James Joseph Hill b1878 Kempley (Parish Records)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, March 20, 2016, 15:17 (3163 days ago) @ shepway

Thanks for that clarification Mike,

at the same time you were working I was writing this, for what it's worth now...

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Searching Hills in Dukinfield, Cheshire, gives this possible link;

1891 Halton Rd, Runcorn, Cheshire
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Charles Hill Head M 39 Ship Canal Labourer. Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
Cathine Hill Wife F 29 Portsmouth, England
Sarah Ann Hill Daughter F 12 Clayton, England
Mary Hill Daughter F 4 Preston, Lancashire, England
James Hill Son M 2 Delph, England
Rose Ellenor Hill Daughter F 1 Delph, England
Thomas Dun Lodger M 59 Ship Canal Labourer. Shropshire, England
William French Lodger M 39 Ship Canal Labourer. Cobbett

Construction of the Manchester Ship Canal began in 1887 and took six years. When it opened it was the largest river navigation canal in the world, and enabled the newly created Port of Manchester to become Britain's third busiest port despite the city being about 40 miles inland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal

Nb the above household includes Catherine, POSSIBLY the "mother-in-law" of our James Hill wrt the aforementioned US Immigration form. That Catherine's address of Dukinfield is just east of Manchester, within easy reach by rail etc, maybe the above family were there by 1914 after navvy Charles had finished working on the canal and moved to find work elsewhere ?.

That said, Hill isn't a rare surname, and the Canal project employed around 12,000 navvies from across the country.