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  1. #1
    Wilkes_ml
    Guest

    Default Finally found George Smith's death!!

    I've just bean reading David Annis' thread, and thanks to Little Spark's post (Sheila) about the Wolverhampton website, I have finally found my ancestor buried at Merridale cemetery Wolverhampton.

    No wonder I couldn't find him - he is listed as 61 when he was actually 76.

    So how do I know this is "my" George Smith when his age is so far out?

    Well, George was christened in 1819 at Ash, Kent but was left by his wife (probably to join her bigamous brother in America) to bring up his 5 daughters! He took on a widowed housekeeper Emma Elizabeth Benness, and lived with her and her children in 1871. By 1881 they had moved to Wolverhampton and supposedly married (no marriage found). Emma Elizabeth died on 6th March 1895 (her death at Wolverhampton was registered by her son William Benness) and I found her buried at Merridale Cemetery 10th March 1895 grave no. 5708, wife of George Smith, labourer.

    By searching on the grave no. 5708, I found George Smith age 61, labourer buried 7th November 1895, and also in same grave Sarah Benness age 30, spinster (Emma Elizabeth's unmarried daughter) buried 2nd July 1893.

    So now I just need to order the death certificate of george and hope the death was registered by one of his children, or one of the Benness children and not a workhouse attendant!!

    I would have thought his own daughters would have known how old he was, but they had all moved away, so probably didn't register his death!

    Anyway - thanks again to this great site, and all the people who help (even without realising it!)

    Michelle

  2. #2
    v.wells
    Guest

    Default

    Wow! That's great news Michelle My fingers are crossed that it's the "right" certificate. Good job!

  3. #3
    birdlip
    Guest

    Default

    Fantastic! George SMITH (groan) it's such a common name, you must've thought you'd never find him....well done!

  4. #4
    LittleSpark
    Guest

    Default

    Glad to be of help in a round about way - it is a fantastic site

    Sheila

  5. #5
    mfwebb
    Guest

    Default

    Brilliant piece of detective work. Well done.

    I am inspired to continue the search for the death of my 2xggf after reading of your success. I thought his name, John Webb, was common enough but if you can find George Smith I am spurred on by your success.

    Congratulations. I can appreciate how elated you feel.

  6. #6
    Wilkes_ml
    Guest

    Default

    I've just received the death certificate from the GRO (amazingly quick!) and it is the right one.

    The death was registered by his step son Frederick Benness, so I guess the step children just assumed that George was a couple of years older than their mother. I had been searching +/- 5 years of his expected age at death so it just goes to show that ages at death can be way out ( 15 years out in this case!)

  7. #7
    ethelflaeda
    Guest

    Default

    Hi Michelle. I know this is a thread from a long time ago, but I've only just come across it, and it has helped me enormously - thank you. I'm new to family history research and only joined this forum today to look for my husband's great-great grandmother, Louisa Alice Benness, and her mother, Emma Elizabeth Benness. A quick search immediately revealed them!

    I'd be interested to know whether you ever discovered a marriage certificate for Emma Elizabeth and George Smith? Or any other information about them? Incidentally, I have discovered Emma Elizabeth's first husband, William Benness, as the coastguard for St Peter's Thanet in 1861 but then disappeared by 1871 (occupational death?) https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/A-B.html

    Thanks all!

  8. #8
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    340

    Default

    Ethelflaeda

    I may be able to throw a little light on William Benness. He was first nominated to the Coastguard Service from HMS Wolverene on 29 May 1852, with a posting to Kingsgate CG Station. On 7 January 1863 he was promoted to Commissioned Boatman (a petty officer in the CG service) and transferred to Northshore CG Station where he died on 29 Nov 1865.

    As a little more background on William he was born in Chatham 31 July 1823, and served on HMS Vesuvius during the Syria Campaign, for which he was awarded the Naval General Service Medal (Syria 1840 clasp). In 1848 he was on HMS Eagle where he was issued with a seamans ticket. On this he is described as 5' 4'' tall, red hair, fresh complexion, brown eyes, tattoo of crucifix on right arm, when not at sea he lived in Chatham. During the Crimean War he was one of the CG recalled for service in the Royal Navy, serving on HMS Hecla, for which he was awarded the Baltic Medal.

    Martin
    Coastguards of Yesteryear

  9. #9
    ethelflaeda
    Guest

    Default

    Dear Martin

    Thank you so much - that is incredibly interesting. I never expected that it would be possible to find a physical description of him - complete with tattoo! - at this distance of time. Might I ask, what is a seaman's ticket and where does one find records of them?

    Thanks again.

    Anthea

  10. #10
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    340

    Default

    Anthea

    The Government of the day realised that at a time of national crisis they might need to press merchant seaman into service in the Royal Navy, so introduced a registration system. This required every seaman to be issued with a 'Ticket' that provided details as to any prior naval service, merchant voyages undertaken, as well as personal details. This proved extremely unpopular and was dropped in 1853. Subsequently in the 1900's a new scheme was introduced, but this is outside our time frame.

    These Tickets can be inspected on the pay to view site Find my Past or at the National Archives for free.

    To find out more about William's naval career you could visit the National Archives and consult HMS Wolverene's Description Book (ADM 38/9359), or you could take a chance and order online a pension application that looks to be your man (ADM29/70/160).

    Martin

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