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John Bennett, Victor John Bennett - Clissold Street 1898 -1901

mbenne

mbenne

master brummie
Hi can anyone help? I’m trying to trace family of my late GF Victor John Bennett i.e. his father’s family, half sister Rosa Smith and children of his half brother Norman Smith.

Unfortunately this is one of those stories where you wished you had asked more questions years ago. My Dad and his brother both researched the family with very little success. Now there’s only me left to continue and I’m running out of new information!

It’s a big request and a complex history but I can provide more comprehensive info if anyone likes a challenge!
 
Think I've got the right one.

Norman William Gerald Smith born 13 Apr 1894, baptised 6 May 1894 All Saints Hockley. Son of Fred Smith and Annie Thomas. Death registered Dec qtr 1932 Bham. Mariage to a Frances M Hopkins registered Jun qtr 1923 Aston.
 
Yes that's correct. I hAve more info but didn't want to post too much in case it looked like war an peace@
 
Annie Thomas married 4 times, appears to be widowed 4 times.

2 sons and a daughter from her first marriage and a son and a daughter from her second.
 
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It's not easy with Smith but it appears that Norman and Frances had at least 2 children.

Frances, a widow, appears to be on the 1939 register living in Birmingham with a daughter Ivy, whose married name is listed as Ruck, and another child whose record is closed.

Ivy M Smith birth registered Jun qtr 1924, Aston which ties in with the 1939 register and married to a Frank Ruck Dec qtr 1946, Bham.

There are a fair few other Smith/Hopkins children listed in Aston/Bham but which if any of them are also theirs is impossible to know.
 
Rose Annie or Annie Rose born 6 Jul 1892, baptised 24 Jul 1892 All Saints. She's on the 1911 census but can't be certain what happened to her afterwards. There are couple of deaths that could be her and a number of marriages.

There are doesn't appear to be anyone of the 1939 register with her birthdate that matches either.

Of her children from her first marriage 2 die young and the third child, Frederick Usher possibly marries in 1917 and dies in 1920.
 
MWS said:
There are a fair few other Smith/Hopkins children listed in Aston/Bham but which if any of them are also theirs is impossible to know.
Click to expand...

Of those, Norman G Smith, b Q4, 1926, seems a distinct possibility.
 
1950 Electoral Roll shows Frank and Ivy M Ruck, along with Annie Ruck (shown as the lead name - head of household/mother of Frank? Possibly), at 122 Rupert Street.
 
By 1955 Frank and Ivy were at Flat 3, 123 Vauxhall Road. That would be those hideous flats that the built there. The next entry is for the Adelaide Arms which I am presuming is the pub on the bend at the top of Duddeston (was it Mill or Manor?) Road.
 
Thanks for all your posts. Today I'm feeling really inspired. So I'd like to add a bit more detail from personal research and from what I know from word of mouth - unless what we were told was clouding the truth.
 
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mbenne said:
I have tried to find the origin of the Bennett line based on GGFs possible year of birth and William Bennetts who died prior to his marriage in 1898. The closest match was a family on the 1881 census at 1 Court 5 New Cross street Tipton but this is only speculative. Again it would have helped to know other family member names.

So, on my GFs side I’m at a loss to know where his family originated and what happened to his remaining family from other marriages. HELP!
Click to expand...

Are there witnesses on the marriage any help?

However it doesn't look like it's that John Bennett, he appears to be alive in 1901, living in Union St, Tipton...

1881 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27F-XWX3

1891 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W376-GW2

1901 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSQR-JSZ

Mother's birthplace is wrong in 1901 but there are also two of his brothers living with him that seem to tie in.
 
Winifred appears to be Winifred Beatrice Bates the daughter of Julia Thomas and her husband Edward Samuel Bates.

She was born 29 Nov 1891, registered Aston (Mar qtr 1892). She married firstly Herbert S Lord, reg. Mar qtr 1921 West Bromwich. So unfortunately on the wrong side.
 
MWS said:
Winifred appears to be Winifred Beatrice Bates the daughter of Julia Thomas and her husband Edward Samuel Bates.

She was born 29 Nov 1891, registered Aston (Mar qtr 1892). She married firstly Herbert S Lord, reg. Mar qtr 1921 West Bromwich. So unfortunately on the wrong side.
Click to expand...
Well I was definitely off course with the family in Tipton but the last post does clear up the mistery of 'Aunty Winifred' - even my Dad had no idea who she was despite the family making visits to Llandudno. I'm still curious about the John Bennett entries on the Warstone cemetery search site and the coincidence of a Bennett living a few doors down in Clissold street years later in 1940's - a long time after 19o0 but could be related to family still living in the area?

Unfortunately the marriage certificate doesn't give any clues as the witnesses are James Bowyer and William Williams!

Thanks for all your help.
 
Shame about the witnesses.

You could try to trace the Bennett family from the 40's to see if there's a connection.

Alternatively you could search for other Bennett marriages of similar time frame to John's and look for a father William who was a Nailer (assuming that John wasn't illegitimate and William is made up).
 
Hi MWS, appreciate your help so far.
I trawled through my notes and recalled a serch I abandoned some years ago when I came across another researchers findings with a link between Seston/Bennett. Sorry I dont have anymore info on this lead as the DOB for this John was a year earlier in 1873 and I stopped further researching at this point

1881 RG11 2985 / 37 Page 15

Charles Seston Head M 46 Bham, Warwickshire, England
Pamala Seston Wife F 34 Bham, Warwickshire, England
John Bennett Son M 8 Bham, Warwickshire, England
Sarah Bennett Daughter F 7 Bham, Warwickshire, England
Isabella Seston Daughter F 3 Bham, Warwickshire, England
Charles Seston Son M 1 Bham, Warwickshire, England
The notes made by this researcher read:
Father Stockyard Foreman in 1881 Aston, Cheapside
Also 2 BENNETT children John (8) & Sarah (7)
Maybe Johns mother was widowed rather than him bein ilegitimate?

This is what I found on the BMD search but it appears one of the entries is a typo
Qtr Sept 1876
Bennett Pamala Birmingham 6d 54
Bennett Pamela Birmingham 6d 54
LESTON Charles Birmingham 6d 54
SIMPSON Thomas Birmingham 6d 54

Warstone Cemetary
There is also the coincidence or intention that my GGM, one of her sons and her other husbands were all buried in Warstone cemetary where I also found a burial date for John which coincided with his death in 1900. Then another John Bennett in an adjoining grave. Maybe they were related in some way or this was a totally different family or just another coincidence.
John Bennett 1900 grave no O 1277
John Bennett 1932, grave no O 1276

Also, and maybe coincidence again there was another Bennett family living 3 doors down in Clissold st, albeit 45 years later!
Source :Electoral Role Midland Historical Data
Year Division Ward First name Surname House No. Street Abode/Other info
1945 West Birmingham All Saints Lillian M Bennett 13 CLISSOLD STREET
1945 West Birmingham All Saints Norman G Bennett 13 CLISSOLD STREET
 
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Isabella Seston registered as Isabella Mary Ann Seston, mmn Wilson.

Pamela Wilson married Samuel George Bennett 2 Nov 1868, St Martin's Bham.

John Bennett registered as John Edwin Bennett, Sep 1871 mmn Wilson.

So probably not him unfortunately.
 
Norman George E Bennett married Lilian M Bridge 1940 Bham, born 13 Aug 1920, son of George E Bennett and Leah J Bright.

George Edwin Bennett born 1894 Aston, son of Frank Bennett and Alice Stockdale.

Frank Bennett b1867 Offenham, son of Edwin Bennett and Mary Clayton.

Can't see no obvious connection.
 
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