Emuss (Hemus) Robert butcher & cattle dealer died 1867 in rail crash

[soonguy]

Hi, I am an amateur local historian and have been researching the story of a double train crash and double runaway trains in Derbyshire in September 1867. The main runaway train was carrying cattle and eight Birmingham drovers. Five died in that crash. I have written up the story at http://tinyurl.com/railcrashes1867

One of the drovers is named in newspaper reports and one directory of the time as Robert Hemus, butcher and cattle dealer, of High St, Aston Newtown. His death was registered as Robert Hemas in N Derbyshire, with no age known, but as the identification may have been made by one of his surviving colleagues, it would be easy for the name to be misheard or misunderstood. However, I can find no census or other records that seem to be him, though there are one or two people of that name in Birmingham. And there is no one of a name remotely like his in the Birmingham burials for 1867, even though one newspaper report suggests that he was buried at Witton.

It may be that his name has been badly scanned by OCR in the newspaper archive, but that does not account for his name being correct in a directory. Perhaps he was using an assumed or trade name, or had anglicised a foreign name for simplicity.

Any ideas of where to look to try and identify him will be gratefully received. Mega thanks.

 

[Astoness]

hi an usual name to work with and as you say one that could easily be misheard...does the newspaper report give us his age when he died and if he was married ...any extra info may help ?

lyn

 

[Astoness]

closest i can get at the min is a burial for a robert hemus 1836 at st martins age 68...add given barford st...could possibly be our roberts father but its only guess work as we have very little to go on..hampered by the fact that as yet we do not know if he was born in birmingham

lyn

 

[MWS]

hi an usual name to work with and as you say one that could easily be misheard...does the newspaper report give us his age when he died and if he was married ...any extra info may help ?

lyn

A bit distant but my 4 x g grandmother was a Hemus and it was frustrating lyn, with various spellings. She was born in Wroxall and father's family was possibly from Cofton Hackett. Haven't got a Robert though.

 

[Astoness]

A bit distant but my 4 x g grandmother was a Hemus and it was frustrating lyn, with various spellings. She was born in Wroxall and father's family was possibly from Cofton Hackett. Haven't got a Robert though.

hi mark i agree its a difficult surname so many ways of spelling it...as said earlier i did find a burial for possible father but its pure guess work at the min...bit busy now so i will come back to this later on

lyn

 

[MWS]

There is a burial at Witton for a Robert Emuss in 1867.

 

[Astoness]

There is a burial at Witton for a Robert Emuss in 1867.

yes i reckon that is our man mark does it give his age if so we have his dob

lyn

 

[MWS]

Unfortunately not, nor is there one on his death reg.

 

[Astoness]

Unfortunately not, nor is there one on his death reg.

oh thats a pity as it could have helped us

 

[MWS]

The 1867 burial at Witton is possibly a Robert Emuss b1836 in Droitwich, listed as a butcher in Aston 1861.

If this is the person in the op don't know.

 

[pjmburns]

hi an usual name to work with and as you say one that could easily be misheard...does the newspaper report give us his age when he died and if he was married ...any extra info may help ?

lyn

Nothing in any of the articles I have read so far. There are a lot so haven't looked at all.
Just say "Robert Hemus butcher and cattle dealer, Aston, Newtown".
Perhaps op will know more?

 

[pjmburns]

The 1867 burial at Witton is possibly a Robert Emuss b1836 in Droitwich, listed as a butcher in Aston 1861.

If this is the person in the op don't know.

Sounds promising.

Like Lyn - busy this morning but will come back later.

 

[soonguy]

Thanks everyone, this is all very helpful. Robert Emuss in Witton Cemetery sounds like him. O it's possible that all the references to him as Hemus were mishearings,even in the directory, and had an assumption of an unpronounced 'h'. Newspaper reports of his death as Hemus were largely syndicated, so a single source with a mishearing would account for that. I'm told that the majority of burials at Witton did not have stone memorials. There was no age given on his death registration, which was far from home, and doubtless none of his surviving colleagues would have known his age. Here's his directory listing. His other colleagues he was with were all in their 30s, by the way.

 

[pjmburns]

You can find burial info here - not sure what extra info you get if you buy the record.

Bereavement Services | Birmingham City Council

birminghamburialrecords.co.uk

 

[Astoness]

i have found this marr for a robert emuss 1850 parish of st stephens...high st aston as mentioned on post 1 was indeed in the parish of st stephens

Name	Robert Emuss
Gender	Male
Marriage Date	25 Sep 1850
Marriage Place	Saint Stephen,Birmingham,Warwick,England
Spouse	Mary Ann Potter
FHL Film Number	0814861, 0817172

 

[ed.s]

If you have access to Ancestry, check out the probate listings: Robert Emuss, butcher, High Street, Aston died 9th September 1867, New Mills. Effects granted to his widow, Mary Ann Emuss

 

[soonguy]

If you have access to Ancestry, check out the probate listings: Robert Emuss, butcher, High Street, Aston died 9th September 1867, New Mills. Effects granted to his widow, Mary Ann Emuss

Thanks so much, that totally confirms his correct surname.

 

[soonguy]

i have found this marr for a robert emuss 1850 parish of st stephens...high st aston as mentioned on post 1 was indeed in the parish of st stephens

Name	Robert Emuss
Gender	Male
Marriage Date	25 Sep 1850
Marriage Place	Saint Stephen,Birmingham,Warwick,England
Spouse	Mary Ann Potter
FHL Film Number	0814861, 0817172

Thanks so much that works across with his probate, with his wife as Mary Ann. Great.

 

[Astoness]

marr cert confirms his dad as william add on mar cert gt hampton row newtown

 

[Astoness]

hi soonguy...on the 1861 robert and mary ann are living at walsall road part of new st aston..robert is age 33 born droitwich so born 1828...occ butcher....i think you have your man but best to double check info

lyn

 

[pjmburns]

Baptismal record from St Peter Droitwich. Am attaching transcript as the original is of poor quality

 

[pjmburns]

Just out of interest. Mary Ann seems to marry again in 1875

 

[Astoness]

Baptismal record from St Peter Droitwich. Am attaching transcript as the original is of poor quality
View attachment 183630

View attachment 183631

i saw that and thought poor quality jan..think it says cabinet maker for william

lyn

 

[Astoness]

in 1881 mary ann ingram is back in birmingham with new hubby william at gt lister st nechells..running a shop with 3 servants so it looks like things turned out ok for mary ann

Household Members (Name)	Age	Relationship
William Ingram	56	Head
Mary A. Ingram	57	Wife
Ralph A. Ingram	20	Son
Helena L. Toms	4	Granddaughter
Lucy Batty	20	Servant
Jane Elemens	18	Servant
George Hinton	17	Servant

 

[pjmburns]

Thanks Lyn - hadn't got that far in my searches.
Agree about cabinet maker. Although think marriage cert says builder.

 

[soonguy]

marr cert confirms his dad as william add on mar cert gt hampton row newtown

Thanks so much, really grateful.

 

[soonguy]

hi soonguy...on the 1861 robert and mary ann are living at walsall road part of new st aston..robert is age 33 born droitwich so born 1828...occ butcher....i think you have your man but best to double check info

lyn

Thanks Lyn, I'm sure this all adds up together, very grateful.

 

[pjmburns]

Marriage address supported by 1855 directory entry

 

[Astoness]

Thanks so much, really grateful.

happy to help...we like a bit of a mystery on here

 

[soonguy]

Marriage address supported by 1855 directory entry
View attachment 183634

Thanks so much Janice, very helpful.