Mystery Death of David Robert Huntley 1903

[Alberta]

moved to surnames 29/09

 

[Patricia Hughes]

I will try to explain this the best I can, my cousin's great uncle was sent to Canada in or around 1905, this was after his father died in 1903, on his papers it stated that his father died of Heart Disease, and his mother could no longer afford to look after him, But on the record it states that his father at the time of his death wasn't living at home, he was with another women, the young lad found both his dad and the women he was living with dead with cuts to the throat, I am not sure if he seen his dad cut his own throat or not, now was the lad telling lies about his dad or not, this happened around April 1903, I don't know the name of the lady involved , I do not longer subscribe to the British News Papers Archives, but did try a search with the Library of Birmingham on line papers but couldn't find any mention of it, I would expect that incident like this would have made the local papers, did he died of an heart attack, was it murder and suicide, or were both murdered by an unknow killer, looking at the deaths for June quarter of 1903 is David Robert Huntley and Elizabeth Dyson she is the only one from that period which may be the lady involved, any guidance will be appreciated, Thank you

Hello aston lad,
George Frederick Robert Huntley was my great grandmother Florence Maud Liggett's nephew. His mother Sarah Ann (nee Cox Liggett) was her sister. Sarah Ann and David Robert Huntley were the witnesses at Florence Maud's marriage to Charles Pendrey in 1885. What an intriguing and sad story. I don't have access to the newspaper articles mentioned. Surely a doctor would not falsify a death certificate? I am not judging - who knows what the situation was at the time, but I am a more than a little disturbed that none of Sarah Ann's siblings, including Florence Maud, took in this child. Poor little boy. We know in spite of good intentions that many of the children sent to Canada and Australia were treated very badly. Cheers from Queensland, Australia.

 

[aston lad]

Hi Patricia, I really don't think that David Robert did commit suicide, I think it was a pose to able to send George Frederick away, out of all the children they had he was the only one sent, there was a younger brother who Sarah kept with her, the eldest son David Lewis offered to pay £1-00 a week to help with feeding and clothing him for 12 months, I know that George Frederick did not have a very happy childhood and kept running away from his foster parents, the last time he ran away nothing else as heard of him, but Helen, David Lewis's great granddaughter said she had found him living in Baltimore, Maryland, USA where he died in 1930. Helen's tree is on Ancestry her user name is hmj67 she may be able to give you more detail about George and others in her tree.

 

[Patricia Hughes]

Hi Patricia, I really don't think that David Robert did commit suicide, I think it was a pose to able to send George Frederick away, out of all the children they had he was the only one sent, there was a younger brother who Sarah kept with her, the eldest son David Lewis offered to pay £1-00 a week to help with feeding and clothing him for 12 months, I know that George Frederick did not have a very happy childhood and kept running away from his foster parents, the last time he ran away nothing else as heard of him, but Helen, David Lewis's great granddaughter said she had found him living in Baltimore, Maryland, USA where he died in 1930. Helen's tree is on Ancestry her user name is hmj67 she may be able to give you more detail about George and others in her tree.

Hello aston lad,
Thanks for your response. I agree that David did not commit suicide. It makes me wonder how much investigation the Middlemore people actually did. As you said, maybe it was a pose to get him into the children's immigration program. Very sad. Thanks for the information on Helen. I have often wondered how I am related to the person who manages this private tree on Ancestry. I will send Helen a message. Once again, many thanks. Cheers,
Patricia

 

[Pedrocut]

“It makes me wonder how much investigation the Middlemore people actually did.”

There certainly was a change when John Middlemore died in 1924 and the running of the Home was taken over by Paul Cadbury. My own feeling is that over the years the investigations became less restricted.

 

[MWS]

I have often wondered how I am related to the person who manages this private tree on Ancestry. I will send Helen a message. Once again, many thanks. Cheers,
Patricia

If Helen is David Lewis Huntley's great grand daughter and Sarah Ann Cox Liggett is his mother, then Helen would be Sarah Ann Cox Liggett's 2 x great grand daughter.

As you are the great grand daughter of Florence Maud Liggett (Sarah's sister) you would be one generation older. You and Helen's mother/father would share the same 2 x great grandparents (Florence and Sarah's parents) making you third cousins and Helen would be your third cousin once removed.

Fred & Ann Liggett - Florence (child) - grandchild - g grandchild - you (g g grandchild)

Fred & Ann Liggett - Sarah A (child) - David (grandchild) - g granchild - g g grandchild - Helen (g g g grandchild)

 

[Patricia Hughes]

If Helen is David Lewis Huntley's great grand daughter and Sarah Ann Cox Liggett is his mother, then Helen would be Sarah Ann Cox Liggett's 2 x great grand daughter.

As you are the great grand daughter of Florence Maud Liggett (Sarah's sister) you would be one generation older. You and Helen's mother/father would share the same 2 x great grandparents (Florence and Sarah's parents) making you third cousins and Helen would be your third cousin once removed.

Fred & Ann Liggett - Florence (child) - grandchild - g grandchild - you (g g grandchild)

Fred & Ann Liggett - Sarah A (child) - David (grandchild) - g granchild - g g grandchild - Helen (g g g grandchild)

Hello MWS. Many thanks. I had not got around to figuring where Helen and I sit in the family. She has told me that her mother and I share DNA. That is always nice to know, as so often I cannot find the link of others with whom I share DNA.
Cheers,
Patricia

 

[Patricia Hughes]

Hi Patricia, I really don't think that David Robert did commit suicide, I think it was a pose to able to send George Frederick away, out of all the children they had he was the only one sent, there was a younger brother who Sarah kept with her, the eldest son David Lewis offered to pay £1-00 a week to help with feeding and clothing him for 12 months, I know that George Frederick did not have a very happy childhood and kept running away from his foster parents, the last time he ran away nothing else as heard of him, but Helen, David Lewis's great granddaughter said she had found him living in Baltimore, Maryland, USA where he died in 1930. Helen's tree is on Ancestry her user name is hmj67 she may be able to give you more detail about George and others in her tree.

Once again, many thanks aston lad. I sent Helen a message, and received a lovely reply. I look forward to hearing about George Frederick Robert and sharing family history with her. She also told me that I share DNA with her mother. That is very nice to know.

 

[Patricia Hughes]

“It makes me wonder how much investigation the Middlemore people actually did.”

There certainly was a change when John Middlemore died in 1924 and the running of the Home was taken over by Paul Cadbury. My own feeling is that over the years the investigations became less restricted.

Thank you Pedrocut. I guess these "children's migration groups" had the best of intentions but it is mind boggling the number of children, some very young, who were sent overseas. It is estimated that from 1912 to the late 1960s about 7000 children, mainly from Britain, and some from Malta were sent to institutions in Australia. Our P.M. Kevin Rudd made a formal apology in 2009.
Cheers,
Patricia

 

[Pedrocut]

If I remember rightly most children from Middlemore Homes were initially sent to Canada and there was a reception centre. However after 1924 Paul Cadbury seems to have handed over the transport and responsibility to the Fairbridge Society and many children went to Australia.