America
Illinois
Kay
Abel A. KAY, born 1801 Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, shoemaker, with his wife Elizabeth (Nee MARSHALL) emigrated in 1843 with their 8 children to America. They sailed on the Shakespeare, arriving in New York. From there, for the next 3 months, they travelled to the young Chicago via Buffalo and the Great Lakes. Abel bought a farm on just under 94 acres of land in Jefferson County. It was an improved farm with a large house and barn, fenced and partly cultivated. He lived on that farm until his death in 1847. Elizabeth survived him by 40 years.Robinson
James T. ROBINSON, born 1808 New Malton, Yorkshire went to New York in 1829, travelled through the Eastern States and Canada and settled in Sangamon County, Illinois where he married in 1832 to Minerva Starr. They had 5 children.His brother Barton ROBINSON, born 1819 in New Malton; studied medicine in England and graduated as an MD. He went to America and joined James. In 1833, Barton married Mahala Barker. They had 2 children. In 1836, Dr. Robinson with Jabez Capps, laid out the town of Mount Pulaski, Illinois. He moved there and continued in his medical practice. Then, in 1858, he moved to Lynn, Kansas with his 4 sons.
Wrigley
Edmund WRIGLEY and his wife, Jane Milnes emigrated from Saddleworth, Yorkshire, where he had been a woollen manufacturer, to Philadelphia, PA where he opened a woollen mill there. Their grandson, William Wrigley, Jr., born 1861 in Philadelphia became the father of chewing gum. He had helped his father, William Wrigley with his soap manufacturing business but decided to move to Chicago, Illinois and open his own soap business, then he changed it to a baking soda business and in 1892 offered 2 packets of gum for each purchase of baking soda. He then realised the popularity of the gum and the rest is history. Read More »
