→ Joseph Blincoe (Abt 1839 Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire?) → Castle Garden, New York. Arrived: 1880.
Synopsis
Joseph Blinco was a young rural villager from Northamptonshire when he made his way to find work in the industrial heart of Great Britain, the “Black Country”. This area in the West Midlands was rich in coal and iron ore was booming when Joseph and many of his fellow neighbours walked this route to employment.
We don’t have records for Joseph prior to the 1871 Marriage and Census, so exact birth date location can only be inferered by the later records suggest 1838 Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
What we do know is that he eventually emigrated to Pennsylvania about 1880 and was a coal miner when he got there. We have good detail for his wife Mary Nutting and children. We know that Joseph was a careful, prudent good husband who as a young man took on someone else children and looked after them like his own. The close relationship with one of the step children lasted his entire life. We know he took on a monumental task (in those times) of moving across the world and having the determination to find a way for his family to join him through hard work and disciplined saving.
Northamptonshire to Staffordshire.
Born in the rural village of Kingsthorpe in Northamptonshire, Joseph probably moved about 1858-60 to the Black Country it seems he ended up in West Bromwich, Tipton area and got work labouring in a Forge of an Ironworks. He met a married woman Mary Ann Breeze (nee Nutting) who was 3 years older and had two children by William Breeze. Its not clear why In 1871 Joseph and Mary ann were free to marry, its likely William Breeze had died.
Joseph and Mary Ann with her two children from the previous marriage appear in the 1871 Census. The family live at Harvills Hawthorn, West Bromwich, which is on the boundary with Tipton. Joseph’ s occupation is Forge Labourer, very much in keeping with the industrial neighbourhood they lived in.
The Decision to Emigrate
During this period, Joseph and Mary Ann would have become increasingly aware of the opportunities emerging in the Pennsylvania coalfields. Recruitment was vigorous from the 1870s onwards, driven by four main forces pulling miners and labourers toward America:
- Trade Unions
- Pennsylvania-based coal mining companies
- Letters home from earlier emigrants
- Shipping and rail companies
Perhaps surprisingly, it was the local trade unions themselves who helped open the door. Harold Taylor’s study The Miners of South Staffordshire (1968) examines mid-Victorian labour movements in the Tipton and Dudley area, noting that the South Staffordshire Miners’ Association — formally established in 1863 — maintained a dedicated Emigration Fund. During the slump of 1868–1870, the union took the pragmatic view that it was cheaper to pay a man’s passage to Pennsylvania than to support him indefinitely from the strike fund.
Closer to home, Joseph and Mary Ann would have encountered recruiting agents in the most familiar of settings — the local pub. Representatives of Pennsylvania coal companies such as the Westmoreland Coal Company and the Lehigh Valley Coal Co. regularly toured the industrial Midlands, promising wages double or triple what a Tipton miner could earn, cheaper food, and free housing. Their pamphlets painted an attractive picture, conveniently omitting the realities of company store debt and the volatility of American labour disputes.
Most persuasive of all, however, would have been the letters from Tipton men who had already made the journey. Trusted voices carried far more weight than any agent’s pitch, and tales of good wages and meat on the table every day spread rapidly through the community. Human nature being what it is, the letters that told of hardship, violent working conditions, or crippling mine accidents were far less likely to be passed around or believed.
Finally, the practicalities of travel had become far more manageable. By 1870, “Through Tickets” allowed a miner to purchase a single fare at Tipton station covering the train to Liverpool, the steamship to New York or Philadelphia, and the onward train directly into the Pennsylvania coalfields. A steerage passage cost roughly £3 to £5 — a sum a skilled Tipton miner in good times could realistically save within a few months.
Yet despite all of this, Joseph and Mary Ann would have remained hesitant. Leaving everything behind was not a decision taken lightly. Two more children — Susannah in 1872 and Joseph in 1874 — added both urgency and anxiety to the question. More mouths to feed sharpened the dilemma: stay and struggle, or gamble on a new life across the Atlantic?
In the end, it appears they resolved on a careful, staged plan. By 1880, Joseph had saved enough to travel to Pennsylvania alone, find work, and put money aside until he could afford to bring Mary Ann and the children over to join him. It was a bold but practical decision — and they carried it through.
The Voyage
There is no shipping record found for Joseph Blinco in the year 1880, when he is said to have emigrated to Pennsylvania. Its seems likely given their situation in Tipton that Joseph took a a job with a specific company and his fare and job guaranteed for some sort of contractual period.
Pennsylvannia
Arriving in 1880 we can’t be certain where Joseph first began work. Joseph’s arrival date results it seems, that he isn’t recorded in the U.S. 1880 census and to compound this, the U.S. 1890 census is only partial and incomplete, so we must make some assumptions given this 200 year gap in their lives
We do find them in the U.S. 1900 census, they are living in Young Township near the borough of Punxsutawney. The census tells us that Joseph, owns his own home so he had done very well. The main assumption, I make, is that in the preceding 20 years he was working at a mine or mines close to this and indeed a large coalfield surrounded Punxsutawney. I outline my assumptions below for this 20 year period.
When he arrived in Pennsylvania and started working he may very likely been on a sponsored ticket. If Joseph did take a contract that paid his way to Pennsylvania it was almost certainly on the basis that debt had to paid of first before wages could be earned. On top of this the Coal Mine Companies would have provided pick axe, shovel, lamp etc also on credit, in addition accomodation and food would have been provided on a line of credit. So that certainly for a while, no matter how prudent Joseph was, he was in debt, to his new employer. His initial experience would have been very tough, Coal Mine camps were basic accomodation and even the housing for families was basic shelter.
Everything miners required had to bought at the company store and it was common for payment to be in script until debts were cleared
Saving for the family to join him
Before looking at how Joseph managed to save the fare for Mary Ann and children to join him, its necessary to review the actual conditions for men like Joseph who came out most likely on some sort of credit for future work to be done. It would have required a great deal of discipline on his own, not drinking heavily with mates or spending his new better pay packet, but to just knuckle down and work for the day he could be re-united.
Joseph’s plan was to be careful and save. The numbers make the plan viable. Miners working on contract in Pennsylvania in the 1880s earned $2.50 to $3.50 per day. Back in Tipton, an equivalent miner was earning around 25 shillings a week — roughly $6–7 at the time. A Pennsylvania miner working 6 days a week could earn $15–21 a week — two to three times the Tipton rate.
Joseph did achieve this difficult goal, and after about 18 months, he had the money to pay for his family fare.
Sending money or tickets to his family, might seem like a difficult exercise for a relatively un-educated man but the steamship companies and or the employer were there to make it relatively easy.
If Joseph decided to use the Steamship company they had a “prepaid ticket system”
The “Prepaid Ticket” System
The miner would go to a Steamship Agent in a nearby hub like Greensburg or even a dedicated agent in a larger “patch” town. These agents acted as middlemen for lines like Cunard, Inman, or the Pennsylvania Railroad’s own shipping interests.
- The Transaction: He would pay for the tickets in U.S. Dollars (roughly $30–$40 per adult for steerage).
- The “Advice Note”: Instead of a physical ticket, the miner was given a receipt called an Advice Note.
- The Transmission: The steamship company’s office in Philadelphia or New York would then send a notification to their office in Liverpool. That office would then mail the physical ticket directly to the family’s home in Tipton.
Alternatively Joseph could have gone the even easier route of getting further into debt with his employer.The larger companies like the Westmoreland Coal Company occasionally facilitated this process to ensure a stable, family-oriented workforce.
Payroll Deduction: While less common than the private agent route, some companies allowed a skilled miner to “sign on” for a debt. The company would pay for the family’s passage upfront and deduct the cost from the miner’s future wages—effectively a “revolving door” of labor that kept the miner tied to that specific mine until the debt was paid.
Given the seemingly prudent nature of Joseph,I think he probably paid himself from his savings for the all inclusive tickets for Mary Ann and the children
The Reunion Voyage
Mary Ann and three children arrived on the 7 Mar 1882 on the ship Rotterdam at Castle Garden. She had only one child John from her previous marriage and her two children Susannah Blincoe age 10 and Joseph Blincoe age 7. John was 19 called Blinco on the passenger list and said to be a tailor. In any event he was a Mine worker all his life, so this may not have been his true occupation.
Son John Breeze must have immediately got a job in one of the mines and by 1890 he is a driver in a coalmine .
Sussanah and Joseph would have attended school in whichever mine there father was working, the mine owners jointly funding schools in each mining centre. However by 1890, they would both have definitely been at work, Joseph was a coal miner we know from later records, Sussanah maybe was a domestic servant or some such thing.
On 5 April 1890 John Breeze age 28yrs married, to a Susan Baird age only 20 but had been married before to a bigamist. Notable is that at the ceremony Joseph and Mary Ann title themselves Breeze , I suppose to make it less confusing for the marriage register. It would be long before John was a father himself and the records show Joseph and Mary Ann very close to his family.
The 1900 Census is the first time we really get to see where Joseph and Mary Ann are living they are by this year on their own in Young Town near to Punxsutawney shown on this map of coal fields in Pennsylvania. Joseph at age 70yrs is still a Cola Miner, they own their own house. puzzlingly they state 8 children of the marriage and four alive. If we take the three emigrant children John Breeze, Susannah and Joseph plus Mary Breeze who lived with the in England that is the 4 alive. So 4 children born and died either in the Blincoe marriage or Breeze marriages of Mary Ann.
Joseph age 27 married a year later in Westmoreland County to Cynthia Brant age 16yrs . Joseph was working as a Coalminer probably at Greensburg but living at Loyalhanna. His parents didn’t attend the wedding and this married did not last too long.
Mine Accident
Joseph was involved in a mine accident reported on 5 February 1906 at Greensburg No 2 Mine. He subsequently lost his right arm from the elbow down and it seems after this was taken in by his parents and nursed . He stayed with his is family almost all the rest of his life. He however was a driver in the Pit so kept employed. The U.S.Mining accident database (Ancestry) says he fell from cars. This changed Joseph’s life he went to live with his older step brother John Breeze and lived with the family for at least 24 years from then on.
Family support
Joseph and Mary Ann as they aged moved in at first with daughter Susannah and are recorded with her family in 1910, Joseph died in about 1915, we don’t have the exact details and later Mary Ann is with her son John Breeze . In 1920 she and son Joseph (a Miner) were living together in Greensburg, Pa.
This is above all, is a story of family sticking together helping each other out, they may have never reached the wealth promised of the America, but it was good family life well lived.
Mary Ann died in 1928.
Timeline
| Event | Date/Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Ann Nutting | ||
| Birth Date | 1835, Tipton | |
| Joseph Blinco | ||
| Birth Date | 1838 | Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire |
| Birth Place | Tipton, Staffordshire | |
| Census UK 1851 (30 Mar) | 30 Mar 1851, 158 Shrubbery Road, Tipton, Staffordshire | John Nutting 58 Head Mary Nutting 48 Wife Elizabeth Nutting 18 Daughter Mary A Nutting 16 Daughter Thomas Davis 22 Lodger John Roper 22 Lodger |
| Marriage | Jul 1859,West Bromwich, Staffordshire | To William Breeze |
| Birth of Son John Breeze | Jun 1858, West Bromwich, Staffordshire | |
| Birth of Daughter Mary Ann | Jun 1860, West Bromwich, Staffordshire | |
| Marriage | 5 Mar 1871, Tipton,St Martin, Staffordshire | Mary Ann Breeze to Joseph Blinco |
| Census UK 1871 (2 Apr) | 2 Apr 1871, Hawthorn Road or Hawthorn Street), West Bromwich, Staffordshire | Household Members (Name) Age Relationship Joseph Blincoe 32 Head Forge Labourer b. Kingsthorpe , Northamptonshire Mary A Blincoe 36 Wife West Bromwich Mary A Breech (Breeze) 11 Daughter-in-law John Breech (Breeze) 8 Son-in-law |
| Birth of Daughter Sussanah Blinco | Mar 1872, West Bromwich, Staffordshire | |
| Birth of Son Joseph Blinco | 19 Oct 1874, West Bromwich, Staffordshire | |
| Emigrated | 1880 ship unknown | Joseph Blinco to Pennsylvania |
| Emigrated | 7 Mar 1882, Castle Garden, New York | On the ship Rotterdam Castle Gardens,NY. Date 7 Mar 1882. On board Mary Blincoe age 42 John Blincoe age 19 a tailor Susannah Blincoe age 10 and Joseph Blincoe age 7 |
| Son Marries | 5 April 1890, Westmoreland County Pa | John Breeze to Susan Baird |
| Census US 1900 (15 apr) | 1900, Jefferson Young Township, Pennsylvania | Joseph 70 born Aug 1830 England coal miner Mary A 67 born Dec 1833 England married 30 years they had 8 children 4 still alive emigrated 1880 lived in USA 20 years owns house free of mortgage living Pennsylvania Jefferson Young Township dated 5.6.1900 |
| Son Marries | 21 Nov 1901, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania | Joseph Blinco 28 to Cynthia brant age 16 |
| Mine Accident | 5 February 1906, Greensburg No 2 Mine | Son Joseph fell from cars lost his arm amputated |
| Census US 1910 (15 Apr) | 15 Apr 1910, Stanley Mining Town, Clearfield, Pennsylvania | Patrick Shea Jr 41 Head Susannah Shea 38 Wife Mary Shea 15 Daughter James P Shea 13 Son Joseph Shea 8 Son Loannie Shea 6 Daughter Agnes Shea 1 Daughter Joseph Bluico 71 Father-in-law abt 1839 Mary Ann Bluico 74 Mother-in-law abt 1836 |
| Residence | 1920, 17 Keystone Row, Haydenville, Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Mary Ann Blinco Widower (Joseph) Joseph Blinco Miner Greensburg, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1920 |
| Death of Joseph Blinco | Abt 1915, Westmoreland County, Pa | Age 77 |
| Census US 1920 (1 Jan) | 1 Jan 1920, Hempfield, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania | John Breeze 60 Head Susan Breeze 50 Wife Samuel H Breeze 22 Son Mary A Stravers 19 Daughter Joseph B Stravers 12 Son John Stravers 23 Son-in-law Joseph Blinco 45 Brother Cynthia Baird 89 Mother-in-law Mary Blinco 85 Mother |
| Death Mary Ann Blinco | 1928, Pennsylvania |
Descendants
Sources
- Daphne Austins Blencowes Database
- Family search
- Ancestry
- The Miners of South Staffordshire by Harold Taylor.
- Invisible Immigrants: The Adaptation of English and Scottish Immigrants in Nineteenth-Century America by Charlotte Erickson.
- The Uprooted by Oscar Handlin and Atlantic Migration, 1607-1914 by Marcus Lee Hansen.
- https://usa.ipums.org Statistics Pennsylvania
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