Herbert Oscar Dale was the youngest of 8 children born to David Robert and Maria (nee Manning) Dale.He was born 25 January 1877. His birth was registered at Tendring. David was employed by the Trinity Service as the master of a lightship.
In 1881 aged 4 Herbert (referred to as Oscar) was with his parents in Harwich. In November 1884 Herbert, together with his next older sister Bessie Maria, was registered as a pupil at Oban St School, Poplar, their address was given as 35 Benledi Street.
In 1891 Herbert (again recorded as Oscar) was back with the family in Dovercourt. After that-nothing.
His mother died in 1895 and by 1901 his father was living with the oldest sister Lucy and her husband in Lewisham. I've traced the rest of his siblings -his brothers nearly all had a maritime connection-merchant seaman, sailmaker, ship's carpenter and lighthouse-keeper, and one who managed to be variously army pensioner, gardener and greengrocer's assistant to Lucy's husband.
But- there is no sign of Herbert Oscar
I've looked on Ancestry and FreeBMD and can't find any census records or any obvious marriage or death records. He could have joined the navy or the army but I'm not sure where to look. He isn't on the Trinity list of lighthouse keepers and if he was on a lightvessel I would expect him to appear on the census.
Can anyone help please?
