![\"Engagement](\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/sun-and-new-york-press-newspaper-0217-1918-engagement.png\")
<\/a>John Kemp is actually my great-grandfather. My grandmother married Willard H. Kemp<\/a>.<\/p>\n What are the clues in this article? This announcement is made by the fianc\u00e9e\u2019s parents, \u201cMr. and Mrs. Charles H. Wright of West Haven, Conn.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 that is traditional.<\/p>\n It then gives the name of the bride to be: Mildred Wright<\/a>.<\/p>\n The article gives the name of the future groom: John H. Kemp \u2013 but does not list his parents\u2019 names. That can happen, but it is more traditional to include their names.<\/p>\n Clearly the newspaper simply didn\u2019t include the name of the fianc\u00e9, Willard H. Kemp \u2013 but conflated the names of both him and his father, using his father\u2019s name: John H. Kemp.<\/p>\n Additional Information<\/strong><\/p>\n What other information can we learn from this article? It says that [Willard Kemp] was \u201cof this city, formerly of Stamford, Conn.\u201d<\/em> and that he \u201cis receiving teller of the Mechanics and Metals Bank of this city.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n So \u2013 in 1918 he was living in New York City and working at a bank.<\/p>\n It also tells us that she was a \u201cgraduate of Teachers College, Columbia, class of 1914.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Excellent clues to work with.<\/p>\n 1920 Census<\/strong><\/p>\n Knowing that they were married 100 years ago, on 5 August 1919, I looked for them in the 1920 U.S. Census in GenealogyBank<\/a>. Here they are: Willard \u2013 not John \u2013 and Mildred Kemp living at 2565 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, New York. In column 26 it says that he was a \u201creceiving teller.\u201d Yes, that matches.<\/p>\n But look at the nativity information for his mother: Mary Ann (Brown) Kemp<\/a>. It says in columns 23 & 24 that she was born in Scotland and that her mother tongue was Scotch.<\/p>\n Hmm. That is also wrong.
\nThe format of the engagement announcement can be an indicator that a name has been omitted.<\/p>\n
\nWe know that their engagement was likely announced in February 1918 \u2013 more than a year before their wedding.<\/p>\n![\"Source:](\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/census-1920-willard-mildred-kemp.png\")
<\/a>![\"Source:](\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/census-1920-mary-kemp.png\")
<\/a>
\nShe was born in Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh<\/a>, Ireland, and her \u201cmother tongue\u201d was English. Column 25 tells us that both of them spoke English.<\/p>\n