On this Date. . .


Isaac Roberts(10), his sister Letitia Roberts(9) and her husband Joseph Jones(19) were the first three immediate Hugh Roberts(1) family members who immigrated.  The three of them boarded the S.S. Spain in January 1886 and set sail for their new adventures.  The three family members left Liverpool with hopes and dreams of their new lives in the United States.  Joseph and Letitia left their 2-year-old daughter, Maggie, with her parents, Hugh(1) and Margaret(2), in Hanley, England.  Letitia and Joseph were both 23 years old and Isaac was 22 years old.

During their voyage, the three huddled together to keep warm during the January temperatures, shared tea and scones to eat and kept each other company to help pass the time on their journey.  During the voyage, Letitia(9) became ill.  As Letitia’s health declined, Joseph(19) and Isaac(10) were worried and scared.  The two men excited for their journey and adventure suddenly found themselves in a grim situation.  The young men sought the advice of other travelers who might be able to help.  The suggestions given to the two young men were types of teas, herbs and other available remedies and these were given to a weak and ill Letitia.  She lost weight and strength as the ship crossed the vast ocean.  She slept fitfully and became delirious, her lips dried and she would take only a few sips of liquid at a time.  The two men summoned the ship’s medical personnel and aid was given.  The days passed and as the ship sailed closer to their destination the two men begged her to endure just a little longer.  It was Valentine’s Day, 14 February 1886 the day before their arrival in the New York harbor, when Letitia quietly succumbed to her weakened and fragile state and passed away. Disbelief and grief immediately gripped her brother and husband.  The following day, the ship arrived at Castle Garden in New York on 15 February 1886.[i] 



[i] “New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (Including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 .” Database with images, Ancestry.com. (https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7488&h=10186503&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=SXF47&_phstart=successSource) accessed 4 Sep 2019, entry for Isaac Roberts and Joseph Jones.  arrived New York, New York, aboard Spain from Liverpool, England.

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