Author Topic: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs  (Read 1075 times)

Offline MasMassive

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Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« on: Thursday 15 February 18 09:14 GMT (UK) »
My father-in-law would dearly love to find out why his Uncle Cyril was ostracised from the family after the death of his son Cecil in 1933.  He remembers that Uncle Cyril Higgs was married to Rhoda and that there was a connection with Worcester, possibly where he ended up after he was pushed away by the family.  He wanted to know if it was because of baby Cecil's death or some other reason.  Is it possible to even find out?

I have found Uncle Cyril:
- Frederick Cyril Higgs dob August 1896/1896 Bampton Oxon
- fought in WWI with 1/4 Batt. Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- married Rhoda Gardner June 1924 Abingdon Oxon
- resided Bromyard Herefordshire 1929
- son Cecil John Higgs 1929-1933
      - Cecil died at South Bank Nursing Home, Bath Rd, Worcester. Aged 4.
        Cause of death acute pyelitis and acute appendicitis - tragically his father
        was the registrar
-Cyril died in Sept 1972 in Malvern Worcestershire

There is a huge gap between Cecil's death and Cyril's and I am not really sure how to go about filling in that information as I am new to this.  I'm assuming a good bet would be to find out what happened to Rhoda Higgs nee Gardner but that is where I get stuck!  Please would you help or give me some idea where to look next myself?

And to compound matters there is a slight time pressure on this project as my father-in-law is in his 80s and I would like to get some sort of answer for him while it is still meaningful for him (without spelling out the problem :-[).

Thank you very much

Offline sgf28

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 15 February 18 09:29 GMT (UK) »
Using the basic search on 1939 Register there is a Frederick C Higgs dob 1896 living with a Rhoda Higgs at Upton upon Severn plus a Gwendoline G Jukes and two closed records.

So maybe he left home later than 1933.

Online rosie99

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 15 February 18 09:33 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to rootschat

This appears to be Rhoda's death
Rhoda Higgs
Born 15 Jul 1896
Died    May 1987 - Worthing, West Sussex
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Online rosie99

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 15 February 18 09:35 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to rootschat

This appears to be Rhoda's death
Rhoda Higgs
Born 15 Jul 1896
Died    May 1987 - Worthing, West Sussex

Probate index gives address as 6 Willow Court, Grand Avenue, Worthing - died 24 May 1987
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=higgs&yearOfDeath=1987&page=3#calendar
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Online rosie99

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 15 February 18 09:44 GMT (UK) »
Is it possible to even find out?


Probably just a family disagreement. In my own experience they fall out at the stupidest of things.  On both of sides of my family I had instances of Aunts/Uncles not speaking to other members of the family for some years and now knowing the reasons for the disputes they were trivial. Happily they were all reconciled before their death.

Are there no other family members that you could contact.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline MasMassive

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 15 February 18 13:42 GMT (UK) »
Using the basic search on 1939 Register there is a Frederick C Higgs dob 1896 living with a Rhoda Higgs at Upton upon Severn plus a Gwendoline G Jukes and two closed records.

So maybe he left home later than 1933.

That's very helpful thank you.  My father-in-law was only a child at the time so it is quite probable that the date Cyril disappeared was later.  Is there any way of finding out if the 2 closed records were children? 

Offline MasMassive

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 15 February 18 13:58 GMT (UK) »
Is it possible to even find out?


Probably just a family disagreement. In my own experience they fall out at the stupidest of things.  On both of sides of my family I had instances of Aunts/Uncles not speaking to other members of the family for some years and now knowing the reasons for the disputes they were trivial. Happily they were all reconciled before their death.

Are there no other family members that you could contact.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me solve this mystery.  I am really grateful.  You are right about family rows and this is bound to be the same but what if there were more children?  Wishful thinking but without anyone else to ask we are at a loss.  You see it is a small family.  Cyril had a brother and sister.  The sister never married/had children and the brother only had one child before dying in WWII.  There simply is no one to ask.

Online rosie99

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 15 February 18 14:06 GMT (UK) »

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me solve this mystery.  I am really grateful.  You are right about family rows and this is bound to be the same but what if there were more children

Assuming you mean children of  Frederick & Rhoda their births should show up on the GRO index
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Search 'Higgs' mothers maiden name Gardner

There is no way of finding out who the blacked out names are on the 1939. FindMyPast are uncovering them when they have established they have died or are over 100.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline MasMassive

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Re: Help Solving Mystery Please: Frederick Cyril Higgs
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 15 February 18 14:14 GMT (UK) »

Assuming you mean children of  Frederick & Rhoda their births should show up on the GRO index
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Search 'Higgs' mothers maiden name Gardner

There is no way of finding out who the blacked out names are on the 1939. FindMyPast are uncovering them when they have established they have died or are over 100.


Yes I do mean Frederick Cyril and Rhoda and I'll do the search you suggest.  You are a Godsend to a newbie like me thanks so much.

PS I love your dog!