John Frederick Corbett

[Bob Davis]

John F Corbett was born in Aston in 1855/6, his father was Frederick Corbett, originally from Worcester. He is in the 1891 census at 36 Frederick Road, Aston with his wife Amelia and his daughter Ettie Amelia. Family tales had it that he died in Hungary around 1900, searches at Family History Centre when it was open revealed nothing and neither has FreeBMD and I wondered if those who are able to access newspapers from times gone by, might find a relevant entry or similar. He was my great grandfather on my mother's side. Incidentally, just found FreeCen, an excellent Census source.

Bob

 

[sospiri]

Bob,

Searching on John Frederick Corbett - any newspaper or region between 1870 and 1945 revealed only two entries. A man of that name who died in Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 August 1903 (his probate), and a 41 year old man of 9 Union Street, St Ebbes, Oxfordshire charged with abusing his wife. Of course, it might appear under such as John F. Corbett or even plain old John Corbett, but then it would mean searching through many entries. I also tried searching on just the words Corbett and Hungary in papers in the West Midlands area, but nothing. I'll have a dig around, but, if true, his death may only appear in Hungarian records.

Maurice

 

[Bob Davis]

Bob,

Searching on John Frederick Corbett - any newspaper or region between 1870 and 1945 revealed only two entries. A man of that name who died in Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 August 1903 (his probate), and a 41 year old man of 9 Union Street, St Ebbes, Oxfordshire charged with abusing his wife. Of course, it might appear under such as John F. Corbett or even plain old John Corbett, but then it would mean searching through many entries. I also tried searching on just the words Corbett and Hungary in papers in the West Midlands area, but nothing. I'll have a dig around, but, if true, his death may only appear in Hungarian records.

Maurice

Maurice many thanks, there is nothing like a good family mystery is there?

Bob

 

[sospiri]

Deaths of plain old John Corbett between 1891 & 1901, when Amelia says she was a widow, are few. He would have been too old for the nilitary and the only J.F. Corbett that I could find was a 39 year old married male passenger on ss Halifax sailing to Boston, Mass in 1896. He stated that he was on a visit and that his nationality was Canadian.

There are some Hungarian newspapers online, but any mention of the name Corbett is around the start of the 21st Century. Of course, he could have fallen in a river or a canal and no one knew who he was. The possibilities are almost endless, but no deaths recorded that I can see anywhere.

Maurice

 

[sospiri]

Bob,

Unfortunately, if he travelled overland to Europe there was no way of tracking him, but it seems fairly certain that he died, unless he had an affair, scarpered, changed his name, and there was a big family cover up. I can't see why anyone would want to go to Hungary at any time in the 1890s as it was part of Austro-Hungary until the end of WW1.

Maurice

 

[Bob Davis]

Bob,

Unfortunately, if he travelled overland to Europe there was no way of tracking him, but it seems fairly certain that he died, unless he had an affair, scarpered, changed his name, and there was a big family cover up. I can't see why anyone would want to go to Hungary at any time in the 1890s as it was part of Austro-Hungary until the end of WW1.

Maurice

Maurice you are a star, there are so many mysteries in my family tree, the best is of the wife of my ggrandfather giving birth ten years after her husband died , but John Fs disappearance is the biggest and it will obviously remain so. Thank you for looking.
Bob