My great great grandfather was an apprentice to a man named Ayers (sorry first name) between 1833 to 1840.  My great great grandfather's name was Joseph Burchard Stites.  He was born in 1825 in New Jersey, we assume Cape May.   Joseph's older brother, John was the one who apprenticed him out.  We don't know where from.  I'm not sure if Joseph and his family moved from New Jersey to Philadelphia or he was taken from New Jersey to Philadelphia for the apprenticeship.  I also know that Joseph was not supposed to be taken out of Philadelphia, but was and Joseph ended up in IL, I have two places: one was Christian County, IL and the other was Pike, IL.  Does anyone have any information about anything like this in their past?

 Also, while trying to find information about Joseph, I did come across some information that I found interesting: two, possibly three Stites males who were in the same generation of Joseph's father (sadly, we know nothing of him except that he died at sea in South America), early 1800's, who married two or thee different Ayers girls (I assume that they were sisters) so I'm wondering if there was a connection between the Ayers girls in New Jersey and the Ayers in PA and that's why Joseph was apprenticed to them.

 Many thanks,

 Mary Hannah Stites