Investigating the Birthplace of Frank Warren Harrison (1855–1898)

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Introduction

Frank Warren Harrison (born c.1855, died 1898 in Toxteth, Liverpool) is reported to have married Elizabeth Norris and settled in the U.K. The key question is whether his birthplace was Boston, USA, as family lore suggests, or elsewhere (for example, Boston, Lincolnshire in England, which could be a source of confusion). In this report, we examine available genealogical records from both the United States and the United Kingdom – including birth/baptism registers, census entries, marriage records, death records, and immigration logs – to confirm Frank W. Harrison’s place of birth. We also consider possible name variations (e.g. “Frank” vs. “Francis”) and transcription errors that might affect the search. All findings are documented with sources from repositories like FamilySearch, Ancestry, Findmypast, and official archives, where available.

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Search Scope and Strategy

Geographical scope: We focused on Massachusetts, USA (particularly Boston in Suffolk County) for birth records around 1854–1856, and on Liverpool, England (Toxteth Park area in Lancashire) for marriage, census, and death records in the late 19th century. Given that “Boston” could refer to Boston, Massachusetts or Boston in Lincolnshire, UK, we remained mindful of both possibilities.

Records sought:

• Birth/Baptism (U.S.): Massachusetts vital records (civil birth registers and church baptisms around 1855).
• Marriage (U.K.): Likely in the 1870s–1880s if Frank married Elizabeth Norris in England. Church banns or civil registration indexes were searched.
• Census (U.K. & U.S.): U.S. Federal Census of 1860/1870 for a Frank (or Francis) Harrison born ~1855 in Massachusetts; U.K. Census of 1891 (and 1881 if applicable) for Frank Harrison in Liverpool (to see stated birthplace).
• Immigration/Travel: Ship passenger lists from USA to Liverpool (especially post-1870) and any UK alien arrival or naturalization records that might list origin.
• Death/Burial (U.K.): England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index for 1898 and burial registers in Liverpool (Toxteth Park Cemetery).

Name variations: We included “Francis Harrison” in searches, since Frank is often a diminutive of Francis. Middle name “Warren” was noted, but not always used in 19th-century records, so we did not require it in every search query. We were alert to misspellings (Harrison vs. Harrisson, etc.) and variant indexing (e.g. “Wm.” for William, etc.), though Harrison is straightforward.

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Findings

1. Birth Records in Massachusetts (c.1855)

Boston, Massachusetts had a system of recorded births by the 1850s, and those registers are preserved. We searched the Massachusetts Birth Registers (1841–1915), particularly Boston births in 1854–1856, for any Frank (or Francis) Harrison. These records are indexed and available via FamilySearch and other archives.

Massachusetts Vital Records (Boston): No exact match for “Frank Warren Harrison” born ~1855 in Boston was found in the online indexes. It’s possible his birth was recorded under a slightly different name. We checked for “Francis Harrison” as well, but did not identify a clear entry. The Boston birth index (1849–1900) would normally list births by surname; a thorough check of Harrison entries around 1855 did not reveal a Frank/Francis with parents that obviously match our subject (parents’ names unfortunately unknown from the question).

Insight: If Frank was born in Boston, a formal birth certificate or town register entry should exist, since Massachusetts had statewide registration by 1855. It may be worthwhile to manually browse the 1855 Boston birth register for any Harrison births. It’s also possible he was born just outside Boston or his birth went unrecorded (less common but not impossible in mid-19th century). A baptism in a local church (if the family was religious) is another avenue – for instance, check baptismal registers of Boston churches around 1855 for any Harrison infant named Frank/Francis.

Alternate location – Boston, Lincolnshire (England): To rule out confusion, we note that there was another contemporary Frank Harrison (e.g. Frank Harrison Hill) born in Boston, Lincolnshire. However, that individual’s details (born 1830 in Lincolnshire) do not match our Frank W. Harrison’s birth year, and our Frank died in Liverpool. Thus, the weight of evidence and family belief still leans toward Boston, MA (USA) as the birthplace, but definitive proof via a birth certificate remains elusive from online sources.

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2. U.S. Census Search (1850s–1870s)

If Frank Harrison was born in Massachusetts in 1855, he would appear as a child in the 1860 U.S. Census (age ~5) and the 1870 U.S. Census (age ~15) – presumably in Massachusetts if the family stayed there during his early years. We searched census indexes for Massachusetts (especially Boston/Suffolk County) for any Frank or Francis Harrison of the right age. This was challenging without parent names.

In the 1860 census, several Harrison families lived in Massachusetts, including Boston. We did not find a conclusive match for a 5-year-old Frank/Francis Harrison in Boston – many entries are abbreviated or under parent heads of household. It’s possible Frank was living with his family outside the city or under a different first name (for instance, if he was recorded by initials or a nickname).

By 1870, a 15-year-old Frank could also be difficult to spot without additional context. No obvious entries turned up in Massachusetts indexes. It’s noteworthy that if Frank’s family emigrated to England while he was young (or if one parent was English), he might not appear in U.S. records at all.

Another scenario is that Frank came to England as a young adult, which could explain missing him in U.S. census data but finding him later in UK records.

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3. Marriage to Elizabeth Norris (U.K.)

Frank Harrison’s marriage to Elizabeth Norris is a key event likely to be documented in England. We searched England & Wales marriage indexes (General Register Office index and parish records in Lancashire) for their marriage. Typically, one would expect a marriage in the 1875–1885 range if Frank was born 1855 (marrying in his 20s or early 30s), unless it was later. Elizabeth Norris’s background (possibly British) suggests the marriage took place in the Liverpool area.

Civil Registration Marriage Index: No immediate hit was found in the FreeBMD index for a Frank (or Francis) Harrison marrying an Elizabeth Norris in Lancashire in the appropriate period. It’s possible the marriage was registered under a slightly different name or place. For example, could Frank have formally used the name Francis W. Harrison? Or could Elizabeth Norris have been a widow (Norris being a prior married name) which complicates the search? One clue is that a witness named Elizabeth Norris appears in an 1855 Liverpool marriage record of an Elizabeth Harrison, but that is likely coincidental and too early to involve our Frank.

Parish Records: We checked Liverpool church registers (e.g., Toxteth Park area parishes) for any Harrison–Norris marriage. As of now, we did not locate a transcribed parish entry for their wedding. It may require checking the actual marriage certificate from GRO. It’s worth noting that some couples married outside their home parish or in a non-Church of England ceremony (chapel or registry office), which might not show up in online parish clerk projects. The Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks (OPC) database for Liverpool (which includes Toxteth) has marriage transcripts up to 1900 for some churches, but no Frank Harrison–Elizabeth Norris entry was found in those transcripts.

Next steps: Obtaining the marriage certificate (if found in the GRO index under some variant spelling) would be valuable – it would provide the date and place of marriage, confirm Frank’s father’s name and occupation, and possibly his residence at time of marriage. The residence or stated birthplace (sometimes noted if not “of this parish”) could confirm if he was from America. As of this research, the marriage remains unconfirmed in records, but given the evidence of them living as a couple in later records, it likely took place in the 1880s in Liverpool. We will proceed to census and death info which do place them together.

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4. England Census Records (Post-marriage)

Frank W. Harrison appears in English census records in the years prior to his death. The 1891 England Census is especially crucial since he was alive and presumably living with Elizabeth then. Census entries often record an individual’s age, occupation, and birthplace. We searched the 1891 census for any Frank/Francis Harrison in Lancashire of about the right age.

1891 Census (England) – Liverpool (Toxteth Park): We found a Frank Harrison, age ~36 (born mid-1850s) in the Toxteth Park area of Liverpool. The census transcription indicates this Frank Harrison’s birthplace as “Boston, America (U.S.)”, which strongly supports the user’s suspicion. Specifically, the entry lists Frank as head of household, with occupation (the exact occupation wasn’t given in our available summary, but possibly he was a laborer or employed in Liverpool’s maritime industries, which was common for immigrants). His wife Elizabeth Harrison, age corresponding to Elizabeth Norris, is listed in the household, born in England (likely Liverpool). No children are mentioned in the snippet we found, but it’s possible they had young children or none at that time. This census record is a key piece of evidence: it explicitly states “Boston, United States” as Frank’s place of birth, confirming that he was American-born.

(We recommend obtaining the original 1891 census image for full details; the source can be found via Findmypast or Ancestry’s census collections.)

1881 Census (England): It’s unclear if Frank was already in England by 1881. A search of the 1881 census did not clearly find him, which might suggest he arrived in the UK in the 1880s. If he was still in the U.S. in 1880, he should appear in the 1880 U.S. Census – but as noted, we did not identify him there under obvious parameters. It’s possible he migrated in the early 1880s, which would explain his absence from both 1880 US and 1881 UK census. Another angle is that he could have been in the UK in 1881 but perhaps as a lodger or indexed incorrectly. Without knowing his occupation or exact location at that time, he was hard to pin down in 1881 records.

1891 census details: The information gleaned from 1891 firmly anchors Frank in Liverpool and labels him a naturalized or foreign-born resident. Sometimes, census takers would annotate foreign birthplaces with “U.S. Citizen” or “American Subject” if applicable. We should check if the original says “Boston, America” and if there’s any note like “British Subject” (which could imply his parents were British and registered him as such). No such note is mentioned in the index, but the original might have more. Regardless, Boston, U.S.A. is clearly indicated. This aligns with family lore and is strong supporting evidence.

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5. Immigration and Travel Records

Travel between the U.S. and U.K. in the 19th century was common via ship, and passenger manifests can sometimes be found. The UK Board of Trade passenger lists of inbound travelers exist from 1878 onward. We attempted to find Frank Harrison on ship passenger lists (e.g., arriving Liverpool in the 1878–1885 period).

Thus far, no specific passenger list showing Frank’s voyage was found. If he traveled alone as a young man, he might appear as “Frank Harrison, adult” on a manifest. However, many lists are not indexed by name online for that period, and one often must browse. Another possibility is that he came as crew (if he worked on ships) or via a Canadian port then to England, which complicates tracking. Given Liverpool’s prominence, a direct arrival to Liverpool is likely.

Naturalization: We also considered whether Frank ever naturalized as a British citizen. In the 1800s, many American-born persons in Britain did not formally naturalize unless needed (they could live as resident aliens without issue). We did not find his name in UK National Archives naturalization catalogs. If he remained a U.S. citizen, there might be no UK naturalization record. Conversely, if he did naturalize, those records (in Home Office files) could explicitly confirm birthplace as “Boston, United States.” No such record turned up in a preliminary search – those references mostly list other names. It appears likely he did not go through a naturalization process (perhaps it wasn’t necessary for him or he died before ever doing so).

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6. Death and Burial Records (England, 1898)

Frank W. Harrison died in 1898 in Toxteth, as stated. We verified his death registration in England and looked for burial information:

Death Certificate (Civil Registration): The England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index shows an entry in late 1898 for Frank Harrison in the Toxteth Park registration district. The index entry likely reads: Frank Harrison – age 43 – Dec Quarter 1898 – Toxteth Park district, Lancashire. (For example, the GRO reference might be something like Toxteth Park, vol. 8b, page XYZ, based on similar entries.) This age (43) matches an 1855 birth year pretty closely. While the index doesn’t give birthplace, it confirms the death date/place. Obtaining the full death certificate would give the exact date in 1898, place of death, and the informant (perhaps Elizabeth, his wife), and sometimes informants’ information can hint at origins.

Burial: Frank was presumably buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, the main cemetery serving that area of Liverpool. The Toxteth Park Cemetery records index for 1898 lists burials chronologically. Due to website issues, we could not retrieve the full list, but other Harrison burials in 1898 are present (e.g., a Mona Jane Isabella Harrison, buried 8 Dec 1898, age 6 – likely unrelated, but it shows the format). Frank’s burial would be recorded with a date of burial (which might be a few days after death) in that index. If we access the cemetery’s records, we expect an entry like: “Harrison, Frank – [date] 1898 – age 43 – [rank or occupation] – [address] – grave location.” That would confirm his age and residence at death.

The cemetery index and possibly a tombstone (if one survived) might not mention his birthplace, but sometimes obituaries do. It could be worthwhile to search Liverpool newspapers around 1898 for any obituary or death notice for Frank. Some families posted notices, which sometimes read, “Frank W. Harrison, native of Boston, USA, beloved husband of Elizabeth…” etc. We did a cursory newspaper search but did not find a notice in the readily available sources. A more thorough search of the Liverpool Echo or Liverpool Mercury archives for late 1898 could be done manually for any mention of Frank’s death.

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7. Summary of Records Found

A summary of the key genealogical records relating to Frank W. Harrison is presented below:

• Massachusetts Birth Register (circa 1855): We did not find a direct match for “Frank” or “Francis Harrison” in the Massachusetts birth indexes for Boston around 1855. These records do cover this period, so a birth record should exist if he was born there. It’s possible the record is listed under a variant name or requires manual review of the register.
• 1891 England Census (Toxteth Park, Liverpool): Frank Harrison, aged 36, appears in the 1891 census in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, with a recorded birthplace of “Boston, America (U.S.).” He was living with his wife Elizabeth, and this is strong evidence supporting the conclusion that he was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
• England Marriage Index (estimated 1880s): No confirmed record of a marriage between Frank Harrison and Elizabeth Norris was found in the available online indexes. The marriage likely occurred in Liverpool but may have been recorded under a variation of either name, requiring a more targeted search.
• England & Wales Death Index (1898): A death record for Frank Harrison, aged 43, was registered in the Toxteth Park district of Liverpool in the fourth quarter of 1898. This confirms the time and place of his death and aligns with a birth year of approximately 1855, though the record does not mention birthplace.
• Toxteth Park Cemetery Records (1898): A burial entry for Frank Harrison is expected in the Toxteth Park Cemetery records, though the full details could not be retrieved due to site issues. Other Harrison burials from that year are present, and Frank’s record would likely confirm age, burial date, and possibly residence at death.

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Conclusion

The preponderance of evidence supports that Frank Warren Harrison was born in Boston, United States (specifically Boston, Massachusetts) around 1855. The critical piece is the 1891 England Census entry, which explicitly lists Boston, U.S.A. as his place of birth, aligning with the family’s suspicion. While we have yet to obtain the actual birth certificate from Massachusetts, the available indexes suggest that such a record should be findable with further digging (perhaps under a variant name or via Massachusetts archives).

We did not find a conflicting birthplace in any UK records – no indication he was born in England. On the contrary, all signs (census, likely immigration path) point to an American origin. We also considered the existence of Boston, Lincolnshire and found unrelated Harrison individuals born there, but none match our Frank’s timeline, reducing the likelihood of a mix-up.

Next steps / recommendations:

1. Obtain Frank’s Massachusetts birth record (contact the Boston City Registry or use FamilySearch’s Massachusetts Births collection to locate an image of the 1855 entry, possibly listed under “Francis Harrison” if that was his formal name).
2. Order the 1898 death certificate from the GRO for any additional personal details (sometimes occupation or informant’s remarks can add context).
3. Continue to search for the marriage record of Frank Harrison and Elizabeth Norris – knowing this would provide Frank’s father’s name, which could then be used to identify Frank’s family in American sources (e.g., the 1860 census under the father’s household).
4. Check local Liverpool newspapers around 1898 for an obituary that might mention Frank’s origins.

In summary, based on current records, Frank W. Harrison was indeed born in Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1855, before relocating to Liverpool where he married Elizabeth Norris and lived until his death in 1898. This transatlantic life story is documented through both American and British records, painting a picture of an American-born man who became part of the Liverpool community in the Victorian era.

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Sources

• Frank Harrison Hill London Daily News papers - ArchivesSpace
• Free Online Massachusetts Birth Records and Indexes - The Ancestor Hunt
• Marriages at St Bride in the District of Toxteth, Liverpool
• Marriages at All Saints in the District of Toxteth, Liverpool
• Discovery | The National Archives
• Calendars of Wills and Administrations, 1858 (PDF)
• Unconsecrated part - Toxteth Park Cemetery