Josiah and Elizabeth Potts arrived in NY from England together in 1864. (origin: Lancashire, Manchester).
They were hung together for murder in 1890 in Elko, Nevada, but were parents to at least 8 children, who were left with various orphanages and families across the country.
I have them in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Utah, California, Washington, Nevada. They made at least one return trip to England and back.
In the 1870 census they are in Milwaulkee, Wisconsin (ward 6) with 4 children. 3 of those children were dropped off at a Detroit orphanage in 1871, and the next time they appear on paper the 4th child from 1870 is gone. (daughter, was 11 months at time of census, born July-Sept 1869 in Wisc, named Larna/Lorna/Sarna/Leisna).
I also lost track of one of the Detroit orphanage children- Louisa/Louise/Laurie born 1868 in Wisconsin. Supposedly adopted from Detroit in 1872.
It is possible they had other children along the way. Elizabeth sometimes used the alias "Lizzie Atherton" (her maiden name). Josiah was a mechanic for the railroad.
