The Saga of James Pimm - Fact and Fable According to family legend:- " Charlotte's father (James Pimm) was a merchant sea captain who sailed with his wife to the East. She was left in China to have Charlotte but followed him on the next boat to India, where Charlotte was born (out of Calcutta). Charlotte had a brother called Jim, who, when he was older, went to Salt Lake City and became a Mormon. Charlotte wrote to Jim for years hoping he would leave her some money when he died. Instead he left it all to the Mormon Church." Source: Elvira. Since the above, a lot of groundwork on the Pimm family has been done by my half-sister, Vivien, and the first discrepancy she found in the above account is that it was not Charlotte's brother Jim who became the Mormon, but Charlotte's uncle John Pimm (see biographical notes for John Pimm 2nd). Both James and John were the sons of John Pimm (1st) and Ann Martin, and John was 14 years older than James and was born in Bellatore, Armagh, Ireland, and James in Derby, Derbyshire, England. There were several other siblings and the family seemed to move around quite a bit. As far as James Pimm is concerned, he was first married to a Hannah Radford before 1854. Hannah died sometime during the same year (probably childbirth). He then married Emma Thomas. I was able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from St. Catherine's House, London. It was a civil marriage which took place in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 11th November 1854. His residence at the time was 63 Market Street, Birkenhead. James was 25 years of age when he married and his occupation was that of "Ticket Printer." (Although this profession is obscure, it could have been connected with the preparation and printing of tickets for certificates of qualification as a ship's master, pilot, etc.). His father's profession was "Soldier." Emma Thomas was 22 years and a spinster. She was the daughter of John Thomas, a Plasterer, and was not quite literate (as was usual in those days) because she had signed her name with an "x." From the time of the marriage to the time of their daughter Charlotte's birth in India, an interval of nine years, there is some uncertainty as to the family's movements. It is clear that two sons were born to them, Russell Austin in 1859 and James Edward in 1860, in Vancouver, Canada. Some clues may be gathered from a romantic and sometimes fanciful account of the Pimm brothers, entitled "The Stalwart Pynes," written by my mother, Zena in about 1960. I suppose she wanted to write a story woven around the brothers, but like many of my mother's projects, it was never completed. She only went as far as the prologue which is reproduced below:- " The Stalwart Pynes " (Ellen's Story) Prologue. Construction on the lives of the two Pyne brothers, according to Historical Facts, when the New World was opening. The above mentioned brothers, John and James, were at an adventurous age when some one-and-a-half centuries after Columbus's landing in America the pioneer explorers of the North, Jacques Cartier and Champenon (the former naming his find Montreal and the latter, Quebec) both explored the Hudson Bay area and St. Lawrence. Thence the British and French combined to open trading ports. It was a hazardous life for traders as Redskin tribes were ferocious and vengeful. Having lost their land to the Spanish and Portuguese, they were driven up into the far North of the continent, viz. Canada which was why they resented the foreign element setting itself up in opposition. Assuming now these two young Britishers went, one to Canada and the elder of the brothers to the US at about the time Lincoln entered politics and became Leader to the Republican Party, the population of the States was swelled to enormous proportions; and we can imagine how John Pyne, with his newly-acquired mine, prospered.* The younger must have had a much harder life trading up in that wild area and I expect trying to find the North- West Passage to China and India. He must have at first acquired a trawler, trying to find a route across the ice-laden seas, then giving up to join his brother's better organized and civilized country. Here, he must have started the building of a merchant ship, then from lower elevations made for Chinese ports. Some while later, a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there. They lived happily when the father, Captain of his craft, made for India and took his wife who bore another child ten years younger than Ellen. Hitting typhoon and cyclone, they arrived in Calcutta, Emma's child being born there. It had been too much of a strenuous, nerve-racking time, and Emma died some little while after her confinement. Capt. Pyne married again and returned alone to the American family. When this story opens, Ellen was fifteen and returning to India with her father. Zena Sinclair Written about 1960 * Author's Note: The factual counterpart of this story has it that my great-uncle, John Pimm who settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, became fabulously rich with his silver mines. If some truth is to be gleaned from the above, then it is likely that James, in the early years of his marriage to Emma, found himself a job on a merchant ship in Liverpool, which is on the opposite bank of the river Mersey from Birkenhead, and worked his passage to possibly Quebec or Montreal along the St. Lawrence River. This conjecture could be supported because there is no record of any children being born to them in England from the time of their marriage (1854) to the birth of Russell Austin (1859 - worked out from his age at death), a period 5 years. Emma and his daughter Ellen, were possibly left behind in England while James established himself. It is then likely that he sent for Emma in 1858, or thereabouts, leaving Ellen behind with Emma's parents. Sometime after the birth of Russell Austin and possibly James Edward, it is possible that the family proceeded to the United States to join elder brother John Pimm and family in Utah. Perhaps James had been tempted by fables that his brother had become rich, owing silver mines, and went to America to seek his fortune! Travel was becoming increasingly easy east of the Mississippi and a rail link between Montreal, Toronto and Chicago (Grand Trunk Railway) was well established. West of the Mississippi was more difficult, though here too rail links were being made to the Frontier by 1850, and with the Mormon Battalion Trail opened by the army, Salt Lake City was better connected with the rest of the country. Wells Fargo and the Pony Express were already delivering mail to Sacramento, California, and Mormons in Utah were able to make missions to England. So it was quite possible for James, Emma and family to reach Salt Lake City in comparative comfort and safety. Of course the American Civil War was raging in the Southern States (1861 - 1865) but in the northern part of the country, travel was still possible. Having speculated that James and family finally reached Utah, where they presumably lived with brother John and family, It may have come as a surprise that his brother, after all, had not become fabulously rich, but instead had worked in several municipal and clerical jobs in and around Salt Lake City and St. George. (Perhaps at some time John had acquired a small stake in a silver or copper mine and rumour had blown the situation out of all proportion). It is likely that James then made his way to the West Coast and found himself a seafaring job. (It is doubtful that he had the necessary qualifications to obtain captaincy of a merchant vessel, as was supposed), and possibly Emma, now pregnant with Charlotte, accompanied him as a passenger on the same ship, leaving the two boys in the care of his brother John and family. (It is strange that James decided to travel by sea with his pregnant wife; it is stranger still that he left Emma alone in a Chinese port while he continued on to India. Perhaps the ship he was on would not release him. In any case, he probably expected to return to the Chinese port shortly, pick up Emma and the baby, and return with them to America). However, if legend be true, Emma followed him to Calcutta on the next boat, and Charlotte was born, outside Calcutta, in Ramporehaut on 27th June 1863. Apparently James then decided to settle in India, and two more children were born, Louisa Maria on 8th June 1865 and Robert William on 4th December 1867. However he and Emma must have been worrying about the two boys still in America with their Uncle and James's daughter Ellen in England (according to the Pynes story). It is probable that at this point he learned that his nephew Seth Austin was on his Mission to England (1864 - 1866), and it stands to reason that James arranged for Seth to collect Ellen and bring her back to Utah to join his two sons there. By this time Russell Austin would have been about eight years old, James Edward, six. and Ellen twelve. According to the Pyne's story, James then returned alone to America to collect his family, and if Ellen was 15 years old at the time, this would have taken place in 1869, two years before Emma's death. (Note. the Pyne's story places Emma's death soon after the birth of Charlotte and earlier than records show. It also mentions that "a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there." In fact, Ellen was older than her brothers). Although the family was now reunited in India, their happiness was short lived because Emma eventually died on 3rd April 1871 (according to diary kept by John Pimm, Utah) four years after the birth of their last child, and James remarried shortly afterwards. This time it was to a widow, Charlotte Rachel Whelan Neill, daughter of Thomas Whelan. This took place 25th November 1871 in St. Thomas' Church, Howrah. At this time James was working as a Hotel Keeper. Three children emerged from this marriage, Lilian Wheelan born 5th September 1872, Clarence Whelan Pimm born 26th June 1873 and John Harold Pimm born 7th October 1874. Out of these only John Harold survived. Clarence died on 8th July 1878 at the age of 4 years, 8 months from an enlarged spleen in Jessore, East Bengal, where James was then working as a Jailer. James must have been 48 years old at the time and an entry in Thacker's Bengal Directory of 1877 confirms his occupation. Lilian died on 10th July 1881 aged 9 years of Diphtheria in Hazaribagh, Bihar, where James was then working in the Central Jail in a similar capacity (Thacker's Indian Directory). While he was still in Hazaribagh, James Pimm died of cholera on 23rd July 1885 at age 56, and is buried in the cemetery there. Charlotte lived for another six years, then she too died in Calcutta of Pneumonia on 21st June 1891 and is buried in the Military Cemetery, Fort William. There are entries in John Pimm's diary, held in the Special Collections of the Church Historical Department, in Salt Lake City, Utah, in which he has recorded his brother's death. J. Sinclair Updated 2002 Notes & Acknowledgments: In the foregoing I have used the Pynes story as a guide, only because very little is known about the earlier years of James Pimm's life, and I have tried as best as possible to piece the facts around this story. I do feel that, as fanciful as it may be, my mother used her knowledge of the Pimm brothers, as best as she was able to remember. Information about the Pimms has always been very vague and sketchy, and even great-grandmother Charlotte probably did not know much about her family anyway. However, there is much truth woven around fiction, and it is the only guide I have available, now that my mother and grandmother have passed on. Until birth records of Russell Austin and James Edward Pimm can be found, perhaps in Quebec or Montreal, the earlier life of James Pimm will always be open to speculation. I can only hope that my half-sister Vivien in Utah may be able to obtain these birth records for me from the Archives at the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, where most genealogical records have been centralized. I am grateful to her for the research she has already done for me from that end. This has enabled me to follow up the leads in the India Records Library, Blackfriars, London and the General Records Office, St. Catherine's House, Kingsway, London. My thanks also to my mother's cousin Joan, who has provided me with useful pen pictures of the later Pimms who she had the good fortune to meet. JS. PS – Since the above, I have made contact with a Steve Sigston in California, USA and from him I have found out that not only did James Pimm have a brother, John, who emigrated to the United States as a Mormon Pilgrim and ended up in Salt Lake City where his diary is held in the Special Collections of the Mormon Church, but his younger brother, Henry, also emigrated to America and lived in California, and Steve Sigston is his direct descendant.
The Saga of James Pimm - Fact and Fable According to family legend:- " Charlotte's father (James Pimm) was a merchant sea captain who sailed with his wife to the East. She was left in China to have Charlotte but followed him on the next boat to India, where Charlotte was born (out of Calcutta). Charlotte had a brother called Jim, who, when he was older, went to Salt Lake City and became a Mormon. Charlotte wrote to Jim for years hoping he would leave her some money when he died. Instead he left it all to the Mormon Church." Source: Elvira. Since the above, a lot of groundwork on the Pimm family has been done by my half-sister, Vivien, and the first discrepancy she found in the above account is that it was not Charlotte's brother Jim who became the Mormon, but Charlotte's uncle John Pimm (see biographical notes for John Pimm 2nd). Both James and John were the sons of John Pimm (1st) and Ann Martin, and John was 14 years older than James and was born in Bellatore, Armagh, Ireland, and James in Derby, Derbyshire, England. There were several other siblings and the family seemed to move around quite a bit. As far as James Pimm is concerned, he was first married to a Hannah Radford before 1854. Hannah died sometime during the same year (probably childbirth). He then married Emma Thomas. I was able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from St. Catherine's House, London. It was a civil marriage which took place in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 11th November 1854. His residence at the time was 63 Market Street, Birkenhead. James was 25 years of age when he married and his occupation was that of "Ticket Printer." (Although this profession is obscure, it could have been connected with the preparation and printing of tickets for certificates of qualification as a ship's master, pilot, etc.). His father's profession was "Soldier." Emma Thomas was 22 years and a spinster. She was the daughter of John Thomas, a Plasterer, and was not quite literate (as was usual in those days) because she had signed her name with an "x." From the time of the marriage to the time of their daughter Charlotte's birth in India, an interval of nine years, there is some uncertainty as to the family's movements. It is clear that two sons were born to them, Russell Austin in 1859 and James Edward in 1860, in Vancouver, Canada. Some clues may be gathered from a romantic and sometimes fanciful account of the Pimm brothers, entitled "The Stalwart Pynes," written by my mother, Zena in about 1960. I suppose she wanted to write a story woven around the brothers, but like many of my mother's projects, it was never completed. She only went as far as the prologue which is reproduced below:- " The Stalwart Pynes " (Ellen's Story) Prologue. Construction on the lives of the two Pyne brothers, according to Historical Facts, when the New World was opening. The above mentioned brothers, John and James, were at an adventurous age when some one-and-a-half centuries after Columbus's landing in America the pioneer explorers of the North, Jacques Cartier and Champenon (the former naming his find Montreal and the latter, Quebec) both explored the Hudson Bay area and St. Lawrence. Thence the British and French combined to open trading ports. It was a hazardous life for traders as Redskin tribes were ferocious and vengeful. Having lost their land to the Spanish and Portuguese, they were driven up into the far North of the continent, viz. Canada which was why they resented the foreign element setting itself up in opposition. Assuming now these two young Britishers went, one to Canada and the elder of the brothers to the US at about the time Lincoln entered politics and became Leader to the Republican Party, the population of the States was swelled to enormous proportions; and we can imagine how John Pyne, with his newly-acquired mine, prospered.* The younger must have had a much harder life trading up in that wild area and I expect trying to find the North- West Passage to China and India. He must have at first acquired a trawler, trying to find a route across the ice-laden seas, then giving up to join his brother's better organized and civilized country. Here, he must have started the building of a merchant ship, then from lower elevations made for Chinese ports. Some while later, a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there. They lived happily when the father, Captain of his craft, made for India and took his wife who bore another child ten years younger than Ellen. Hitting typhoon and cyclone, they arrived in Calcutta, Emma's child being born there. It had been too much of a strenuous, nerve-racking time, and Emma died some little while after her confinement. Capt. Pyne married again and returned alone to the American family. When this story opens, Ellen was fifteen and returning to India with her father. Zena Sinclair Written about 1960 * Author's Note: The factual counterpart of this story has it that my great-uncle, John Pimm who settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, became fabulously rich with his silver mines. If some truth is to be gleaned from the above, then it is likely that James, in the early years of his marriage to Emma, found himself a job on a merchant ship in Liverpool, which is on the opposite bank of the river Mersey from Birkenhead, and worked his passage to possibly Quebec or Montreal along the St. Lawrence River. This conjecture could be supported because there is no record of any children being born to them in England from the time of their marriage (1854) to the birth of Russell Austin (1859 - worked out from his age at death), a period 5 years. Emma and his daughter Ellen, were possibly left behind in England while James established himself. It is then likely that he sent for Emma in 1858, or thereabouts, leaving Ellen behind with Emma's parents. Sometime after the birth of Russell Austin and possibly James Edward, it is possible that the family proceeded to the United States to join elder brother John Pimm and family in Utah. Perhaps James had been tempted by fables that his brother had become rich, owing silver mines, and went to America to seek his fortune! Travel was becoming increasingly easy east of the Mississippi and a rail link between Montreal, Toronto and Chicago (Grand Trunk Railway) was well established. West of the Mississippi was more difficult, though here too rail links were being made to the Frontier by 1850, and with the Mormon Battalion Trail opened by the army, Salt Lake City was better connected with the rest of the country. Wells Fargo and the Pony Express were already delivering mail to Sacramento, California, and Mormons in Utah were able to make missions to England. So it was quite possible for James, Emma and family to reach Salt Lake City in comparative comfort and safety. Of course the American Civil War was raging in the Southern States (1861 - 1865) but in the northern part of the country, travel was still possible. Having speculated that James and family finally reached Utah, where they presumably lived with brother John and family, It may have come as a surprise that his brother, after all, had not become fabulously rich, but instead had worked in several municipal and clerical jobs in and around Salt Lake City and St. George. (Perhaps at some time John had acquired a small stake in a silver or copper mine and rumour had blown the situation out of all proportion). It is likely that James then made his way to the West Coast and found himself a seafaring job. (It is doubtful that he had the necessary qualifications to obtain captaincy of a merchant vessel, as was supposed), and possibly Emma, now pregnant with Charlotte, accompanied him as a passenger on the same ship, leaving the two boys in the care of his brother John and family. (It is strange that James decided to travel by sea with his pregnant wife; it is stranger still that he left Emma alone in a Chinese port while he continued on to India. Perhaps the ship he was on would not release him. In any case, he probably expected to return to the Chinese port shortly, pick up Emma and the baby, and return with them to America). However, if legend be true, Emma followed him to Calcutta on the next boat, and Charlotte was born, outside Calcutta, in Ramporehaut on 27th June 1863. Apparently James then decided to settle in India, and two more children were born, Louisa Maria on 8th June 1865 and Robert William on 4th December 1867. However he and Emma must have been worrying about the two boys still in America with their Uncle and James's daughter Ellen in England (according to the Pynes story). It is probable that at this point he learned that his nephew Seth Austin was on his Mission to England (1864 - 1866), and it stands to reason that James arranged for Seth to collect Ellen and bring her back to Utah to join his two sons there. By this time Russell Austin would have been about eight years old, James Edward, six. and Ellen twelve. According to the Pyne's story, James then returned alone to America to collect his family, and if Ellen was 15 years old at the time, this would have taken place in 1869, two years before Emma's death. (Note. the Pyne's story places Emma's death soon after the birth of Charlotte and earlier than records show. It also mentions that "a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there." In fact, Ellen was older than her brothers). Although the family was now reunited in India, their happiness was short lived because Emma eventually died on 3rd April 1871 (according to diary kept by John Pimm, Utah) four years after the birth of their last child, and James remarried shortly afterwards. This time it was to a widow, Charlotte Rachel Whelan Neill, daughter of Thomas Whelan. This took place 25th November 1871 in St. Thomas' Church, Howrah. At this time James was working as a Hotel Keeper. Three children emerged from this marriage, Lilian Wheelan born 5th September 1872, Clarence Whelan Pimm born 26th June 1873 and John Harold Pimm born 7th October 1874. Out of these only John Harold survived. Clarence died on 8th July 1878 at the age of 4 years, 8 months from an enlarged spleen in Jessore, East Bengal, where James was then working as a Jailer. James must have been 48 years old at the time and an entry in Thacker's Bengal Directory of 1877 confirms his occupation. Lilian died on 10th July 1881 aged 9 years of Diphtheria in Hazaribagh, Bihar, where James was then working in the Central Jail in a similar capacity (Thacker's Indian Directory). While he was still in Hazaribagh, James Pimm died of cholera on 23rd July 1885 at age 56, and is buried in the cemetery there. Charlotte lived for another six years, then she too died in Calcutta of Pneumonia on 21st June 1891 and is buried in the Military Cemetery, Fort William. There are entries in John Pimm's diary, held in the Special Collections of the Church Historical Department, in Salt Lake City, Utah, in which he has recorded his brother's death. J. Sinclair Updated 2002 Notes & Acknowledgments: In the foregoing I have used the Pynes story as a guide, only because very little is known about the earlier years of James Pimm's life, and I have tried as best as possible to piece the facts around this story. I do feel that, as fanciful as it may be, my mother used her knowledge of the Pimm brothers, as best as she was able to remember. Information about the Pimms has always been very vague and sketchy, and even great-grandmother Charlotte probably did not know much about her family anyway. However, there is much truth woven around fiction, and it is the only guide I have available, now that my mother and grandmother have passed on. Until birth records of Russell Austin and James Edward Pimm can be found, perhaps in Quebec or Montreal, the earlier life of James Pimm will always be open to speculation. I can only hope that my half-sister Vivien in Utah may be able to obtain these birth records for me from the Archives at the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, where most genealogical records have been centralized. I am grateful to her for the research she has already done for me from that end. This has enabled me to follow up the leads in the India Records Library, Blackfriars, London and the General Records Office, St. Catherine's House, Kingsway, London. My thanks also to my mother's cousin Joan, who has provided me with useful pen pictures of the later Pimms who she had the good fortune to meet. JS. PS – Since the above, I have made contact with a Steve Sigston in California, USA and from him I have found out that not only did James Pimm have a brother, John, who emigrated to the United States as a Mormon Pilgrim and ended up in Salt Lake City where his diary is held in the Special Collections of the Mormon Church, but his younger brother, Henry, also emigrated to America and lived in California, and Steve Sigston is his direct descendant.
The Saga of James Pimm - Fact and Fable According to family legend:- " Charlotte's father (James Pimm) was a merchant sea captain who sailed with his wife to the East. She was left in China to have Charlotte but followed him on the next boat to India, where Charlotte was born (out of Calcutta). Charlotte had a brother called Jim, who, when he was older, went to Salt Lake City and became a Mormon. Charlotte wrote to Jim for years hoping he would leave her some money when he died. Instead he left it all to the Mormon Church." Source: Elvira. Since the above, a lot of groundwork on the Pimm family has been done by my half-sister, Vivien, and the first discrepancy she found in the above account is that it was not Charlotte's brother Jim who became the Mormon, but Charlotte's uncle John Pimm (see biographical notes for John Pimm 2nd). Both James and John were the sons of John Pimm (1st) and Ann Martin, and John was 14 years older than James and was born in Bellatore, Armagh, Ireland, and James in Derby, Derbyshire, England. There were several other siblings and the family seemed to move around quite a bit. As far as James Pimm is concerned, he was first married to a Hannah Radford before 1854. Hannah died sometime during the same year (probably childbirth). He then married Emma Thomas. I was able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate from St. Catherine's House, London. It was a civil marriage which took place in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 11th November 1854. His residence at the time was 63 Market Street, Birkenhead. James was 25 years of age when he married and his occupation was that of "Ticket Printer." (Although this profession is obscure, it could have been connected with the preparation and printing of tickets for certificates of qualification as a ship's master, pilot, etc.). His father's profession was "Soldier." Emma Thomas was 22 years and a spinster. She was the daughter of John Thomas, a Plasterer, and was not quite literate (as was usual in those days) because she had signed her name with an "x." From the time of the marriage to the time of their daughter Charlotte's birth in India, an interval of nine years, there is some uncertainty as to the family's movements. It is clear that two sons were born to them, Russell Austin in 1859 and James Edward in 1860, in Vancouver, Canada. Some clues may be gathered from a romantic and sometimes fanciful account of the Pimm brothers, entitled "The Stalwart Pynes," written by my mother, Zena in about 1960. I suppose she wanted to write a story woven around the brothers, but like many of my mother's projects, it was never completed. She only went as far as the prologue which is reproduced below:- " The Stalwart Pynes " (Ellen's Story) Prologue. Construction on the lives of the two Pyne brothers, according to Historical Facts, when the New World was opening. The above mentioned brothers, John and James, were at an adventurous age when some one-and-a-half centuries after Columbus's landing in America the pioneer explorers of the North, Jacques Cartier and Champenon (the former naming his find Montreal and the latter, Quebec) both explored the Hudson Bay area and St. Lawrence. Thence the British and French combined to open trading ports. It was a hazardous life for traders as Redskin tribes were ferocious and vengeful. Having lost their land to the Spanish and Portuguese, they were driven up into the far North of the continent, viz. Canada which was why they resented the foreign element setting itself up in opposition. Assuming now these two young Britishers went, one to Canada and the elder of the brothers to the US at about the time Lincoln entered politics and became Leader to the Republican Party, the population of the States was swelled to enormous proportions; and we can imagine how John Pyne, with his newly-acquired mine, prospered.* The younger must have had a much harder life trading up in that wild area and I expect trying to find the North- West Passage to China and India. He must have at first acquired a trawler, trying to find a route across the ice-laden seas, then giving up to join his brother's better organized and civilized country. Here, he must have started the building of a merchant ship, then from lower elevations made for Chinese ports. Some while later, a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there. They lived happily when the father, Captain of his craft, made for India and took his wife who bore another child ten years younger than Ellen. Hitting typhoon and cyclone, they arrived in Calcutta, Emma's child being born there. It had been too much of a strenuous, nerve-racking time, and Emma died some little while after her confinement. Capt. Pyne married again and returned alone to the American family. When this story opens, Ellen was fifteen and returning to India with her father. Zena Sinclair Written about 1960 * Author's Note: The factual counterpart of this story has it that my great-uncle, John Pimm who settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, became fabulously rich with his silver mines. If some truth is to be gleaned from the above, then it is likely that James, in the early years of his marriage to Emma, found himself a job on a merchant ship in Liverpool, which is on the opposite bank of the river Mersey from Birkenhead, and worked his passage to possibly Quebec or Montreal along the St. Lawrence River. This conjecture could be supported because there is no record of any children being born to them in England from the time of their marriage (1854) to the birth of Russell Austin (1859 - worked out from his age at death), a period 5 years. Emma and his daughter Ellen, were possibly left behind in England while James established himself. It is then likely that he sent for Emma in 1858, or thereabouts, leaving Ellen behind with Emma's parents. Sometime after the birth of Russell Austin and possibly James Edward, it is possible that the family proceeded to the United States to join elder brother John Pimm and family in Utah. Perhaps James had been tempted by fables that his brother had become rich, owing silver mines, and went to America to seek his fortune! Travel was becoming increasingly easy east of the Mississippi and a rail link between Montreal, Toronto and Chicago (Grand Trunk Railway) was well established. West of the Mississippi was more difficult, though here too rail links were being made to the Frontier by 1850, and with the Mormon Battalion Trail opened by the army, Salt Lake City was better connected with the rest of the country. Wells Fargo and the Pony Express were already delivering mail to Sacramento, California, and Mormons in Utah were able to make missions to England. So it was quite possible for James, Emma and family to reach Salt Lake City in comparative comfort and safety. Of course the American Civil War was raging in the Southern States (1861 - 1865) but in the northern part of the country, travel was still possible. Having speculated that James and family finally reached Utah, where they presumably lived with brother John and family, It may have come as a surprise that his brother, after all, had not become fabulously rich, but instead had worked in several municipal and clerical jobs in and around Salt Lake City and St. George. (Perhaps at some time John had acquired a small stake in a silver or copper mine and rumour had blown the situation out of all proportion). It is likely that James then made his way to the West Coast and found himself a seafaring job. (It is doubtful that he had the necessary qualifications to obtain captaincy of a merchant vessel, as was supposed), and possibly Emma, now pregnant with Charlotte, accompanied him as a passenger on the same ship, leaving the two boys in the care of his brother John and family. (It is strange that James decided to travel by sea with his pregnant wife; it is stranger still that he left Emma alone in a Chinese port while he continued on to India. Perhaps the ship he was on would not release him. In any case, he probably expected to return to the Chinese port shortly, pick up Emma and the baby, and return with them to America). However, if legend be true, Emma followed him to Calcutta on the next boat, and Charlotte was born, outside Calcutta, in Ramporehaut on 27th June 1863. Apparently James then decided to settle in India, and two more children were born, Louisa Maria on 8th June 1865 and Robert William on 4th December 1867. However he and Emma must have been worrying about the two boys still in America with their Uncle and James's daughter Ellen in England (according to the Pynes story). It is probable that at this point he learned that his nephew Seth Austin was on his Mission to England (1864 - 1866), and it stands to reason that James arranged for Seth to collect Ellen and bring her back to Utah to join his two sons there. By this time Russell Austin would have been about eight years old, James Edward, six. and Ellen twelve. According to the Pyne's story, James then returned alone to America to collect his family, and if Ellen was 15 years old at the time, this would have taken place in 1869, two years before Emma's death. (Note. the Pyne's story places Emma's death soon after the birth of Charlotte and earlier than records show. It also mentions that "a little daughter of his came to live in the USA, joining her two elder brothers there." In fact, Ellen was older than her brothers). Although the family was now reunited in India, their happiness was short lived because Emma eventually died on 3rd April 1871 (according to diary kept by John Pimm, Utah) four years after the birth of their last child, and James remarried shortly afterwards. This time it was to a widow, Charlotte Rachel Whelan Neill, daughter of Thomas Whelan. This took place 25th November 1871 in St. Thomas' Church, Howrah. At this time James was working as a Hotel Keeper. Three children emerged from this marriage, Lilian Wheelan born 5th September 1872, Clarence Whelan Pimm born 26th June 1873 and John Harold Pimm born 7th October 1874. Out of these only John Harold survived. Clarence died on 8th July 1878 at the age of 4 years, 8 months from an enlarged spleen in Jessore, East Bengal, where James was then working as a Jailer. James must have been 48 years old at the time and an entry in Thacker's Bengal Directory of 1877 confirms his occupation. Lilian died on 10th July 1881 aged 9 years of Diphtheria in Hazaribagh, Bihar, where James was then working in the Central Jail in a similar capacity (Thacker's Indian Directory). While he was still in Hazaribagh, James Pimm died of cholera on 23rd July 1885 at age 56, and is buried in the cemetery there. Charlotte lived for another six years, then she too died in Calcutta of Pneumonia on 21st June 1891 and is buried in the Military Cemetery, Fort William. There are entries in John Pimm's diary, held in the Special Collections of the Church Historical Department, in Salt Lake City, Utah, in which he has recorded his brother's death. J. Sinclair Updated 2002 Notes & Acknowledgments: In the foregoing I have used the Pynes story as a guide, only because very little is known about the earlier years of James Pimm's life, and I have tried as best as possible to piece the facts around this story. I do feel that, as fanciful as it may be, my mother used her knowledge of the Pimm brothers, as best as she was able to remember. Information about the Pimms has always been very vague and sketchy, and even great-grandmother Charlotte probably did not know much about her family anyway. However, there is much truth woven around fiction, and it is the only guide I have available, now that my mother and grandmother have passed on. Until birth records of Russell Austin and James Edward Pimm can be found, perhaps in Quebec or Montreal, the earlier life of James Pimm will always be open to speculation. I can only hope that my half-sister Vivien in Utah may be able to obtain these birth records for me from the Archives at the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, where most genealogical records have been centralized. I am grateful to her for the research she has already done for me from that end. This has enabled me to follow up the leads in the India Records Library, Blackfriars, London and the General Records Office, St. Catherine's House, Kingsway, London. My thanks also to my mother's cousin Joan, who has provided me with useful pen pictures of the later Pimms who she had the good fortune to meet. JS. PS – Since the above, I have made contact with a Steve Sigston in California, USA and from him I have found out that not only did James Pimm have a brother, John, who emigrated to the United States as a Mormon Pilgrim and ended up in Salt Lake City where his diary is held in the Special Collections of the Mormon Church, but his younger brother, Henry, also emigrated to America and lived in California, and Steve Sigston is his direct descendant.