If your ancestor apparently picked up and moved to where he knew no one, is it possible he was responding to an advertisement? Speculators, land agents, promoted their projects and developments in a variety of ways–including newspapers.
It might have been an advertisement that caused your ancestor to pick up and move to where he knew no one.
2 Responses
I’ve learned that some who have “moved on” have done so in pursuit of an education, also. It didn’t have to be a recognized school and the school could have disappeared between then and now. It’s explained at least one move in my family.
I suspect ancestors moved to Goderich Ontario, about 1833 because of ads I found in British papers urging people to come for the cheap land being sold by the Canada Company.