Agnes May Rolfe - an update

 Thanks to Judy Scott, a relative on my Stokoe branch of the family tree, Agnes has finally been tracked down in New Jersey, USA.

More to follow...

Agnes May Rolfe

Agnes May, born 1877 in Wickham, Berkshire to Henry and Sarah Rolfe. By the age of 13 she was working as a kitchen maid whilst living at home but by 1901 had moved to work as a cook for a bank manager in Lavender Hill, London.

In 1904 Agnes set sail for a new life in the United States, she arrived in New York on 13 November aboard the SS New York, a 560 foot long Scottish built passenger steamer which plied her trade between Southampton and New York.

SS New York

The ship's passenger manifest shows Agnes had $50, described her occupation as servant and gave her final destination as New York. She declared that she was going to join an aunt, Mrs Fiske, 393 West End Avenue, New York. Was Mrs Fiske really her aunt? Or was it common practice for those emigrating to give the name and address of some friendly soul who was willing to act as a point of contact? I noted that the young woman before Agnes on the passenger list had named a Mrs Agnew at the same address as Mrs Fiske as her contact. Were these women in fact their prospective employers?

What became of Agnes? There is one family photograph which may be Agnes with her daughter - but who knows?

Is this Agnes and her daughter?

The Family

As I'm more interested, at the moment, with finding out what happened to my grandfather's brothers and sisters than with going back further and further in time I'll start with a run-down of the family.


Henry Rolfe was born in Shalbourne, Berkshire and married Sarah Bailey on 22 January 1876 in the church of St Lawrence, Hungerford.
They had at least eight children:

1. Alfred b. 1876
2. Agnes May b. 1877
3. *Edith Florence (Flossie) b. 6 Jan 1880
4. *Henry Stephen (Harry) b. 1881
5. *William James b. 12 June 1885
6. Julia b. 1888
7. Philip Lewis (Phil) b. 1891
8. Mabel Alice b. 1899

*Those with an asterisk next to their name I know have descendants alive today. 

Sarah Rolfe, nee Bailey, mother of Alfred, Agnes, Flossie, Harry, William, Julia, Phil and Mabel.

The Rolfe family on the 1891 census are living in four rooms in a house in Wickham village in Berkshire:

Henry Rolfe	Head	35	Sawyer of Timber	Berks Wickham
Sarah	Wife	34		Hungerford
Alfred	Son	14	Sawyer of Timber	Hungerford
Agnes	Dau	13	Kitchen Maid	Wickham
Florence	Dau	11	Scholar	Wickham
Henry	Son	9	Scholar	Wickham
William	Son	5	Scholar	Wickham
Julia	Dau	2	Scholar (stet)	Wickham
Philip	Son	4mo		Wickham

Only Mabel who wasn't born until 1899 is missing from the 1891 census.

I think by 1911 the family had moved to Farnborough in Hampshire but won't know for certain until I can look at the census details.

Now it just remains to be seen if I can find out what happened to them all, where they lived, what they did, if they had any children and are there any unknown relatives somewhere waiting to be discovered? 
At the moment I'm working on the theory that after Henry's death Sarah married a Thomas Shersby in 1926. I know she married again (but I haven't been given a name) and died after a fall down the stairs at her son Alf's home in 1939 in Southsea, Portsmouth.