Another vanishing ancestor?

[annabel]

I am trying to find out what happened to my ancestor Edward William Fricker born 1860 in Lambeth, London to Edward William and Frances Fricker

I have him in 1861 and 1871 in the censuses with his family but then he vanished, although his family remain.

Then the only thing i can find of anyone with that name after that time is a probate notice that an Edward William Fricker died on 20th Feb 1898 in Observatory in Cape Town. £412 was left to Henry James Heath, a secretary to a public company.

I think there was a gold rush in South Africa at about the right time which would explain why Edward might go there

The thing is I am at a loss as to how to find out if it is the same man

Hoping someone might have some ideas

[olliecat]

I would advise you to obtain a copy of the will from the Probate Service, See their guide here and scroll down to the section - "I know the details of the Grant - how do I get the copies I want?"

All you need to do is fill in the provided form and send it to the Leeds District Probate Registry. A copy of a will currently costs £6.

£412 was left to Henry James Heath, a secretary to a public company.

This isn't quite correct. Henry James Heath was the executor of the will and may not have been a beneficiary. In other words, his job was to administer Edward's estate. This is why you need to obtain a copy of the will, as this will tell you who the beneficiaries were, and with luck may enable you to confirm or eliminate this Edward as yours.

[annabel]

Thank you very much. i had no idea that I could do this at all and this is an enormous help. I shall certainly give it a go
Annabel