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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: donbeth on Thursday 05 July 12 10:55 BST (UK)
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I am trying to help my Aunty solve a mystery in her family tree. Her grandfather was Charles Beak born in Great Somerford in 1864. We believe he married Evelyn Constance MacGregor and they had a son. We think they married in London. When Charles sailed to Australia he had a mishap and was presumed dead. His wife took her life and her sons by jumping off a bridge. This occurred approx between 1881 and 1885. I cannot find a marriage or a death for her or her son. Could someone please help. When Charles got word back to England that he was alive he was told of the tragic event that had occured so he stayed in Australia and built a new life. We don't know what ship or year he landed in South Australia to narrow the year of his marriage and subsequent events.
Thanking you
Donbeth
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1881 census transcription details for: West Street, Great Somerford
RG number: RG11
Piece: 2026
Folio: 86
Page: 16
Reg. District: Malmesbury
Sub District: Malmesbury Eastern
Parish: Great Somerford
Address: West Street, Great Somerford
County: Wiltshire
BEAK, William C Head Married M 41 1840 Farmer Of 375 Acres Employing 14 Men 6 Boys 6 Women Cliffe Pypard, Wiltshire
BEAK, Susan A Wife Married F 42 1839 Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Charles W Son Single M 17 1864 Sailor F/3 Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Louisa A Daughter Single F 16 1865 Scholar Great Somerford, BEAK, F H Loden Son Single M 11 1870 Scholar Great Somerford,
BEAK, Katharina A Daughter Single F 9 1872 Scholar Great Somerford, BEAK, William E Son Single M 8 1873 Scholar Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Walter Son Single M 7 1874 Scholar Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Amelia S Daughter Single F 5 1876 Scholar Great Somerford, BEAK, Eleanor Daughter Single F 4 1877 Scholar Great Somerford,
BEAK, A Walter Son Single M 1 1880 Great Somerford, Wiltshire
GRANGER, Ann Servant Single F 34 1847 Governess (P)Corsham, Wiltshire
COWLEY, Eliza Servant Single F 30 1851 Nursemaid
Cliffe Pypard, Wiltshire
KNAPP, Emily Servant Single F 18 1863 Cook
Gt Somerford, Wiltshire
HART, Elizabeth Servant Single F 17 1864 Housemaid
Hillmarton, Wiltshire
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Im not having any luck finding a wedding either???? ???
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Hi, there are 2 birth registrations for a Charles Beak in Malmesbury district, which included Great Somerford in 19th century. They are
Charles William Beak 1863 Jun qtr, Malmesbury district, vol 5a, page 40
Charles Beak 1866 dec qtr, Malmesbury dist, vol 5a, page 38
It then gets a bit obscure. There are 3 registrations of marriages in London between 1875 and 1900 but none to an Evelyn or a Constance. Over the same time scale there are deaths of a number of male infant Beaks in the London area but none registered the same time as his possible mother.
Dave
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Hi There
You've got the 1881 census but he is also on the Trove site for newspaper adverts in australia.
So he remarried 12.9.1899 at St Andrew's Church Brisbone.He's the eldest son of Capt W.E. Beak of gt somerford and marries Dora Australina 2nd d of late Jpseph Callaner of HM customs Brisbone and widow of H.G.Gould.
He dies 1943 and there is his death certificate B061989 page 133 with his parents names on it and if you buy a copy it usually says when he arried in Australia,wife and children etc. His death is also advertised on trove ,with an advert for his wife taking over the estate.
It might be worth tracking down his Naval record either royal or merchant to see if his first wife is on that.Also his Australian marriage must sureley mention he is a widower.That's 12.9.1899 B020288 page 1458.Iknow the certs are quite expensive at about £20 but might be worth it.
Ciderdrinker
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1891 census transcription details for: Ingleside, Bridge Road, Barnes
RG number: RG12
Piece: 624
Folio: 38
Page: 24
Reg. District: Richmond
Sub District: Mortlake
Parish: Barnes
Enum. District: 12
Ecclesiastical District: Holy Trinity
Address: Ingleside, Bridge Road, Barnes
County: Surrey
BEAK, William Henry Head Married M 57 1834 Living On Own Means
Cliffe Pypard, Wiltshire
BEAK, Susan A Wife Married F 52 1839
Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Amelia K Daughter Single F 19 1872
Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Susan A Daughter Single F 15 1876 Scholar
Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Eleanor Daughter Single F 13 1878 Scholar
Great Somerford, Wiltshire
BEAK, Albert W Son Single M 11 1880 Scholar
Great Somerford, Wiltshire
CORNER, Mary Servant Single F 20 1871 Cook
Stockland, Devonshire
OLDING, Rosa C Servant Single F 18 1873 Housemaid
West Tytherley, Wiltshire
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Hi doubleRR
I have previously looked at the 1881 census, I believe Evelyn may have been a governess but cannot find her on any census. I have searched indexes available on ancestory but I cannot find anything. The only marriage I can find is in 1885 Elizabeth Green or Mary Ann Kingston Thornbury. The only two Boys births I have found is Charles William Beak born1863 in Thornbury and Charles Edward Beak born 1881 died 1882 in London, but I can't seem to find a positive connection. The Evelyn I am after has been passed down in their family tree, so I am assuming we have the right person. We have all the relevent information for Charles and his family in Australia and England except for this Evelyn.
Donbeth
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Hi RR
Ditto 1871 for the family with a governess, cook and maids.
ozn
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I cant find anything for charles marrying an Evelyn or constance or a macgregor or any combination of those names lol.
Nor can I find her on any census either.
Strange one :(
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Hi doubleRR
I have previously looked at the 1881 census, I believe Evelyn may have been a governess but cannot find her on any census. I have searched indexes available on ancestory but I cannot find anything. The only marriage I can find is in 1885 Elizabeth Green or Mary Ann Kingston Thornbury. The only two Boys births I have found is Charles William Beak born1863 in Thornbury and Charles Edward Beak born 1881 died 1882 in London, but I can't seem to find a positive connection. The Evelyn I am after has been passed down in their family tree, so I am assuming we have the right person. We have all the relevent information for Charles and his family in Australia and England except for this Evelyn.
Donbeth
When u say passed down in the family tree, how do u mean? has someone researched the tre previously and found evidence of her?
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Hi Ciderdrinker and DoubleRR
I will try and track down merchant navy indexes and see if I can come up with him there.
Great idea, I never gave that a thought.
The family tree is thoroughly researched , my Aunty found out about Evelyn when her Grandfather had passed away, her grandmother had told her.
Thanks
Donbeth
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MacGregor sounds Scottish and they may have Married in Scotland. Or anywhere for that matter as he was a Sailor!
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There is still the conundrum of the deaths of the mother and son with no likely female death registered in conjunction with an infant boy in the London area 1875 to 1900 ???
Dave
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Does the family tree that your Aunty has have any other clues. or indeed citations as to where the information came from? The sons name? etc
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Hi All
I went and saw my Aunty to-day and we pulled out Charles Beak death certificate, it definately states his first marriage to Evelyn Constance MacGregor, his age 18 in London. On his marriage cert to Dora he states he is a widower.
This is why I cannot understand that I can't find any trace of a marriage in England, or anything concerning evelyn.
Donbeth
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Certainly is a strange one....
Evelyn seems nowhere to be found, at all ???
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Hi
Charles William Beak is my great Grandfather. He married my great grandmother, Dora Australina (Lena) in Brisbane. He was a widower and the story we had was that his family had not approved of his first marriage and had cast the wife out whilst he was away on a voyage. I, too, have been able to find nothing on his first wife but I can give you info about the second marriage and resulting family, if you would like.
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Hi doubleRR
I have previously looked at the 1881 census, I believe Evelyn may have been a governess but cannot find her on any census. I have searched indexes available on ancestory but I cannot find anything. The only marriage I can find is in 1885 Elizabeth Green or Mary Ann Kingston Thornbury. The only two Boys births I have found is Charles William Beak born1863 in Thornbury and Charles Edward Beak born 1881 died 1882 in London, but I can't seem to find a positive connection. The Evelyn I am after has been passed down in their family tree, so I am assuming we have the right person. We have all the relevent information for Charles and his family in Australia and England except for this Evelyn.
Donbeth
When u say passed down in the family tree, how do u mean? has someone researched the tre previously and found evidence of her?
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Charles William BEAK, was my grandfather. I do not have my Genealogy notes at hand, so I am going from memory. When he was about 17-21 Grandfather married an Evelyn Mac Gregor in London, and they had a child. Grandfather attended Eton and Oxford, neither of which is far from London. He must have taken her to Great Somerford House Manor to meet his parents, who did not approve of the marriage as she was a servant. Grandfather was young, and his father arranged for him to become a midshipman and he left England. An unusual choice for someone who was a severe asthmatic. I am sure that Grandfather would have left his wife with financial means, as he was a responsible and generous man.
The Census in 1881, states that Charles was 17, single, and a Sailor. The person advising the Census would have been his Father.
If Grandfather had a 'mishap sufficient to die', I am not aware of it, and would have to research the ship.
He told our family that his wife drowned herself and the child in a lake on the property. I searched microfiche for all churches and cemeteries within say 30 miles of Great Somerford. There was no mention of her death. Nor could I find a marriage in London. I would have searched Mc and Mac. I saw the original records and signatures.
I suspect that his father had the marriage annulled and financially provided for Evelyn McGregor to go somewhere, and keep her silence to continue to receive a financial payment. He may even have arranged a marriage for her, which would have been the most likely scenario in that day and age. His father married the governess after the death of his wife Susan Amelia Smith. This would not have pleased my Grandfather.
Grandfather was a severe asthmatic. He became ill in a southern port of Australia, and the ship left without him. He followed it up the eastern coast of Australia to Brisbane, but it had already left port. I don't know what roads existed at that time, and travel would have been by horse, carriage or boat. He wrote to his mother, and received the news of the demise of his wife and child. He may have suspected what his father did. He never returned to England. His mother sent him a trunk and monies, probably a substantial amount.
Grandfather inherited the estate, Great Somerford House Manor and environs, farms and monies etc. He shared his inheritance with his siblings. All brothers except one, migrated to Australia. Grandfather was on good terms with his family members. I corresponded with the brother who remained in England. He was a Church of England Minister.
My Grandmother was Dora Australena Callanan, called Lena. She was an Anglican, Irish aristocrat. Charles was her second husband, she met him prior to her first marriage, and declined his proposal, and married Alexander Gauld a ship's captain from Scotland, who subsequently died, leaving 2 children. My Grandfather proposed again, and was accepted. They had 2 children. Bobby died, leaving my Mother Thora. Her half brother, Alec Gauld died in Belgium after surviving Gallipoli, and his brother died as a child. Grandfather was adored by my mother and siblings. He died the year before I was born.
It appears to be the Beak Family searching for my Grandfather's first wife. Has anyone contacted any of the Mac Gregors?
Has anyone been able to trace the Beak Family prior to 1400?
Jill 27/03/2019
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Hi donbeth, I have tried to message you but am unable to do so. Could you message me, please, re Charles Beak, my great grandfather. Thank you.
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You need one more post on here to activate the pm system Bagface :)
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Trish 1120, thank you very much for your help. I had np idea how to work it :)