Robert George BENNETT c1820 PERTH Suicide and/or financial collapse ?

[markheal]

Was he really from PERTH?
Where did he die?

Any suggestions will be most welcome

Robert George BENNETT c1820 PERTH
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This man appears to be my great grandfather who registered my GF in person in 1870.
He appears with his family in Southwark in 1871 and Hanwell in 1881.

He give his occupation as Fundholder.  His 'wife' Mary HENRY claims him to be a retired Infantry  Colonel on Half Pay on various children's birth certificates but he does not show in any of the many Army lists that I have trawled. I have followed all the other possible Army BENNETTS.

He appears as BENNETT Robert George: 1878 Post Office Directory for Hanwell but unusually without any RANK OR TITLE.

The family all fiddle with their names as though they didn't really know who they were!

After his disappearance the mid 1880's [no death record yet found], the family changed surname from BENNETT to  ANSTRUTHER and move in poverty to the tenement buildings Quinn Square off Waterloo Road Southwark.  Curiously, some of these BENNETT children did have ANSTRUTHER as a middle name on some Catholic Baptism records.  On these records, the parents chose a curious selection of middle names including: MELGUND, ELLIOT, CARNEGIE, COMPTON and often ANSTRUTHER.

Many thanks for your time and help.

Mark Elliot Anstruther HEAL

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=uki1871&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=ROBERT+GEORGE&gsln=BENNETT&msbdy=1820&msbpn__ftp=Perthshire%2c+Scotland&msbpn=5348&msbpn_PInfo=7-%7c0%7c0%7c3257%7c3252%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c5348%7c0%7c0%7c&uidh=z43&pcat=UKICEN&fh=0&h=5323063&recoff=&ml_rpos=1
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http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=uki1881&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=ROBERT+GEORGE&gsln=BENNETT&msbdy=1820&msbpn__ftp=Perthshire%2c+Scotland&msbpn=5348&msbpn_PInfo=7-%7c0%7c0%7c3257%7c3252%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c5348%7c0%7c0%7c&uidh=z43&pcat=UKICEN&fh=0&h=15746560&recoff=&ml_rpos=1
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http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1891&indiv=try&h=10922033

[ev]

Hi ,

It looks like all your links are only accessible to those with Ancestry membership 



ev

[markheal]

Thanks EV for your feedback.

I will bear your comment in mind for future posts.
I hope that the other details will attract interest from some of our keen researchers!

Mark

[Rosinish]

I haven't read the history of the 9 threads connected but my thought on what I've read between the lines with surnames Bennett/Anstruther & a few others.

Whatever his correct name is seems a mystery but he seems to like his Scottish connections by choosing prominent names connected with Scotland 

Anstruther is a Fife name & place as is the name Carnegie (most famous Andrew),
Melgund, a Scottish Castle.

A George Bennett was also born in Fife but had connections with Perthshire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bennet_(hebraist)

Not sure when the name Compton appeared as a middle name but the Compton MacKenzies had Scottish ancestry & were actors.

Elliot(t) also had Scottish connections.

Can you name his children in order with middle names & dates please to try & work out his parentage.


Annie

[crisane]

1881 RG11 Piece 1356 Folio 15 Page 24
3 Clifton Gdns(?) Hanwell
Robert G. Bennett  61, Colonel Infantry Retired, Scotland
 Mary Bennett  39, Ireland
 Edgar Bennett  14 Liverpool
 George E. Bennett  10 London
 Fred A. S. Bennett  8 London
 Gilbert E. A. Bennett  6 Hanwell
 Chelgund A. Bennett  4 Hanwell
 Mary G.A. Bennett  2 Hanwell. 
 Selina Sellick  25 servant Maidstone

1891 RG12 Piece 350 Folio 10 Page 12
Mary Anstruthur  52 Widow living on own means Sligo Ireland
Gilbert Anstruthur  16 filter makers assisitant Southwark
Melgund Anstruthur  14 Hanwell
Mary Georgina Anstruthur  12 Hanwell
Domenick Anstruthur  9 Hanwell

[crisane]

1871 RG10 Piece 609 Folio 8 Page 11
119 St George's Road Southwark
Robert G Bennett  51 Annuitant Perth Scotland
 Margeret Bennett  32 Limerick Ireland
 George E C Bennett  6 Months Limerick Ireland

A Robert Bennett got 6 months hard labour for 'Cheating' in 5 May 1884 Saint Mary Newingham Surrey. Nothing to say whether he is or isn't your Robert Bennett

[crisane]

Have you discounted this Robert Bennett?
Robert Bennet
Birth Date 9 Dec 1819 Logie, Perth, Scotland
Father - Adam Bennet   
Mother - Helen Mcewen 

In the 1871 census their first born child George E C Bennett  is only 6 months old and said to be born Limerick but there is a birth reg for him  George Elliot C Bennett Dec 1/4 1870  St. Saviour 1d/68  Mother's maiden name Henry.

[crisane]

If Robert was up to no good could he have gone to Ireland to hide from the authorities.

Robert Bennett
Date of Registration - Dec 1/4 1887
Age at death 66, born c1821
Registration district - Dublin South
volume 2 page 555
FHL film 101594

[markheal]

 Rosinish,
Many thanks for your interest in all these names with Scottish roots.  The one that opened up the sibling group was the MELGUND forename which allowed me to search [years ago] by forename only and hence found the whole BENNETT family in Hanwell in 1881.
My personal incentive has been to discover why I got the ELLIOT middle name.