Margaret's Journey and Her Heartbreak - Margaret's Envelope Post 5

If you've just happened upon this series, you may want to start at the beginning - go to the labels listed below on the right, select Margaret's Envelope and start with Post 1 - you don't want to miss a thing!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Margaret McCann Bellew remained in England until 1926. In May of that year she finally joined her husband and her son William who had been in the US already for almost 3 years. How I wish that there was a diary in Margaret's Envelope telling me how she felt during that time and most importantly, all she felt during her journey to the US.

Margaret and John had three children at the time, Hugh Bellew born in 1916, William Bellew, born in 1917 and John Jr (or Jacky) born in 1919. From what I understand she never really spoke of it, or him, and the heartache of her decision must've haunted her for her entire life. Margaret came to the US without one of her sons, the youngest, John was left in England.

I've written at length about John in several previous posts, but the story about him being left in England is truly a sad one. You can read about it here and here. Today I post another item from Margaret's Envelope, the one item that probably reminded her of him - a card from his First Communion which occurred only months before she left the country. You can see the reverse of it in one of the above previous posts.

Not having a diary of her thoughts and the pain that she must've had during this time, my mind is filled with images of a Mother boarding the ship with one of her children, leaving her young son crying on shore with an Aunt. Or her hastily dropping him off at her home so she could make this journey to join her husband in the US. He was only 7 years old when she left England.

"We are both in the pink" - Margaret's Envelope Post 2

Next in this series is a postcard, from my Great Grandfather John Bellew, addressed to his wife Margaret. John departed England on the ship Sarmaria on August 23, 1923, with his son William (my Grandfather) who was almost 6 years old.

The family was living at 23 Milner Street in Preston Lancashire England. John & Margaret had three sons at the time, Hugh b. 1916, William b. 1917 and John (or Jack) b. 1919.

Here is the front of the postcard John Sr. sent to Margaret, showing the ship they were aboard.

Written in pencil on the reverse is a short note from John letting Margaret know about their trip so far. I am amazed that the words are still visible.

"We got to Liverpool all right. We left at 5/30. We will arrive at Queenstown Friday Morning. We are both in the pink. Kiss Jacky and Hugh for us both. With Love From Jack + William XXX"

I was interested in the postmark on this card. Not having any understanding of where it would have actually been sent from - although images of him running to a box at the next port came to mind, I figured this wasn't the case. What I learned after a bit of research was that these pieces of mail were handed to the steward on the ship, who then took them to a post office at the next port of call. The "PAQUEBOT" postmark means that it was posted on the high seas.

While it's not part of the contents of Margaret's envelope, here's the passenger list showing John and William. Their planned destination being Pawtucket Rhode Island. I still have yet to find the other family members who were already there as I've been told.


This is just the beginning of the story of this family's journey to the US, and the contents of Margaret's Envelope. Stay tuned, there's more to come!

My heart just broke

I watched the Ellis Island special last evening... and cried my eyes out during most of it. The hospital did wonderful things for some, but others were treated so unfairly and it brought to mind a story of my family and the heartache that a mother must've felt.

I've written before about my Grandfather's brother John, but after hearing the stories last evening and getting a better understanding of what these families had to go through. I feel more connected to them now than ever before, and it's breaking my heart.

My Great Grandfather John Bellew and my Grandfather William Bellew came to the US in 1923, joining other family members who were already in the States. Three years later, my Great Grandmother Margaret (McCann) Bellew and their other two sons Hugh and John, planned to join him. All the names are on the passenger list - except one is crossed out. Family story has it that John was "too sick to travel" I am now so curious about this I can hardly stand it. Did they know what awaited them if they arrived with a sick child? From what I understand, they didn't implement the departing inspections until 1929, so I don't believe that it was the result of an outbound "health inspection" that kept him from boarding that boat. Could it have been fear? Fear of being seperated from him in a strange country upon arrival? What would make a Mother leave her youngest child behind?

Now I'm feverishly trying to determine who he was left with. No one knows this information on this side of the pond. I'm reaching out to all McCann family members in the area of Preston Lancashire. Margaret only had sisters and I'm also searching for their marriages so that I can reach out to those surnames as well. I'm hopeful that someone ANYONE will recall or know the story of the boy who stayed behind while his entire family left for America.





John Bellew was born in 1919 in Preston Lancashire England and died in 1940 in WWII at Dunkirk... see info on his Military Service at a previous post here. You can read about the Christmas cards he sent to his parents at another post here. He had his First Holy Communion at the Martyr's Church in Preston England that's all I know about him. Would someone please help me find more?

A Christmas Greeting from the Son left behind...

It's a sad story really, with little details as to why and even less details as to who raised him, but we do know that he was left behind in England, raised by another family member, grew up, joined the army, fought in WWII and was killed in Dunkirk.

John Bellew, Sr. arrived in the US in September of 1923 with one of his sons - William - my Grandfather. His wife Margaret and sons Hugh & John Jr. remained in England while he obtained a job and a place to live. In May of 1926 (almost 3 years later!) Margaret arrived in the US with her son Hugh. While John's name is on the passenger list, it is crossed off - we're assuming that his ticket was purchased - but he wasn't on board. The family "story" is, that at the time of the ship's departure John was too sick to travel and was left in England. Can you imagine?

In the 1910 Census of Providence Rhode Island I find the family and John Jr. is actually listed in the household - we know for certain that he NEVER came to the US. My Grandmother knew the family well and knows this without doubt.





At this point I have lost track of him, because the census records in England only have been released up to 1901, I will not find him in any census records for Preston. I'm still looking as there were many family members in the area. I have not yet exhausted all my avenues of research on his childhood - although there are very few clues.

My Grandmother (William's wife) has in her possession a prayer book belonging to Margaret and inside was a treasure of information. Prayer cards from a young boy's First Holy Communion, and this Christmas card which John sent to his mother in 1934 and there is a similar card sent to his father. Christmas greetings from a child who was left behind.

John was killed in Dunkirk in May 1940 - He was part of the 4th Battalion of the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, his infantry found themselves surrounded and overrun by Germans.