe better even.