Violet BROADHURST was born in 03 Feb 1893 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. She was the youngest daughter and ninth child of Richard BROADHURST and Sarah Ann JONES. On 22 November 1917 she married James E. HUGHES in Lowell, MA. Sometime later she married William DAVIS. Violet is associated with one child in some records but it is unclear if she was the birth-mother:

1. Evelyn (b 1918 Massachusetts)

1901 England Census. Seven year old Violet lived in Heywood, Lancashire at the Peel Street family home.

To America – 1907. The S.S. Adriatic manifest indicates that Violet had been to America before, in 1907. The is an arrival record into Canada in February 1907 that lists a married Frank CROSSLEY and Violet CROSSLEY, perhaps was really Violet Broadhurst as other records show this family to be close and to travel together. The ship was the Empress of Ireland which arrived into New Brunswick, Canada on 16 February 1907 in from Liverpool. John J WOODWARD is also aboard; he is the husband of Sarah BROADHURST. I don’t find her listing on board.

To America – 1911. With her 35 year old sister, Frances M CROSSLEY nee Broadhurst and her nine year old daughter Elizabeth, 17 year old Violet head to America on the S.S. Adriatic. They leave from Liverpool on 26 August 1911 and arrive in New York on September 3^rd. They are headed to the Crossley house at 18 Second St in Lowell, MA. Next of kin in England is listed as her brother John Broadhurst at 17 (unintelligible) Street, Newton Heath. Violet’s occupation, at 17, is listed as “cutter.” Violet’s passage was paid by her brother-in-law, Frank CROSSLEY.

Lowell City Directory – 1917. Violet BROADHURST is listed: “operative bds 26 Read”

Evelyn – 1918. A daughter, Evelyn was born in 1918.  At this time, I cannot find any record of James and Violet being together beyond their marriage announcement in 1917. However, I have located a 1920 US Census record of a William T. Davis living with his sister and his 30-month old daughter, Evelyn. No spouse is recorded.

1930 US Census. By now, Violet (36) is Mrs. William DAVIS (he is 42) living in Whitestown, Oneida County, NY. They rented their place at 462 Main Street for $26 a month. Along with 12 year old daughter Evelyn Davis, Violet’s younger brother and his family live with them. William BROADHURST (32), his wife Emily BROADHURST (30) and their son Lawrence BROADHURST (6) share the household. Both Williams work at the gas and electric company, Davis as a machinist and Broadhurst as a laborer.  Violet is a “finisher” in a cotton mill. It appears that William DAVIS had been married before as it’s reported that he was 25 years old at his first marriage. Violet is reported at 24 at her first marriage.

The death of Violet and William. After a long illness, Violet died at the age of 88 in the Rome Hospital, NY, on Wednesday, 20 October, 1982. Surviving her was her daughter Evelyn, now Mrs. Evelyn FARR of Kissimmee, FL. Previously, she lived at 12 Curran Road, Whitesboro, NY. She is buried in Oriskany Cemetery. She was predeceased by her husband William Davis.

“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.

These family men all worked at the  predecessor companies that became Niagara Mohawk Power ….

Percy BROADHURST

1930 US Census. Six years later the family rented 328 North Genesee St, Utica, NY for $25 a month. Percy was a “Supervisor Heat” for the Utica Gas and Electric Company. He worked for Niagara Mohawk Power Company for 36 years and was a superintendent at the time he left the company.

Peter Ernest BROADHURST

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.

William Arthur BROADHURST

1930 US Census. At the time of the census, 15 April, William Arthur (32), his wife Emily (30) and their son Lawrence BROADHURST (6) lived with William’s older sister’s family;  William and Violet (his sister) and their daughter Evelyn DAVIS at 462 Main Street, Whitestown, NY. William Broadhurst at this time is listed as a laborer at the gas and electric company. Eventually, William retired as a supervisor for the Niagara – Mohawk Power Company.

William DAVIS

1930 US Census. By now, Violet (36) is Mrs. William DAVIS (he is 42) living in Whitestown, Oneida County, NY. They rented their place at 462 Main Street for $26 a month. Along with 12 year old daughter Evelyn Davis, Violet’s younger brother and his family live with them. William BROADHURST (32), his wife Emily BROADHURST (30) and their son Lawrence BROADHURST (6) share the household. Both Williams work at the gas and electric company, Davis as a machinist and Broadhurst as a laborer. Violet is a “finisher” in a cotton mill. It appears that William DAVIS had been married before as it’s reported that he was 25 years old at his first marriage. Violet is reported at 24 at her first marriage.

William Thomas HOWARTH

On to New York Mills – 1923. The family moved to New York Mills, NY in 1923 and William Thomas began a 28 year career in the gas department of the predecessors of the Niagara – Mohawk Power Company. 1930 US Census. 431 Aiken Street in Utica was home to Nellie (39), William (40) and May HOWORTH (16). The home was rented for $25 a month. Nellie was a cleaner in a cotton mill and William worked for the gas and electric company.

A capsule company description from Yahoo Finance …

Niagara Mohawk Power (which does business as National Grid) distributes electricity to approximately 1.5 million customers and natural gas to 571,000 customers in upstate New York. The company owns and operates 53,000 pole miles of power transmission and distribution lines; wholesale activities on its transmission grid are managed by the New York ISO. Niagara Mohawk Power is a provider of last resort for customers who do not choose an alternative supplier in New York’s deregulated power market. The utility’s gas distribution system consists of 8,100 miles of lines and mains. Niagara Mohawk Power is a subsidiary of National Grid USA, a unit of UK-based National Grid.