Author Topic: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries  (Read 5951 times)

Offline anasfell

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Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« on: Monday 07 January 13 05:30 GMT (UK) »
I'm new here, but I have some family mysteries that I could use some help solving.

My great-great grandfather is Benjamin Hicks (b 1852 in Gedney, Lincolnshire).  He married Susan Elizabeth Tinker (b: 7 July 1857, d: ????) in 1874, and she had his son (Benjamin Titus "BT" Hicks) about 9 months later. (Family mystery #1 - forced marriage or honeymoon baby?) 

Benjamin died young in April of 1875, 6 months after his marriage and 3 months before his son was born. I believe he is buried at St. James in Long Sutton. He was 22.

I realize solving family mystery #1 is near impossible, but family mystery #2 is discovering why Benjamin died so young. Is there a way I can find an obituary or a cause of death?  Am I able to see his death certificate somehow? Or if there was a tragedy of some kind, would there have been a news story?

When BT was 3 months old, Susan left England with her family and went to Quebec, then America, cutting him off from the Hicks family in England.  I've been talking to my 90-year-old grandmother (BT's daughter) and we would both love to uncover more about this mystery!

Thanks so much for any help or pointers!

Online cath151

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #1 on: Monday 07 January 13 07:04 GMT (UK) »
Hi,
Welcome to Rootschat :)
Both mysteries  are solvable but you would have to purchase the birth, marriage and/or death certificates from www.gro,gov.uk (you have to register but its free, the certificates cost approx. £10)
Is you go to www.freebmd.org you can find details and references for the certificates.
You will need name, quarter the event was registered(ie. March would mean January, February or March) ,district (Holbeach) and the reference.
The death cert will give cause of death and the birth of Benjamin jnr and Benjamin nrs marriage certificates will solve the age old mystery of Benjamin Titus' birth.
Any queries just ask, we are a very helpful lot :)
Cathy
Sinnock/Sinnicks...Brighton,Greenwich.
Clements,Coles,Mc Donagh,Rock

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Online rosie99

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #2 on: Monday 07 January 13 07:10 GMT (UK) »
From familysearch

Benjamin Hicks age    22
bride Susan Elizabeth Tinker age 18
married 11 November 1874
Holbeach, Lincoln, England
groom's father   John Hicks
bride's father   George Shaw Tinker
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Online rosie99

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #3 on: Monday 07 January 13 07:28 GMT (UK) »
Neither Benjamin  juniors  marriage nor his birth registration give a middle name of Titus  :-\

groom Benjamin Hicks  age 32 years
groom's birthplace    England
bride   Bertha A. Sager age    21 years
bride's birthplace Indiana
marriage date 9 January 1908
Meauwataka, Wexford, Michigan
groom's father   Benj. Hicks
groom's mother ...lizabeth Tinker
bride's father   Geo. W. Sager
bride's mother   ...nna Barrick

Birth September qtr 1875 
Hicks    Benjamin       
Holbeach    7a   362
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline trish1120

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #4 on: Monday 07 January 13 09:38 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat anasfell.

Benjamin died later than April 1875;
Burial;
Benjamin HICKS, 22 May 1875, St James, Sutton St James, Lincolnshire
Abode Holbeach, age 22
(Source FreeREG)

Marriage is also on FreeREG 11 Nov 1874 with Witnesses.

A Tree has Benjamin Titus born 19 July 1875 so she may have been pregnant when they Wed.
It was more common than you would think in those days for the Bride to be in the Family way.
Or Benjamin Jnr was born a little early due to the trauma of losing her Husband.

As to why Benjamin Snr died age 22 you would need the Death Cert.

Trish :)

1901 Census;
Susan E MALLETT
Born Jul 1857, England
Residence   1900   ED 145 Cedar & Rose Lake township, Osceola, Michigan, United States
Spouse George E Mallet, Birth Nov 1855 England
Married 22 years, 6 Children, 5 Living

She is still on the 1930 Census as Susan Mallett c 1857 England

Both on Familysearch.Org

You would have to look for a Death Reg post 1930 in Michigan for her.


All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Cummins, Miskelly(IRELAND + NZ) ,Leggett (SFK + NFK ENGLAND + NZ),Purdy ( NBL ENGLAND + NZ ), Shaw YKS, LANCs + NZ), Holdsworth(LINCS +LANCS + NZ), Moloney, Dean, Fitzpatrick, ( County Down,IRE) Newby(NBL.ENG, Costello(IRE), Ivers, Murray(IRE),Reay(NBL.ENG) Reid (BERW.SCOTLAND)

Offline anasfell

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 08 January 13 07:34 GMT (UK) »
Thank you, everyone!  And thank you for the link to order the certificates. I ordered all three and we will see what they reveal...

Offline trish1120

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 08 January 13 09:00 GMT (UK) »
Good luck anasfell and let us know the outcome as we can help trace the Family back if you need to.
(also I am very interested in what happened to Benjamin Snr, so sad, so young)

Trish :)
All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Cummins, Miskelly(IRELAND + NZ) ,Leggett (SFK + NFK ENGLAND + NZ),Purdy ( NBL ENGLAND + NZ ), Shaw YKS, LANCs + NZ), Holdsworth(LINCS +LANCS + NZ), Moloney, Dean, Fitzpatrick, ( County Down,IRE) Newby(NBL.ENG, Costello(IRE), Ivers, Murray(IRE),Reay(NBL.ENG) Reid (BERW.SCOTLAND)

Offline anasfell

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 22 January 13 22:33 GMT (UK) »
I received two of the three documents (marriage and Benjamin Sr's death) but not B.T.'s birth certificate yet.  I learned a few interesting things from them...

Benjamin Sr died of "phititis" which I guess is tuberculosis or a "chronic wasting."  So Susan must have known he had this condition when they married -- it's not a sudden condition, as I understand it.

From his death cert, I see that Susan could not write her name. She signed it with an X and someone else wrote that it was her mark. From their marriage cert I learned that she was employed as a servant, which I didn't know.

The most curious thing about the marriage certificate is that Susan's father is listed as a witness, but the other witness is a woman named Sarah Ann Allwood. This isn't Susan's mother -- I have no idea who she is. But wouldn't the groom's father usually be the other witness?  Perhaps the family stories of his parents' disapproval were true, and they weren't present at the marriage?

Offline Geoff-E

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Re: Lincolnshire - Hicks mysteries
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 22 January 13 23:27 GMT (UK) »
A few random comments -

It's phthisis.  It doesn't mean if you had a chronic disease you knew you would soon die

It's fairly uncommon for a woman to name an occupation at marriage, at least, on the certificates that I have.

Again, in my experience, in those days parents rarely were witnesses at marriages - it was more often siblings or friends.

:)
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