Derry Line — Emigrated to America
Thomas Derry Sr.
1808 – 1866
Needs research
Life
Thomas Derry Sr. was born in 1808 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England — the son of Daniel Derry of Gresley Row. He was a farmer, like his father before him and his son after him. He emigrated from England to America, settling in New York, where his son Albert M. Derry was born. Thomas died in New York in 1866 — never making it to Michigan, where his son Thomas Jr. would eventually settle and die in 1901. Thomas Sr.'s emigration from Staffordshire to New York is the pivotal journey that made the Derry family American. His death in 1866 in New York means he witnessed the Civil War years as a relatively new immigrant.
Timeline
- 1808Born1808 — Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
- 1808OccupationFarmer
- 1866Died1866 — New York, USA
Claims in the record
1808 — Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
1866 — New York, USA
Farmer
Daniel Derry (~1782, Gresley Row, Lichfield, Staffs)
Thomas Derry Jr. (b. 1832, Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire)
Albert M. Derry (b. New York — born after emigration)
Lichfield, Staffordshire → New York (year unknown)
Died New York 1866 — never reached Michigan where his family settled
Unknown — research needed
Research next
Thomas Derry Sr. is well-researchable across two countries. In England: (1) Lichfield baptism record ~1808 on FindMyPast or Ancestry (will confirm his parents = Daniel + wife). (2) 1841 England Census — Thomas age ~33, may still be in Staffordshire before emigrating. In America: (3) New York death record 1866 for Thomas Derry (New York City death records are indexed). (4) 1860 US Census for New York listing Thomas Derry, born England, ~age 52 — this is the highest-value American record. His New York death certificate may name his parents (Daniel Derry) and confirm Lichfield as birthplace.