Just received a death certificate....

[Sue from Southend]

... and I can't decide if it's the right one! Some other opinions might help, please.

Ann Benzing (nee Mason) mother of this weeks MMFM, was married to Christian Benzing a clockmaker and they lived in Old Montague Street, Whitechapel from the mid 1820's to his death in 1837. Ann registered the death. Ann then disappears. Their daughter Ann marries in 1845 and lives in Bethnal Green/Shoreditch until her death in 1864. Their son John Christian is living in Southwark in 1861. Ann senior is not with either of them at any point.
None of them can be found 1841 and John not in 1851.

The death certificate reads Sept 1865,in Union Workhouse Mile End New Town, Whitechapel, Ann Benzing, aged 81 (possibly a bit old?), widow of CHRISTOPHER Benzing, Sugar Baker . The informant was an official of the Workhouse.

I've hunted for Christopher Benzing and for Benzing, Sugar Baker and found nothing. There is also the slight problem that I might be missing a generation and that Ann might be the Grandmother of Ann and John rather than the mother:(

Any opinions/bright ideas would be much appreciated!

[Nell]

Well I can see Christian/Christopher can be a mistake that perhaps a workhouse official could make. But there's a bit of difference between a clockmaker and a sugar baker. Of course the workhouse informant mightn't have known or cared about details and its also possible Mr Benzing did change occupation at some point.

Have you not found Ann on any census to get an age? Have you looked for alternatives to Benzing (Bensing, Benzin, Benson?)?

[Merry]

If Christian Benzing was b abt 1781 then the death cert for Ann doesn't seem too old to me.

Ah, but there's another Christian Benzing who died in 1834 aged 30. Is he too young to be the father of the children bap in the mid 1820s?

They are both of Montague Street so that's no help!

I don't have time to look any more....could they both be married to an Ann?

Off out now.

[Sue from Southend]

No, not found her on any census so can't be sure what age she is although she married Christian in 1812 so would need to be born 1790ish, which would also make her fairly old by the time of the births of all her children (1820s)
And yes I've looked at all the possible alternatives but without a date or even a county of birth it's the proverbial needle in a haystack!

[Sue from Southend]

If Christian Benzing was b abt 1781 then the death cert for Ann doesn't seem too old to me.

Ah, but there's another Christian Benzing who died in 1834 aged 30. Is he too young to be the father of the children bap in the mid 1820s?

They are both of Montague Street so that's no help!

I don't have time to look any more....could they both be married to an Ann?

Off out now.

Yes that's where the potential missing generation comes in! I can't find a birth for the aged 30 Christian nor a marriage....

[samesizedfeet]

I don't think Christian/Christopher is too much of a leap either - considering the vocar at John's baptism got it wrong too:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1558&iid=31280_194817-00119&fn=John+Christ&ln=Benzing&st=d&ssrc=&pid=1449002

[samesizedfeet]

crikey - there's a Christian Benzing (Engine Driver) son of Christian Benzing (clock maker) who's got 4 marriages on LMA!!

It's totally distracted me from the task at hand

[samesizedfeet]

There's a SUn Fire Insurance document (on National Archives) for Christian Benzing of Montague STreet from 1927 - I'm not sure what these contain so someone who has one may be able to advise if it might be any help.

[kiterunner]

Is it on A2A and actually held at the Guildhall Library? I didn't think they had any 20th century ones though? The 19th century ones that I've got tell you the name and address of the person and what they were insuring and for how much, also the date and how much their premium was. It can be pretty interesting to read the list of what they insured but I don't think it would help with tracing a family unless there are entries listed for other family members at the same address?

[Sue from Southend]

The Christian Benzing (engine driver) from Birmingham is not, as far as I know related although his father was also a clockmaker. If you put Christian Benzing in the Ancestry search without a country the two names seem to go together in Germany/USA like John and Smith!
I have the SunFire Insurance record - it's 1827 not 1927 and confirms Christian's address and business and that's about it.
I have a suspicion that the elder Christian was a 1st Generation immigrant possibly with a brother Martin who is in the same area at the same time - but again no proof!

Zoe - I'd never noticed the vicars mistake with the name before! The same Vicar put Benson instead of Benzing on Ann's baptism record in 1828 too!

[Lindsay]

Probably stating the obvious, but in my tree when women vanish like that it's usually because they've remarried.

[Nell]

Unless they are my celebrated Antonetta Trundley Browing who just disappears!

[Sue from Southend]

Now there's another one open for fanciful mistranscription!

Lindsay, I have of course looked for a remarriage but there's nothing....

[Lindsay]

Yes, I thought you probably would have done, Sue! :D