War records for soldier who committed suicide

[Pam Downes]

Sally, you say that was born in 1898. Have you got a copy of his birth certificate, or are you relying on his birth year being1898 because his birth was registered in March quarter 1898? Then, as now, you had, you had six weeks in which to register a birth. His is the only Edwin birth registration in 1897 or 1898.
There's an Edwin T Compton, born 7 December 1897 living in Bedford in the 1939 Register. Death registration (aged 59), in December quarter 1956 Bedford registration district.

Off to investigate a little further.

Pam

[SallySmurf]

Hi Sally,
When did he die?

Hi Peter,

This is the difficult part I'm afraid! As I understand it he survived the war and committed suicide not long afterwards. Not long is a difficult thing to quantify but I'm guessing within a few years of the end of the war?

Nice to meet you!

Sal

[peter nicholl]

Hi again,
How sure are you of the story? The 1939 register has an Edwin T Compton living at 37 Grafton Road, Bedford with an 87 year old Daisy Bridge. This Edward is a Master Grocer and Provision Merchant. His date of birth is given as 7 December 1897, which could well fit in with a registration date of early January 1898. There is a December Quarter 1956 death registered for a 59 year old Edwin T Compton in Bedford. Do you have his Birth Certificate?
Oops, see Pam has beaten me to it.

[arthurk]

There's a probate record for this Edwin T Compton in 1957, giving his date of death as 14 Dec 1956 and his address as 38 Gwyn Street, Bedford. The executors were solicitors - Robert Owen Watson and Ronald Owen Watson.

[SallySmurf]

Hi Peter and Pam!

Thanks for all your sleuthing!!

I'm taking the date of birth from the 1911 census, though as you correctly say there is certificate for March 1898 for Edwin T Compton born in Fareham. Have to say I've never had his birth certificate though.

I must admit, if he hadn't committed suicide and had instead vanished off to another part of the world I think that would be a much better ending to his tale...

Intrigue just ramped up tenfold!

Sal

[Pam Downes]

Sally, next question. . .
Where have you got Edwin's parents' names from?
Like you, I found an Edwin T, aged 13 (so allegedly born 1898) in the 1911 census. Born and living in Titchfield, which is in Fareham registration district.
https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/fareham.html
Never, ever, use the name of the registration district as the birthplace, as the district has lots of other places in it. That's why I always write 'registration district' when talking about a birth registration. (And why I always write x quarter xx year as well. It means there can be no confusion about what I mean. )

After finding a likely Edwin T in Bedford in 1939, I wondered if the family story had got confused and it was another of Edwin's brothers who had committed suicide (possibly Edward Percy), but then I noticed that Edwin's parents in 1911 are William and Elizabeth.

So somewhere in your facts there is an error. Start with how you've got to Joseph and Beatrice, because the only Joseph Compton marriage to a Beatrice I can find between 1837 and 2007 is to Beatrice Leibson in 1940 in London.

Pam

[SallySmurf]

Hi all,

I have found the source of the confusion - we'll call her mother for now... :-)

After some discussion and with some searching I have discovered that there is no way the dates and names fit as originally suggested and that being the case it is likely that Elizabeth and William are the parents of the Edwin that I'm seeking. I also double checked that there was indeed a suicide and this was confirmed. Apparently my grandmother received a small amount of money after his death. I can also confirm that he travelled to Oxford which is where he committed suicide.

The change in details makes me doubt whether we are in fact talking about Edwin T Compton as was previously suggested. I do know that he was a Compton, he was presumably part of the same family if the details of the 1911 census are to be believed but if that is true then I also have to assume that he was not in the Machine Gun Crew as was reported back to me earlier.

Confusion reigns! Families are wonderful aren't they?!

Speak soon

Sal



ELIZABETH SARAH COMPTON ST JOHNS 07/03/1939 114 Church of England
WILLIAM THOMAS COMPTON ST JOHNS 08/03/1941 115 Church of England

[arthurk]

It probably won't help with Edwin's death, but I've just looked for his birth, and for the family in the 1901 census.

His birth is shown with the mother's maiden name DIBLE, and that appears to correspond with a marriage in the Fareham district in Sep qtr 1886 of William Thomas Compton and Elizabeth Dible.

The 1901 census shows William and Elizabeth with 7 children of ages ranging from 12 to 1 (RG13/1016 fo39 p8).

Sal - you posted while I was typing this. Maybe what you need to do now is take the names of all the brothers you can find from the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses and see if any of them died in Oxford at a likely-looking date.

Edit: nicely found by Pam (below). So if all the brothers were alive in 1939, could it have been the husband of one of the sisters???

[Pam Downes]

So I don't lose the bit of paper with the details on. . . .

The brothers of Edwin T Compton in the 1911 census:

William Robert, aged 22. Birth registration March quarter 1889, Fareham registration district.
1939 Register, birthdate 2 Feb 1889, living in Fareham. Wife Lily, children William (born 1915) and Raymond (1925)

Edward Percy, aged 20. Birth registration December quarter 1890, Fareham registration district.
1939 Register, birthdate 7 Oct 1890, living in Fareham, with wife Emily, and presumably her mother Alice.

Henry Joseph, aged 15. Birth registration March quarter 1896, Fareham registration district.
Can't find him in 1939, but there's a death registration for a Henry J Compton, aged 60, June quarter 1956. Buried Titchfield cemetery May 1956.

I've checked back to the 1891 and 1901 censuses and there are no other brothers.

Pam

[Pam Downes]

The GRO Index has only one death for Compton of any name in Oxford registration district between 1914 and 1928.
William, aged 84, in June quarter 1918.

Extend that to Oxfordshire, and there's James who died aged 84, in 1919, Chipping Norton registration district and Thomas H. who died aged 70, in 1927, Banbury registration district.
Also Ernest E, born and died 1914, Chipping Nirton registration district, and James, who died aged 63, in 1916, Faringdon registration district.
Plus three women.

Pam