Hi,
There are a set of books that show the arrival of various ships and
boats into the ports of America -- each are indexed by EACH book (the
ships they had indexed then) so you have to go through them all -- if
there is a total compilation of these indexes I have not found it yet,
but you may find it in the Washington DC library since they probably
would have it while a little library like Dayton, OH wouldn't).
Anyway, look for the surname and variations of this in the timeframe
when he supposedly came into America and the ports he probably came
into (like Philadelphia, NY, Norfolk VA, etc but remember the ones up
in Canada too since he could have traveled by small boats via rivers
and/or foot and wagon/horseback, etc).  But if they said by your
legends handed down by family that he came in at Norfolk, then start
there, but considering he was said to have been "born in Maine" I would
concentrate more up that direction since he probably lived there at
some time or other, especially since Nova Scoatia is closer to Maine
than Norfolk.

As for the records -- REMEMBER that the census is usually not 100%
correct since they started early and sometimes ended late and would
take word of mouth from children, spouses, neighbors and anyone who
thought they knew the answer if the person wasn't available to answer.
The civil war record was usually filled out by the individual filling
it out -- so usually more accurate.

Obits and grave stones are also usually not always not always correct.
Good example of this is that my first husband thought I was born in
Buffalo New York (told persons this including census form) -- next
census my second husband said I was born in San Antonio, Texas -- BOTH
were wrong since I was born in Battle Creek, Mich!!! Same with obits
and cemetery stones -- my sister was telling info for my mother and
half of what she was giving was WRONG!!! She hadn't paid attention when
mama and daddy had talked and so dates, places, maiden names, etc. were
all wrong.  I had to correct her and we got into fight right there in
the office -- but she finally realized since I had done the research
and family tree that I was correct and so it was ONLY because I had the
records that the obit and cemetery stone had the correct info --
otherwise they both would have been wrong.

So -- just "listening" to your info I would go with the Nova Scotia
data since he had this on the Civil War records (have you requested a
copy of his entire records -- especially if he drew a pension since
they sometimes have his statements, marriage and birth records,
statements of family and friends, etc. in them???) and then go from
there.

Now the court systems were different than they are now -- and if he
wanted to be Naturalized, THIS is the way I would go if I personally
were hunting for his birth place since most persons were VERY PROUD of
their heritage back then -- they may not have completed the
naturalization, but they usually at least filed the first papers to get
it started.  Various counties did this different back then, but most
had a travelling judge who would come to the courthouse specific dates
of the week/month and they would get these naturalization papers filed
(usually 2 sets, but I have found sometimes more -- especially if they
moved from one locality to another -- one is saying they want to be
naturalized (the intent) and the other is the final naturalization
one.  On these it usually says when they entered the USA and HOW, what
port, the date, etc. and where they were born, etc.

Since you are in Washington DC and have access to the Naturalization
records -- try checking for these -- I believe you will have more
success with them (and faster) than with the immigration ones (unless
you are actually talking about the naturalization records when you
mentioned immigration -- but usually when I hear word immigration I
think of the ports of immigration records, so I may have misunderstood
your email).

Just curious -- you mentioned one census -- do ALL the census records
say MAINE???

Hope something helps - Good luck,
Judy Sandage Murphy
http://www.imagine2020.com/770391902
earn money online
Save up to 35% on health items like coral calcium?
> Are there such things as immigration records from the late 1830s?  I
ask as I
> only have obit info on my paternal great-great-grandfather, John
James Young
> of Norfolk, VA (city).  Later census records cite Maine as his
birthplace, but
> a civil war transcription (with a couple of other mixed up "errors")
say he
> was born in 1817 in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  Then when I
located his
> obit, I suspect he wrote it himself!  But it too says Nova Scotia.
The
> elaborate writeup speaks of him as a seaman who came into port at
Norfolk as a Nova
> Scotian, later deciding to live there and marry, which he did in
1842.  He
> commanded a group called Young's Harborguard in the civil war.
>
> Would anyone have any clues or direction for locating an immigration
record?
> I live and work in Washington, DC, so if your suggestion is DAR or
NARS I can
> do that.  I've been "hanging" in the DAR Library at lunchtime of late
and
> found a few records but nothing that would "verify" what is in the
obit.
>
> Katie Holland
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the
instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
>

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Thanks
Reid & Judy

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