Dear PhillyRoots List: I’m seeking some direction/suggestions regarding an illusive ancestor on which I have the following information: Margaret Allison Born: 1875/1877 in Rathmullen, County Donegal, Ireland Immigrated: To Philadelphia in 1897 where she joined her family, which included her sister, Elizabeth Allison Skene. Profession: “Trained Nurse” Various Family Papers: Suggest that she was associated with “the hospital on Stenton Avenue,” Frankford Hospital, and/or The Kensington Hospital for Women. 1920 Census: Listed as living on West Gorgas Lane in Germantown. She is single here and and still working as a “Trained Nurse.” Family Lore: Says that she married late in life to a man with the last name of Lindsey (Lindsay?), but I have nothing to support this idea. What I’ve done so far: Scoured Ancestry.com where the only concrete match is the 1920 Census mentioned above. There are several others, variously under Allison, Lindsey (Lindsay) that are long-shots at best. Also, I have found a "ships passenger list" for 22 October 1912, which I know is correct. What I’d like to know is: Where can I go to find nursing staff records for Philadelphia hospitals? Are there records out there for Philadelphia nurse associations between 1910-1940? In the "Naturalized or Alien" column for the 1920 census, it notes “Pa.” Does this mean Pennsylvania? “Pa” doesn’t really answer the question as to whether she was naturalized or an alien. How should I go about finding immigration records? Since she listed 1897 as the year she immigrated on the 1920 Census, does this record mean that she did some traveling back and forth? Is there a place where you can find records for ships from Philadelphia to Ireland between 1897 and 1912? Why is she not listed on the Censuses of 1900 and 1910? Is there some avenue of research that I am overlooking? I'd very much appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thanks in advance. Susan A. (Researching in Philadelphia: Allison, Calvin, Dillin, Freas, Hall, McKnight, McMichael, Muir, Soby, Taylor, Turner, Walker, Wolf) _________________________________________________________________ http://homepage.msn.com/zune?icid=hmetagline