View Full Version : A mystery............ any ideas on how to solve it?
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 18:22
An ancestor of my OH.
Thomas John Stanbridge born 1829, Kiddington, Oxfordshire.
Married Elizabeth Wells 1853.
1871 census RG10; Piece: 1458; Folio: 99; Page: 16
1881 Elizabeth is listed as a widow. RG11; Piece: 1521; Folio: 101; Page: 3
Cannot find a death after many years of searching.
Family story is that he walked out one day in his slippers and never returned.
Surely if someone goes missing there would be a newspaper report at least.
I have looked at 19th century newpapers but didn't find anything. Doesn't mean it's not there, just that I didn't find anything.
Any ideas?
kiterunner
13-09-09, 18:41
If you mean the British Library 19th Century Newspapers database then it doesn't cover the whole country by any means, so it could be that it was in the local paper for that area but that one isn't in the database. Of course, it would only have been in the paper if someone reported it. It could be that the family story is wrong and the couple agreed to separate and he moved out, in which case it wouldn't have been in the paper. Or could just be that the family didn't want it in the paper. Of course it would be difficult to look through all the editions of the local paper over ten years to see if there was a report!
If he walked out on his wife and didn't want to be traced, he may have used a false name and his death could be registered under that name. Or it could be he died in a place where nobody knew him and he could be registered as unknown. Or could he have emigrated?
wonder if hes another bigamist ??? I had a quick look but no deaths bwteen 1871 and 1881
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 18:43
I know you are right Kate.
I have been telling myself that for years, It's so annoying at it's OH's GG grandad and one we can't get a death cert for.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 18:45
wonder if hes another bigamist ??? I had a quick look but no deaths bwteen 1871 and 1881
I have checked marriages as well Val, didn't see anything. Bigamy did cross my mind. Don't have one yet, well not that I know of anyway. :D
kiterunner
13-09-09, 18:49
What was his occupation, Margaret?
Do you have the birth cert for Agnes, b 1877ish?
He was a surveyor in 1871, Kite.
I wonder if Agnes' baptism would give any clues?
kiterunner
13-09-09, 18:57
So he may have left a will or an estate that went to administration. Have you already searched the National Probate Calendar, Margaret?
That will be Enstone which was where he/his family were in 1871/81.
No, I think the spelling is what's in the paper as it's in the London Gazette with that spelling too, but they were living at Enstone!
Oh, was he a Roman Catholic, Margaret?
Uncle John
13-09-09, 19:15
An ancestor of my OH.
Thomas John Stanbridge born 1829, Kiddington, Oxfordshire.
Just being picky, but is it Kidlington?
Isn't that a different place, UJ?
He was baptised at Kiddington RC church according to an extracted bap on the IGI.
Uncle John
13-09-09, 19:20
It is a different place, having Googled Kiddington. Sorry for confusing th eissue.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 19:53
Do you have the birth cert for Agnes, b 1877ish?
He was a surveyor in 1871, Kite.
I wonder if Agnes' baptism would give any clues?
Merry, no to both of those. They were RC. Tracking down the registers is horrendous. OH managed to find some of the children years ago. The registers were at Charlbury.
So he may have left a will or an estate that went to administration. Have you already searched the National Probate Calendar, Margaret?
No, Kate. Don't know when he died
Margaret there's a Thomas John Stanbridge mentioned in the London News 1862 who went bankrupt on 29th April 1862. He was a "dealer in manure"and was of Radford Eustone,Oxforshire. Is he yours ?
Valley
That does sound like him. It's Enstone though.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 19:56
Just being picky, but is it Kidlington?
No, it is Kiddington.
Probably Enstone, Radford or Heythrop area
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 19:56
Oh, was he a Roman Catholic, Margaret?
Yes, Merry RC
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 21:05
Enstone often gets mistranscribed as Eustone and similar.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 21:08
Valley
I've found that article for myself now, thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
kiterunner
13-09-09, 21:57
No, Kate. Don't know when he died
Margaret, I know you don't know when he died, but sometimes you can find an elusive death by searching the National Probate Calendar. You only have to look at one fiche for each year of your search.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 22:12
Margaret, I know you don't know when he died, but sometimes you can find an elusive death by searching the National Probate Calendar. You only have to look at one fiche for each year of your search.
I don't have access to it. Would you be able to check it for me?
kiterunner
13-09-09, 22:13
Yes, I could have a go, Margaret. I should be going some time in the next week.
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 22:23
Thank you Kate
Margaret in Burton
13-09-09, 22:33
I've sent for Agnes, the youngest daughters birth cert. She was registered Dec qtr 1878. That may throw some light on whether Thomas was alive or not.
Estimated dispatch date 18th Sept
Margaret in Burton
14-09-09, 07:27
Thanks Merry.
But, could it say father Thomas John Stanbridge even if he is long dead or missing? A married woman has the assumption that the father is her husband surely, so unless the registrar knew her circumstances........................ :confused:
I agree, it's just that if you don't have the cert you might miss that the birth was registered by the husband!! (you never know).
It was because the birth cert is probably only going to give you a small chance of finding out something more that I suggested looking at the baptism, where fooling the vicar might be more tricky! It was only after I'd suggested that, that I realised they were RC and you said finding the baps was not easy.
kiterunner
18-09-09, 13:15
Sorry, Margaret, I searched the National Probate Calendar from 1871 to 1885 but there was no entry for him.
Margaret in Burton
18-09-09, 15:10
Sorry, Margaret, I searched the National Probate Calendar from 1871 to 1885 but there was no entry for him.
Thanks Kate
I'm not suprised though. Quite a few family members have repeated the same story, that he just disappeared. One was a connection that I made over the internet and has never met any of OH's family. He is connected in a different place.
He either did a runner on purpose or was perhaps mentally ill and wandered off. He could have been found dead where no-one knew him.
I am still waiting for the youngest childs birth cert, see if that gives any clues as to if he was still around.
Margaret in Burton
23-09-09, 09:58
Agnes' birth cert has arrived. No father named. Mother Elizabeth Stanbridge formerly Wells. Doesn't say she was a widow.
Not such a good Catholic woman then. :):)
So, Thomas John Stanbridge disappeared between the 1871 census and Agnes' conception. She was born on the 21st Jan 1878.
kiterunner
23-09-09, 11:46
Well, he could also have disappeared after finding out his wife was pregnant by another man!
Margaret in Burton
23-09-09, 13:50
Well, he could also have disappeared after finding out his wife was pregnant by another man!
I think that's quite likely Kate.
I've just remembered that I was told by OH's distant cousin that his family didn't want him to marry her as she was only the daughter of the local butcher (no offence to butchers). :) He was from a family of quite well off farmers.
Apparently they used to ignore them on the way to church.
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