>> I am hoping some kind soul can make a suggestion on how to get past a >> block. I know my great grandfather's name was James Pope. He came from >> England to the US but I have no idea when or where from or where he >> landed on arrival. I don't know if he came alone as a young man or with >> family as a child? I find him in a Mo 1870 census listed as age 45, so I >> am estimating he was born around 1825. Now looking for James Pope has >> not been easy, and can anyone suggest any other records that might >> contain any information? I have his marriage record, and I know when he >> died although I do not know many other details. Any ideas? >> Thanks, >> Sue <dsfosse@shighway.com> The above query was posted Jan. 12 -- sorry to take so long to send this reply. I hope there are one or two useful thoughts for you. Are you looking only for James's immigration record, or other records too? Here are several ideas: 1. Join the Pope surname list, send it messages with all the details, and send for the Archived messages to see if anyone else is looking for your James. 2. A lot of Civil War soldiers were foreign-born and some soldiers who fought were in their 30s and 40s. Did the 1870 census identify James as a Civil War vet? If he was, try to get his service and pension record at the Nat'l Archives. The 1890 census of soldiers, sailors, and widows may also include him, even if his widow had remarried. 3. The Mo. State Hist. Soc. has newspapers on microfilm from the entire state. Old newspapers had much social news, like obituaries, marriages, family reunions, etc. Also see The Handy Book for Genealogists, by the Everton Publ. Co. for a list of what records are available for each county in Mo. Land and tax records can give you an idea how long he was there, and some Naturalization records are in the county courthouse. The National Archives has a branch in Kansas City. The Mo. State Genealogical Assoc. in Columbia and the State Archives in Jefferson City are great sources of information. 4. If he lived as long as 1900, you may find his birth month and year, and the year he immigrated listed in the federal census. 5. Many Mo. residents immigrated through the port of New Orleans, so if Ellis Island doesn't show him, don't give up; there are many other ports to check. A good website is the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild, and also passenger lists at RootsWeb and other places. If you have access to a research or college library, you may be able to find Filby's Passenger & Immigration Lists Index, a huge annual compilation of sources. 6. Try the LDS site, FamilySearch.com . 7. Church records sometimes list parents, especially for births and marriages, especially Catholic and Lutheran who tended to keep careful records. Church records may also state where new members were transferring from, and where they transferred to. 8. Court records like probate and others are available on microfilm at LDS Family History centers. 9. Perhaps he came over as a criminal or as an apprentice, or an orphan. He might have immigrated through Canada, or was a British sailor who decided to stay here instead of sail back home. Cheryl Wray, jw90013@navix.net