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  1. #1
    hastingleigh
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    Red face Boy called Robert- mystery death to find.

    I need to ask for help on this one, having spent a fortune and more hours than I ought to have spent, trying to find the death of a child.

    He was born 27 Aug 1858 in Aberdeen.
    His birth certificate states that his name was 'Robert Gordon Sweaton FRASER'.
    He was illegitimate, his mother was Mary Ann EDWARD (sometimes EDWARDS)
    and his father was listed as Robert Fraser.
    There was a court hearing to determine his paternity and a note was added to his birth certificate to confirm the court's findings that his biological father was instead a Robert CARVER.

    In 1861 census, young Robert Fraser is aged 2, living with his maternal grandparents at 40 Gallowgate, Aberdeen. His mother was working at a nearby Hotel on census day and is listed at her place of work.

    In 1862 mother Mary Ann Edward married John BENDELOW in Aberdeen and they went on to have 9 more children.

    In 1871 census, Robert is listed as aged 12 and named Robert E.S.G.F Bendelow, at 8 Hutcheon street, Aberdeen living with his mum, step dad and half siblings Jane, Thomas and John (Jack) Bendelow. (I guess Robert's initials stand for Robert Edward Sweaton Gordon Fraser Bendelow.)

    It is around this time that Robert is supposed to have died. I couldn't find him in the 1881 census anywhere.
    One of his younger half sisters (born after Robert's supposed death) claimed he died aged about 12 from TB/Consumption or some illness.
    We have a birthday book written by his step father, which gives Robert's death date as 3rd March, but no year is mentioned or age either. I should think it is possible he died before the census in 1871 but was still included by his step father.

    I have been trying to find his death or burial record without success.
    The only consistent aspect is his 1st name is Robert.
    His surname could be Fraser, Carver, Edward(s), Bendelow, or any double barreled or more combination of those names....or even something else entirely.

    His mother's maiden surname was Edward(s) and married name Bendelow.

    I have checked online for deaths and burials between 1865 and 1895 and found nothing at all for him in Scotland's people records or for the Aberdeen burial records, though I found everyone else in the family.

    He had by then outlived several half siblings all of whom are buried at Aberdeen St Nicholas cemetery in one of a few family graves there. All of them had their deaths registered. Both parents were literate and his maternal family ran Bakery businesses in Aberdeen. He was certainly a part of the family and considered the eldest son of the family, and there is no reason to believe his illegitimacy was any hinderance, as there were many in the extended family born out of wedlock and they were all kept within the extended family.

    I have all the names/dates/places etc for all of his extended family on the Edward and Bendelow side, and it is only Robert's death that has evaded my powers of detection.
    I suspect he may have died away from home at a sanitorium (though unlikely) or perhaps his death was registered in a different surname from those I know he could have been known as or perhaps there is some other as yet unknown reason why his death cannot be found. I have even scoured the local papers for obit notices in Feb/March for those years, in Aberdeen but not found any signs there either.

    I am stumped, definitely a brick wall that has not yet been cracked, and with all that information, he really ought to be a doddle to trace, so I do need extra eyes to take a look at this and see if anyone can solve this mystery for me, if anyone can spare a few minutes of detective work or give me any other suggestions as to where I might look, any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Hello Hastingleigh, and welcome
    You have covered all areas and done a lot of lateral thinking on this one. The entry of death by his step father shows that you are not just going off family stories but have solid evidence he died. When did the stepfather die by the way - just to put a time frame to Robert's death.
    I am not too familiar with Scottish research but will see if I can find anything.
    I am sure others will be along to take a look at it too.
    Christanel

  3. #3
    hastingleigh
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    Robert's family:
    mother=Mary Ann Edward(s) 1837-1901 died of syncope
    step father=John Bendelow 1840-1908 died of cerebral haemorage - both interred in same grave at St Peter's cemetery, Aberdeen.

    eldest half sister Elizabeth 1863-1866 (St Nicholas Cemetery grave C429) died of bronchitis
    half sister Susannah 1865-1865 2months old (St. Nicholas cemetery grave C429) died of convulsions
    half sister Eliza 1872-1873 (St Nicholas cemetery grave C427)died of dentition
    half sister Hannah 1876-1877 (St Nicholas cememtery grave C428) died of diarrhea

    Robert's maternal grandparents are both buried in grave C428 with Hannah, having died 1868 and 1879.
    So this family grave C428 was the one being used for family deaths during the years we expect Robert to have passed away in.
    There are assorted other relatives in the same graves and all are accounted for burials matching death certs dates etc.
    None of whom died from TB/consumption or in clusters from illness that might indicate an infection was spreading around the family.

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Using Family Search I found the birth 1861 and 1871 census information for him.

    I also found these

    1901

    Robert Edwards, 43, Head, Birthplace: Scotland
    Schedule Type: Household
    Registration District: Newcastle Upon Tyne
    Sub-District: Byker
    Ecclesiastical Parish: St Gabriel
    Parish: Heaton
    County: Northumberland

    1911
    Robert Edwards ,59, Aberdeen Scotland
    Schedule Type: Household
    Registration District: Devonport
    Sub-District: Tamar
    Parish: Devonport
    County: Devonshire

    Aberdeen, Newcastle and Devonport are all dockyards.

  5. #5
    hastingleigh
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    There are two Robert Edward births in Aberdeen in 1858, in addition to my missing Robert whose birth was registered as Robert Fraser, rather than Robert Edward(s). I haven't found anything to indicate he was using his mother's maiden name so I am a bit sceptacle about these two census results. If anything other than his birth name, he would be using his mother's married surname.
    In the birthday book his death is recorded with surname Bendelow by his stepfather.

    Thanks for looking though Raffaelle, I will bear those two results in mind if no deaths can be found in the 1870s for him.

  6. #6
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Given his birth was registered with just about every name it gave him the full range to choose from.

    These situations give rise to all manner of confusion, as I found with my tree, so do keep an open mind.

    Good Luck

  7. #7
    hastingleigh
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    This case has now been RESOLVED. Thanks to a newspaper death notice from 1883, Robert died in Kimberley South Africa, aged 24 and is buried there.

  8. #8
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    Congratulations hastingleigh. Nothing like the joy of success after years of frustration!

  9. #9
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Thank you for coming back and letting us know what happened to Robert. We do like to tie things up neatly if we can. It may also help others in the future.
    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

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