My great grandfather was a Very Bad Man. According to what records I can find, he was born in France in 1846, arrived in this country in 1857, got married in 1875, and apparently left his family for parts unknown after at least 25 years of marriage. According to family legend of his arrival in the US, he had boarded a ship to the US from France, but jumped off the ship so as to not have to enter through customs!

I have his name and census information...insofar as he told it. He is listed as a real estate agent in the 1900 census.

I don't know in what town he was born in France-- for all I know France ISN'T where he came from. I do not know when he died or where. He is a dead end.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I might do to get more info on this sad little character?

Tell us what census research you have done with this individual?

What is his name? Location in US where he lived?

Hello, thanks for seeing this. My source is the 1900 census:

Name:Edmund Bote- (with a t, not an l; the worker's handwriting was dodgy)

He lived in Mt. Vernon, Ward 2, District 83.

Wife: Emma Bote, nee Haight; children Grace and Eleanor (my grandmother)

I'm thinking that a problem here is that Edmund could have said anything he wanted to to the census worker. Jumping off a ship to escape immigration officials seems beyond the abilities of a 10-11 year old. There is no record of where he might have actually arrived-- it could have been Philly and not NY, for all I know. Bote might be a French name, but it could be a German one as well. Another family legend is that he was an opera singer,but I have no documentation. Apparently he was an avid gambler on horses too. He was a real scoundrel and I would not put lying past him.