The Broadhurst Family: mother Elizabeth, daughter Amy, son Ernest, father Peter Ernest, son Robert Thomas in front

(updated post to include family photo and correct Robert T’s age)

Peter Ernest BROADHURST was born on 19 Feb 1889 in Little Town Wardle, Rochdale, Lancashire. He was the 7^th child of Richard BROADHURST and Sarah Ann JONES. 19 year old Peter married 18 year old Elizabeth ASPIN on 12 Dec 1908 in St. Barnabas church, Blackburn, England. Elizabeth ASPIN was born in 1890 and was the daughter of John ASPIN. Peter Ernest and Elizabeth had 3 children:

1. Amy (b 06 May 1909, may have died Jan 1983, married Matthew SALKIND)
2. Ernest (b 29 Jan 1911, Blackburn, Lancashire, died 03 July 1960)
3. Robert T (b 21 Sept 1926, Providence, RI, d 09 Feb 1936)

1891 England Census. Peter’s family lived at 2 Spadescroft (sp?) in the civil parish of Crompton, Lancashire. His father, Richard BROADHURST, was a farm laborer and siblings Fanny (14) and Annie (12) were cotton mill workers.

1901 England Census. Peter (11) lived at home now in Heywood, Lancashire at 1 Peel Street. His father, Richard BROADHURST, was a farm laborer and three of his older siblings, Annie (22), John Richard (18) and Gertrude (16) were cotton mill workers.

1911 England Census. Peter now lived 12 miles away, with his wife Elizabeth in a four room residence at 30 Newton St, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire and their children, Amy and Ernest. Peter Ernest is now a “bander in ring spinning” at a cotton mill and Elizabeth is a “ring spinner.” Also living in the household at the time of the census was Peter Ernest’s younger sister, Nellie (spelled “Nillie” by Peter on the household census) she too worked in the cotton mill as a ring spinner and a visitor, William HOWORTH, a “mule spinner” at the mill. The following year Nellie and William HOWORTH wed.

To America – 1912. Peter Ernest heads to the US without his family aboard the S.S. Arabic departing Liverpool on 23 April 1912 and arriving into Boston on 03 May 1912. His stated destination is 18 Second Street, Lowell, MA, the home of his brother John Richard BROADHURST which was also the home of his sister, Fanny Crossley. His occupation is listed as “jobber” and “ring spinner.” On the passenger list for those leaving the UK, his occupation is listed as “miner.”

Peter’s family joins him in America 4 months later. Elizabeth (listed as a ring spinner), daughter Amy and son Ernest take the S.S. Cymric from Liverpool on 27 August, 1912 and disembark in Boston on September 5^th. Elizabeth lists her nearest living relative in England as Nellie Bottomley, 95 Caddington St, Blackburn. Passage for the trio was paid by Peter Ernest. Their destination is 18 Second St., Lowell, MA.

It’s unknown at this time how long any of the family they stayed in America before returning to England; only to return again to America.

Back to America – 1914. Once again the wife and two children without Peter Ernest take the S.S. Cymric from Liverpool. They leave on 19 May, 1914 arriving into Boston on May 28^th. Again the passage is paid for by Peter Ernest and Mrs. Bottomley is noted as nearest living relative to Elizabeth. This voyage Elizabeth is a housewife. Their destination is listed as her husband, Peter, at 6 Hampshire Place, Lowell, MA.

Back to America – 1915. Peter Ernest BROADHURST returns again to America in 1915 on the S.S. Bohemian, this time with his older brother, John Richard BROADHURST. The pair leaves Liverpool on New Year’s Eve, 31 December, 1914 and arrive Boston 14 January, 1915. No next of kin is listed for either brother but their destination is Lowell, MA. John Richard to 6 Hampshire Place and Peter Ernest to 4 Hampshire Place.

Lowell City Directory – 1915. Peter BROADHURST is listed as a “helper” and his address is “25 W Third” and his home address is 4 Hampshire Place.

Lowell City Directory – 1916. Peter BROADHURST is listed as a “helper” and his address is 4 Hampshire Place.

Motorcycle Accident – 1916. Peter was in a serious motorcycle accident in Lowell on May 30^th. He broke his jaw and left thigh bone after being thrown off his motorcycle into a stone wall. He lived at 4 Hampshire Place at the time of the accident next to his brother John Richard BROADHURST and his family.

Lowell City Directory – 1917. Peter BROADHURST is listed: “rem to New York city.”

World War I. By June of 1918 the family had moved to 537 Main Street, New York Mills, New York. Peter Ernest is a Blacksmith’s helper and on June 15^th becomes enters the “Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force” in Canadian Engineers service. He signs up in Utica, New York and by 22 November 1918 is recommended for a medically unfit discharge which was ordered on 15 January, 1919. His condition included, “weakness left knee, difficulty in mastication, one inch shorter left leg, walks with a decided limp” much of which was the result of his 1916 motorcycle accident.

1920 US Census. Still renting at 537 Main Street, the town name is now indicated as New Hartford rather than New York Mills. Peter Ernest was back in the cotton mill as perhaps a machinist (census is not legible) and Elizabeth is a “cutter” in a cotton mill. Amy is now 10 years old and Ernest is 8.

A career with the power company. In about 1926 Peter Ernest began a 25 year career with the Utica power company that ended with his death in 1951 when he was a superintendent at the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation’s coke plant.

1930 US Census. The family has now moved to 1411 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY. They rented the residence for $30 a month. Peter Ernest was now a “producer man” for the gas and electric company. Elizabeth was a “cutter” at a velvet mill, Amy was a “spinner” and Ernest was a “band-boy” in a cotton mill. New to the household was Elizabeth’s last son, Robert T. BROADHURST, born in 1925, fourteen years after Ernest.

A tragic death. 09 February 1936. A Sunday family trip aboard the “Snow Train” from Utica to Old Forge, in the Adirondacks ended with the death of nine year old Robert T. BROADHURST. Riding a toboggan tied to the back of a vehicle Robert T. died three hours after being thrown off and into another vehicle. Five children were on the toboggan at the time of the accident including Eva BROADHURST, his cousin and the daughter of John Richard BROADHURST. Robert T. suffered a fractured skull and was taken back on the Snow Train to a Utica hospital (Faxton sp?) after seeing a doctor in Old Forge. No one else suffered any injuries. The driver of the car pulling the toboggan testified he was unaware of the sled being attached to his vehicle. The investigating coroner found no negligence in the case. The family lived on Hope Street, Utica at the time of the tragedy.

The death of Peter Ernest. On 24 January 1951 Peter Ernest was found dead at home, 63 Main Street, Whitesboro, as a result of gas poisoning. Three burners on the gas stove were on but not lighted. The coroner ruled the death accidental, in part as the burners were being used as heat as the coal stove was out at the time of the accident. Elizabeth was not here at the time of the death. There was much tension between the two and some family suggests Peter Ernest’s death was a suicide.

The death of Elizabeth. Elizabeth died 02 August 1959 in Kingston, the home of her daughter Amy SALKIND nee BROADHURST, after a “long illness.” She is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Kingston, NY. There is no mention of Peter Ernest in her obituary.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

And far less of this …

It sounds like a fun time was had by all at the bon voyage party. Elizabeth Aspin Broadhurst, 41 and her 4 year-old son Robert T. set sail from New York on 23 April 1931. Mother and son are shown on the ship manifest (click to enlarge)  upon their arrival into Liverpool 12 days later on 05 May 1931 …

Their return trip was aboard the S.S. Britannic departing from Liverpool on 18 July and getting into the Port of New York 8 days later on 26 July 1931.

A little more than four years later Robert T would die in a toboggan accident.