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tenterfieldjulie
18-06-18, 09:21
Hi Everyone,

Benjamin Hick, 1876-1960, lived to be 84, broke the trend with a line of four direct Benjamin Hick, engineers, who died at a young age. (No 4) was born 31 December 1876, Gilnow Park, baptised Walmsley, his birth registered Bolton, Lancashire, his parents Benjamin Hick and Frances Knowles. Benjamin (fourth) was only five when his father (third) died, this Benjamin born 1845-1882, was about ten weeks old, when his father died. Benjamin Hick (second) 1818-1845 married Robina Augusta Andrews. The first Benjamin Hick, 1790-1842 died suddenly at 52 years. His first wife was Elizabeth Routledge, died at 42 years of age, leaving a 8 yr old son Benjamin. This Benjamin was then raised by a step-mother.

The four Benjamin Hick’s, who were engineers, in Liverpool and beyond, despite the brevity of their lives, played a large role in the machinery manufacturing industry. Wiki has much to say about their prominence in manufacture, patents, influence, connections and patronage.
When Benjamin Hick (No 4) was proposed as a member of Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1910, his submission, traces his career form 1893 to 1900 in Bolton Lancashire, where he worked his way up with the firm of Hick & Hargreaves. (It does not state that this Company was begun by his great-grandfather.)

He then spent time in America, where he worked from 1902-1903 for Westinghouse in Pittsburg, where he was placed in charge of some of the largest steam engines they manufactured.

He then travelled to the Transvaal in South Africa, where from Feb 1904 to March 1907, he was employed on the erection of four large conical drum winding engines and supervised the installation of an electric power station. Benjamin Hick and Ada Margaret Mosley Bennett, married 24 June 1905, at St. Thomas Church, Berea, Durban, Natal, South Africa.

Benjamin Hick (No 5) was born in East Rand, South Africa, on 21 Feburary 1906. On the 20 April 1907, from Africa, Mr & Mrs B and Master B Hick, age 2, visit the UK. In August 1907, Mr & Mrs Hick move to Bombay in India, where he worked for Hick and Hargraves in the erection of a new power plant at a Spinning and Manufacturing Mill in Cumballa Hills, Bombay.

On 28th October 1909 on the “Olympia” from Bombay from India, Mrs & Master Benjamin Hick return to Liverpool, in time to see her father, William Bennett, who died on the 21st November. In the 1911 Census, Master Benjamin Hick, is living with his father’s sister, Norah Cann & her husband, Francis Cann, who is a physician at East Dawlish in Devon. Also with them is a 6 year old son and Swedish governess.

In 1915, Benjamin and Ada return from Bombay, India to the UK. I then cannot find them, at least until 1921. In 1921, a Mr & Mrs Hick sail to Lisbon, so it possible they spend from 1921 to 1928 in the Adriatic region. They definitely return from Tangiers in 1928. I can track them by ship from 1928 to 1935.

I have two areas that I would really appreciate help.

I have found and lost a shipping record somewhere around 1918 - with two sons aged 12 and 10 .. I am wondering if it came up attached to someone's tree and is mis-spelt. I think the record was coming back to the UK.. it is driving me nuts .. somehow I wonder if I dreamt it :eek::eek:

I am feeling that Benjamin Hick may have enlisted in 1915. I am uncertain whether there are online enlistment records for WWI and would really appreciate any help.

A Benjamin Hick is with the Prince of Wales Own (West Yorkshire) Liverpool Regt. as Driver for the Royal Engineers. This is a compilation of a few records and I think it is the same man, but as there were a number of Benjamin Hick in that region ... I need an enlistment record to be sure. It says he first served in the Theatre of War at France on 5.10.1917.

Thanks. Julie

Merry
18-06-18, 15:37
I really don't think this entry can have anything to do with these people, but as I've been unable to eliminate the entry (1911 census? - nope, death? - nope, another Hick/Bennett marriage? - nope!), I thought I'd better post it up for someone else to eliminate!

HICK, HENRY mmn BENNETT
GRO Reference: 1911 J Quarter in WAKEFIELD Volume 09C Page 67

Merry
18-06-18, 15:45
How confident are you about the Royal Engineers chap? I would have thought someone with his background would be an officer and have a roll in actual engineering rather than being a driver (if he was in the army at all, that is).

Merry
18-06-18, 16:02
1911 census? - nope

Of course, had it occurred to me that J quarter is June and not January, I would have realised the child probably wouldn't be on the 1911 census :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:!!!

kiterunner
18-06-18, 16:27
If he was an officer, the TNA catalogue lists a Benjamin Hick, Second Lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment. Subsequently Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Medal index card on ancestry:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A000737-00700?pid=959605&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Czj17017&_phstart=successSource

Edit - the address on the medal index card is 9 Moorland Avenue, Baildon, Yorkshire, and this is the one who first served in France 5 Oct 1917.

kiterunner
18-06-18, 16:32
And there is this one:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61000/45592_625537_0299-00768?pid=107063&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D61000%26h%3D107063%26ti d%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DCzj17017% 26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Czj17017&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

London Gazette (30 Mar 1920)
Benjamin Hick, Esq
Works Manager, National Ordnance Factory, Nottingham, Ministry of Munitions.
(received an OBE)

kiterunner
18-06-18, 16:41
The Driver with the Royal Engineers had service number 316274, and this is his medal index card:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A000737-00699?pid=959604&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Czj17017&_phstart=successSource

kiterunner
18-06-18, 16:42
As for enlistment papers, a lot of the WW1 records were destroyed during WW2.

kiterunner
18-06-18, 17:07
The Wikipedia entry for Nottingham Royal Ordnance Factory says that their Benjamin Hick was a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, with a link through to the B Hick and Sons page.

Durham Lady
20-06-18, 06:58
Kite and Merry, a message from Julie, she has asked me to tell you,

"I am having problems with my computer and the hard drive may have
crashed and it is with the technician.

I have tried to access GF from another computer, but it is rejecting
my password. I would appreciate it if they could email me another
link to change my password. I will go to the library and contact them
from there. I do appreciate the help from Merry and Kite and don't
want them to think that I am not bothering."

tenterfieldjulie
20-06-18, 11:49
Many thanks Daphne for getting me updated.

Now typing this on my tablet which is tricky.

Unfortunately I dont have my FTM on this.

Many thanks Merry and Kite on your research.

Identifying the military record of Benjamin Hick born 1876 at Bolton, Lancs is difficult, because his permanent address before the war was in India and before that in South Africa.

I have him in the Census living in Cheltenham with his mother and siblings, (father deceased,) where he attended school, according to his 1910 submission for membership of the Mechanical Engineers Institute.

The first Benjamin had two sons that I am aware of: John, who became a MP, appears to only have had daughters and Benjamin 2 who had a daughter and Benjamin 3, who had Benjamin 4 and Geoffrey.

However I feel there was another Benjamin Hick, who was a Mechanical Engineer too.

I need to get access to a proper computer at the library and access Ancestry and Wiki.

The man who received the OBE, would there be an online record giving more information.?

Many thanks. Julie

Merry
20-06-18, 12:17
Identifying the military record of Benjamin Hick born 1876 at Bolton, Lancs is difficult, because his permanent address before the war was in India and before that in South Africa.

How do you know he served?

tenterfieldjulie
20-06-18, 13:21
Knowing the patriotism of the family and his expertise I wouldnt be surprised if he is at the Munitions factory.

On Ancestry I found his history in Africa and India.

They came back from India early in 1915 then returned to India and very quickly came back to the UK which would make me feel that he had a purpose. I dont think you were sailing about then without caution.

Unfortunately my notes are on my computer that has crashed.

Will go back to the library tomorrow and check out Ancestry again.

Quite a few of his wife's cousins were killed in WWI and he was a very resourceful man..

kiterunner
20-06-18, 13:34
If he was an officer, the TNA catalogue lists a Benjamin Hick, Second Lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment. Subsequently Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Medal index card on ancestry:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A000737-00700?pid=959605&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Czj17017&_phstart=successSource

Edit - the address on the medal index card is 9 Moorland Avenue, Baildon, Yorkshire, and this is the one who first served in France 5 Oct 1917.

There is a Hick family at 9 Moorland Avenue, Baildon, Yorkshire, on the 1911 census:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_26029_0337_03?pid=26663862&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Czj17067&_phstart=successSource


Benjamin Hick sr 42, cloth salesman (on the above census entry; birthplace Bradford), I would think is too old to be the WW1 officer, but Benjamin jr being 12 in 1911 looks just about right.

Merry
20-06-18, 13:38
Electoral Rolls FMP:

1923 Season Spring
Polling district or place Hayling
County Hampshire

Seacote, Hayling South, Hampshire

Benjamin Hick
Ada Margaret Moseley Hick


Same details for 1924.

kiterunner
20-06-18, 13:48
Here is the I Mech E info about the Benjamin who was Works Manager at the National Ordnance Factory from its inception in Oct 1915:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/3149/40837_1831101883_0474-00225/71129?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Membership proposal received 29 Apr 1918 when he was aged 41. Elected associate member in Oct 1910. Born 31 Dec 1876 Bolton, Lancashire. So this is definitely your Benjamin. This is his original membership proposal which you may or may not have seen already:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/3149/40837_1831101883_0400-00043/37661?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=40837_1831101883_0400-00043

and his proposal for "transference":
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/3149/40837_1831101883_0417-00254/7434?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

tenterfieldjulie
20-06-18, 14:07
Yeah Ladies.
Thanks Merry that is them in Hampshire. I am so pleased they were closeby her mother Ada Bennett nee Sheard who died in 1925.
Thanks Kate definitely our man at Nottingham and receiving an OBEtoo, the first Benjamin would have been proud of his namesake.
Many thanks ladies my friends will be so happy. Julie

tenterfieldjulie
21-06-18, 09:11
I am hoping that someone will have access to the 31 March 1920 issue of the Nottingham Evening Post and tell me what the item says about Benjamin Hick and his OBE.?

ElizabethHerts
21-06-18, 09:14
Julie, I'll send you an e-mail!

ElizabethHerts
21-06-18, 09:24
It doesn't say much, just the standard newspaper text. I have e-mailed you.

tenterfieldjulie
21-06-18, 10:09
Thanks Liza.