Looking for Gerald William Bunt

[Karytay]

Sorry no I do not have a marriage date.

[Kay99]

I wonder if this is relevant?  May be a red herring, but just in case.   The Anc  family tree that lists a William Jerald Bunt born 1903 in Redruth Cornwall lists his father as William Pope Bunt born about 1880 Cornwall and marrying an Ethel Maud Hick in 1900

I think this is the couple in 1901 are living with the Hick family listed as visitors in Kenwyn
William Bunt 20  Carkarrack, Cornwall  Tin Miner
Ethel Bunt    22  Truro, Corwall

Can't see the couple or children in the later census but I did find a W Bunt- Male - age 23 - Miner??
Departure 18 May 1903  from London - Destination Port - Cape - on Ship Damascus

Kay

[Kay99]

Ah -I think this might be the right family 

On 30 Sept 1905 a Mrs EM Bunt age 24  and Master Bunt age 1 left Southampton for the Cape on the Ship Galician presumably to join husband William

[SmallTownGirl]

The tree that we think has the wrong death on for William Jerald, has him as the twin of a Wilfred Arthur, who died 1904. Cornwall opc has Wilfred buried at St Day's parish on 12 Mar 1904 age 14mts.

[avm228]

So it looks as though the chap who went to South Africa was William Jerald Bunt b 1903 who travelled as an infant with his mother in 1905, to join his father who had gone out earlier.

And the supposed 1915 birthdate is likely to be a mistake caused by someone finding the 1915 birth registration for Gerald W Bunt and assuming he was Gerald William rather than (as he in fact was) Gerald Willshire Bunt, who lived out his days in Cornwall.

[Kay99]

Maybe the family used his middle name as his father was also called William - The age would be nearer his wife's age.

Kay

[SmallTownGirl]

1901 census
Cox Hill, Kenwyn, Cornwall

Loveday Hick, 43, married
Gerald Hick, son, 18, unmarried, tin miner, b. Truro
Leslie Hick, dau, 14, unmarried, b. Kenwyn
Snedwell Hick, son, 9, b. Kenwyn
Edwin C Hick, son, 7, b. Truro
Llewellyn Hick, son, 5, b. Truro
Joseph H H (?), son, 3, b. Truro
Earl Hick, son, 2, b. Truro
William Bunt, visitor, 20, married, tin miner, b. Carharrack
Ethel Bunt, visitor 22, married, b. Truro

[Karytay]

Wow! Ok! so Gerald William Bunt could be Gerald Willshire Bunt. The relative I got the information from could of made a mistake.
Did he leave South Africa after his wife died and returned to Cornwall, or did he divorce her and returned to Cornwall? I have looked through the South African Archives index online and found nothing for either Gerald William or Gerald Willshire. Also looked on a website that has some records that have been verified with South African Home affairs. Nothing there either. A mystery for the time been.



 

[avm228]

It is very common for people to make mistakes in family history research, especially if they do not purchase certificates. Online family trees are very often riddled with errors.

Gerald Willshire Bunt, the man born in 1915, married and died in Cornwall.  If your relative plucked his name from the birth index (which shows him as Gerald W Bunt) without further research, she will not know that his middle name was Willshire and that he is a red herring & not the man you are looking for.

This is a good illustration of why it is infinitely better to do your own research than rely on that of others