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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: genealogistsykes on Monday 24 October 11 14:41 BST (UK)
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Hi there, There is only one marriage for a Joseph Edward Biney in England and that is in 1900 in Plymouth. He married Jessie Russell and had one daughter Irene Dorothy Biney in 1905 who is now deceased. A family relative of mine sent away for the marriage certificate with the correct details and they sent her a letter saying that they could not find the marriage certificate. I double checked the details and they match up with mine.
Joseph Edward Biney was a Ghanian and it's quite unusual to marry a black man in the 1900's. This is the information that i have on him so far:
Joseph Edward Biney
b. abt. 1879 (1901 census lists him as aged 22) - Ghana?
m. 1900 - Plymouth
d. 1937 - Ghana
Timescale of events:
1890 - Starts mining business in Ghana now know as the Ashanti Gold mines
1900 - Marries Jessie Russell?
1902 - Goes to Ghana (On shipping list)
1905 - Birth of daughter: Irene Dorothy Biney
1905 - Goes to Ghana (On shipping list)
1919 - Goes to Ghana (On shipping list)
1937 - Dies in Ghana
Extract from the Gallery of Gold Coast Celebrities, 1632 - 1958' - Published in 1969 by Isaac S. Ephson.
'Also of Cape Coast, Chief Biney sponsored national delegations to England. For example, it was he who substantially bore the cost of the 1934 delegation, which left for London under the auspices of the A.R.P.S.
Chief Biney was a great philanthropist; he gave several cash donations to the Wesleyan Church, Wesleyan (Methodist) Schools and Colleges.
I would like to find out some more information on him if possible and where he was born etc.
Regards, Jonathan Sykes
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If your relative sent for the cert from the GRO, then perhaps try Plymouth registry office instead. You have the names, year and quarter so it should be very simple for them to trace the cert.
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The marriage for Joseph is under 470a,but Jessie is not cross referenced with it?
Marriages Sep 1900
Biney Joseph Edward Plymouth 5b 470a
Carol
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Hi
I would send for the marriage certificate, but in his name only and see what you get from that.
Margp
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Your Joseph was a chartered accountant on 1901 census and single the other one is a coal porter so probably not the right one.He was born Cape Coast Castle according to 1901 was his wife not on any shipping lists with him?
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Have you found Irene and Jessie in 1911 yet ;)?
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Hi,
Do you have Irene's birth certificate to confirm her father's name and profession?
Irene's mother Jessie is a widow in 1911 so did Joseph just leave them?
Regards,
Daisy
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Curious as to why you believe Joseph Edward Biney to be a black man.
If you Google "Cape Coast Castle" you will find a lot of information which you may find helpful - relating to slavery ...
Joseph's name sounds very English to me ...
If you go onto the website Familysearch.org you will find an entry covering the 1901 Census -
Joseph E. Biney, born 1879 Cape Coast Castle - aged 22 - Boarder - Birthplace Cape Coast Castle - Houshold - living Stoke Newington St Mary, London, Middlesex
There is also listed
Edward Biney - Aged 20 - also born Cape Coast Castle - Household - living Chorlton Upon Medlock, Lancashire.
FreeBMD lists the following birth:
Second Quarter 1905
BINEY Irene Dorothy - Lambeth - Vol 1d - Page 380.
If you want to chase up the marriage contact the following:-
Plymouth & West Devon Record Office
Unit 3
Clare Place
Plymouth PL4 0JW
Tel: 01752 305940
email: pwdro[at]plymouth.gov.uk
I have always found them most helpful.
Moderator Comment: e-mail edited, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please replace [at] with @
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If you go onto the website Familysearch.org you will find an entry covering the 1901 Census -
Joseph E. Biney, born 1879 Cape Coast Castle - aged 22 - Boarder - Birthplace Cape Coast Castle - Houshold - living Stoke Newington St Mary, London, Middlesex
What is also interesting about this chap is despite the fact he is supposed to have married Jessie in 1900,he states himself to be single on the 1901 census :o
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If he was born in 1879 he was a precocious 11-yr-old when he started the mining business in 1890 :)
Might there be a father & son of the same name? (Father = mining chief, son the unmarried chartered accountant from 1901)?
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If he was born in 1879 he was a precocious 11-yr-old when he started the mining business in 1890 :)
Mind you, according to this document one of his partners in the business (Joseph E. Ellis, pictured) was supposedly born in 1885 ???
http://www.anglogold.co.za/NR/rdonlyres/BDB5B570-C236-4C5B-9F53-1B5ED83F7E0C/0/Ashanti_CompanyHistory.pdf
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Joseph Edward Biney died in Africa on 20 Dec 1937.
He lived at Elmina Road, Cape Coast,Gold coast colony,West Africa.
Administration was granted on 17th march 1939 in London to Charles Lionel Wolveridge chartered accountant.
Effects £104,599 16s 3d :o in England.
Carol
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And then also probate was granted in the Gold Coast to Reverend Frederick Emmanuel Ekuban, Reverend Joseph Emmanuel Addo,and ministers Joseph Alpheus Vincent Cann company manager and John Samuel Akianyor clerk.
This was dated 11th may 1940,and the amount given as before (England)
His will(and codicil) could be obtained for £6 from http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa1s_0405.pdf
Carol
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Previous thread already had some of these details posted-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,528131.msg3836435.html
Do you have Irene's birth certificate to confirm her father's name and profession?
Hopefully this has already been done as was posted last April-
Okay great thank you, hope this is the correct guy! I will order the 1905 Birth Certificate of Irene Dorothy Biney born in Lambeth, South London.
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Thanks for the link to the previous thread, I thought some of this was staring to sound familiar :)
This link mentions Mr. Joseph Edward Biney who was one of the original indigenous owners
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fxg/
Also in the link given by avm228 it says 'Thus it was two Fante merchants from Cape Coast, Joseph E. Ellis and Chief Joseph E. Biney,'
So despite the sound of the name it does seem Joseph was native to the Gold Coast.
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Previous thread already had some of these details posted-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,528131.msg3836435.html
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Thanks for posting that Aghadowey,so I needn't have typed those both out earlier ::)
Carol
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Yes, i have Irene's birth certificate, the details are as followed:
Irene Dorothy Biney, Girl, Father: James Edward Biney - Barrister at Law
I don't know how i got 'Joseph' into my head i think it was cause i was searching for a Biney marriage on FreeBMD and it popped up with Joseph Edward Biney.
Sorry guys.
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Yes, i have Irene's birth certificate, the details are as followed:
Irene Dorothy Biney, Girl, Father: James Edward Biney - Barrister at Law
Perhaps then he is the "J.E. Biney of the Inner Temple" referred to in this document?
http://www.archive.org/stream/fanticustomaryla00sarbuoft/fanticustomaryla00sarbuoft_djvu.txt
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Extract from The Times' obituary (9 Jun 1958) of Sir (James) Henley COUSSEY, K.B.E., of Accra (died aged 67):
"He married, in 1930, Renée Dorothy, daughter of the late J.E. Biney, barrister, of Cape Coast. There were two sons and two daughters of the marriage."
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Yes that is correct.
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Im so annoyed now, i don't have any information regarding JAMES EDWARD BINEY, all i know is that he had a daughter in 1905 and was a barrister at law, and supposedly married Jessie Russell.
I have some residence information:
27 Meadow Road, South Lambeth
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Why are you annoyed?
What date was that address,1905 off the birth cert?
Carol
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Because i've given you all the wrong information and i've been searching for the wrong guy and i've also given James Edward Biney's granddaughter the wrong information as well as she was over here 2 weeks ago and she said that she can't seem to find anything on him.
Yes the address is from the 1905 birth cert.
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Yes, i have Irene's birth certificate, the details are as followed:
Irene Dorothy Biney, Girl, Father: James Edward Biney - Barrister at Law
I don't know how i got 'Joseph' into my head i think it was cause i was searching for a Biney marriage on FreeBMD and it popped up with Joseph Edward Biney.
Sorry guys.
could you quote the mother's maiden name please?
FROM the Birth Certificate please ..... ;)
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It's supposedly Russell,mentioned in the first post of this thread Tom ;D
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Thanks - but wanted it from the 'horses mouth' - ie the actual Cert.
As we've seen, assumptions have been made, so .......
that marriage is well strange - Page 470a - no spouse no matter what gyrations you put FreeBMD thru with pages, surnames and forenames ....
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Mothers madien name is Russell, James and Jessie couldn't of been married for long as Jessie re-married in 1915 to Albert Gosling and had two children, my grandmother and Russell Gosling who is deceased.
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OK, thanks - suspect they didnt marry...... at least not in England & Wales ....
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that's what i've always thought, i don't think they were married in Ghana because Jessie never went to Ghana.
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As already established on the other thread, Jessie is enumerated as single in 1901, so it's unlikely the mysterious 1900 marriage in Plymouth is relevant (even without the Joseph/James problem).
1901: RG13/247/10/10.
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Actually i think they were married, as on the marriage cert of Albert and Jessie it says Jessie Biney formerly Russell, and on FreeBMD theres a Jessie Biney marrying a Gosling in 1915.
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I can't find a record of anybody called Biney being called to the Bar by Inner Temple (or any of the other Inns of Court for that matter).
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Actually i think they were married, as on the marriage cert of Albert and Jessie it says Jessie Biney formerly Russell, and on FreeBMD theres a Jessie Biney marrying a Gosling in 1915.
She seems to have taken his name, and she may indeed have held herself out as being married & subsequently widowed, but none of that proves there was a lawful ceremony of marriage.
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Has anyone else found another reference to James Biney? Plenty of references to J E Biney and even Joseph E Biney, but no ref specifically to a James except for the birth cert. :-\
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No ,I too can't see any other James's. I wonder if the JE really was Joseph and the registrar made the mistake on the birth cert.Or did mum deliberately give the wrong name as they weren't really a married couple?
And what's all that 1900 Plymouth marriage about with no female name to match up with.......470a?
Carol
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See, if money was no object etc, I would be really tempted to get the Plymouth cert just to see what was going on!
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Hi
I would send for the marriage certificate, but in his name only and see what you get from that.
Margp
I agree
Margp
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Interesting that in the same Quarter in Plymouth a Joseph Henry BiNNey marries - no missing spice on his page tho :P
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Interesting that in the same Quarter in Plymouth a Joseph Henry BiNNey marries - no missing spice on his page tho :P
All very spicey if you ask me ;D
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What is interesting though is that the daughter, Renee/Irene, marries someone (Sir Coussey?) with huge links to Ghana. Which suggests to me that if James Biney died then at least the Biney family acknowledged the daughter and perhaps facilitated a meeting between Renee and Sir COussey, OR that perhaps James wasn't as dead as his wife thought he was.
The above is written in a very confused way, for which I apologise, but I can't see Jessie - who seems to have come from very humble beginnings and on the 1911 census is listed as an office cleaner - moving in the same circles as Sir COussey
Not sure that makes any more sense ::)
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Looking at passenger lists, there is a Miss I D Biney going out to Accra 11th July 1930. Address in UK is 149 Drury Lane.
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http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=BBGnTuzrBISg8QO-1bC2Dw&ct=result&id=P-oPAQAAIAAJ&dq=Biney+coussey&q=Biney
Journey to Independence and After (J.B. Danquah's Letters) 1947-1965: 1949-1951
This book appears to have a tantilising comment about Irene and JHCoussey, but google only has a snippet view......
-his wife, grandaughter of the late Biney of Cape COast, rich shareholder in Ashanti gold fields, and her mother was a Lond..........
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hmmm, yes maybe they didn't marry, if you married a black man around the early 1900's it was frowned upon. If they did not marry, Irene Dorothy Biney is illegitimate. It's strange that there is no records on James Edward Biney being called to the Barr, maybe if you looked for Joseph Edward Biney being called to the Barr something may pop up?
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It's strange that there is no records on James Edward Biney being called to the Barr, maybe if you looked for Joseph Edward Biney being called to the Barr something may pop up?
I can't find a record of anybody called Biney being called to the Bar by Inner Temple (or any of the other Inns of Court for that matter).
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I did search for anybody called Biney - but I should make clear that I only looked in the digitised version of the Times (where calls to the Bar are announced). The OCR search mechanism is not infallible, so my failing to find him is not proof of anything.
However, it was extremely easy to find James Henley COUSSEY's law examination results and subsequent call to the Bar.
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I ordered that certificate of the 1900 marriage of a Joseph Edward Biney, it arrived today: Details:
Joseph Edward Biney, 25, Bachelor, Labourer, 4 Seymour St. Father: Joseph Edward Biney - Rank or profession of father: Labourer.
married: Emma Jane Underwood, 22, Spinster, 4 Seymour St. Father: Charles Henry Underwood - Rank or profession of father: Labourer.
This isn't our guy but i think Irene Dorothy Biney's father was Joseph Edward Biney or James as it says on Google Books that Irene had shares in the Ashanti Gold Mines and Joseph Edward Biney started the Ashanti Gold Mines along with two other people. So that is a confirmed match in my opinion, but i recon Irene was illegitimate.
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This is an absolutely fabulous saga!
I think we can definitely rule out the JEB who married Emma Underwood (check out the 1911 census using surname BINNEY).
Have you thought about the getting the JEB will to see who and what he left money to?
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Here's some information on his estate which i have retrieved from the internet!
The 13 square kilometre lease was originally issued in January 1931 for a term of ninety nine years to Mr. Joseph Edward Biney who was one of the original indigenous owners of the concession that now hosts the world famous AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine. Since his death in 1937, this lease and other leases have formed a part of his estate, and Mr. Acquah is the current successor and administrator of the estate. The Family's title has recently been acknowledged by the Government of Ghana and formal registration pursuant to the newer mining legislation commenced.
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This isn't our guy but i think Irene Dorothy Biney's father was Joseph Edward Biney or James as it says on Google Books that Irene had shares in the Ashanti Gold Mines and Joseph Edward Biney started the Ashanti Gold Mines along with two other people. So that is a confirmed match in my opinion, but i recon Irene was illegitimate.
I still think it likely that Joseph the founder of the mining business was Irene's grandfather, rather than her father (as indeed seems to be suggested in Spidermonkey's snippet at reply #41).
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ahh yes that could be correct, so who on earth was her father then? Maybe her father was James Edward Biney? God knows :|
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The snippet that I found came from a book which is held by the Bodleian library in Oxford and the British Library in London. Do you know anyone with a readers ticket (or phone up one of the libraries and be cheeky!) and see if they can look at the page and find out what else is said!
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well if Joseph Edward Biney is the grandfather of Irene Dorothy then cant we try and find some records on him relating to him coming over to England or even who he was married to?
his son is James Edward Biney so couldnt we try and find something?
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well if Joseph Edward Biney is the grandfather of Irene Dorothy then cant we try and find some records on him relating to him coming over to England or even who he was married to?
his son is James Edward Biney so couldnt we try and find something?
'We' have already done quite a bit of searching for this family if I recall correctly. What about the 1900 marriage mentioned in your original post and reply #2?
Did you get the Will (mentioned in reply #12)?
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I've already got that marriage cert, and its the wrong person, i cant seem to search for a will on the link that was given to me in reply 12
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The link is for ordering a Will-
And then also probate was granted in the Gold Coast to Reverend Frederick Emmanuel Ekuban, Reverend Joseph Emmanuel Addo,and ministers Joseph Alpheus Vincent Cann company manager and John Samuel Akianyor clerk.
This was dated 11th may 1940,and the amount given as before (England)
His will(and codicil) could be obtained for £6 from http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa1s_0405.pdf
Carol
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I've already got that marriage cert, and its the wrong person, i cant seem to search for a will on the link that was given to me in reply 12
Who was the spouse on that 1900 marriage please and who was Joseph's father?
Free BMD only have Joseph Edward Biney and no possible wife's name down.
It would be nice to be able to correct the info for anybody else searching either of them in the future.
Regards
Carol
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The info from the 1900 marriage cert.
I ordered that certificate of the 1900 marriage of a Joseph Edward Biney, it arrived today: Details:
Joseph Edward Biney, 25, Bachelor, Labourer, 4 Seymour St. Father: Joseph Edward Biney - Rank or profession of father: Labourer.
married: Emma Jane Underwood, 22, Spinster, 4 Seymour St. Father: Charles Henry Underwood - Rank or profession of father: Labourer.
This isn't our guy but i think Irene Dorothy Biney's father was Joseph Edward Biney or James as it says on Google Books that Irene had shares in the Ashanti Gold Mines and Joseph Edward Biney started the Ashanti Gold Mines along with two other people. So that is a confirmed match in my opinion, but i recon Irene was illegitimate.
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Ahh that seems to have been indexed as Joseph Henry Biney with a different ref number?
Not the Joseph Edward Biney ref 5b page 470a?
Marriages Sep 1900
Binney Joseph Henry Plymouth 5b 471
Underwood Emma Jane Plymouth 5b 471
Hmmm confusing eh ::)
Carol
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Reading back over this thread has confused me even more haha. I have found a court case, dated 1960, relating to the late J. E. Biney of Cape Coast. It states that J.W. Armah was a grandson of his and it also states that Mr. Kwami Gyesi was the undoubted head of the family of J. E. Biney of Tuakwa in the Abura State.
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Also found another interesting point. I've been googling Biney in relation to the Ashanti Godmines on google books and came across an "Alfred Biney" who supossedly started up the mines with Ellis. The book is titled "Mining Tycoons in the age of empire, 1870-1945".
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I've emailed the Inner Temple and they have come back with the following information. They said that there was no "James Edward Biney", only a Joseph. That brings us back to the conclusion that someone made earlier. That Jessie may of put down the wrong name on purpose:
Dear Mr Sykes
Joseph Edward Biney was admitted to the Temple on the 17th January 1902 at the age of 25. He was the younger son of Joseph Edward Biney , a merchant from the Gold Coast in Ghana. Their address is given as Cape Coast Castle. He was called to the bar on the 17th November 1904. Following this I can find very little mention of him. He does not appear in the Law Lists which are an annual directory of lawyers and he is not in any of the legal biography volumes, so I can only assume that he returned to Ghana and practised over there.
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Great read this thread...on a blustery and wet Saturday afternoon!
Spidermonkey's post www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,562484.msg4151735.html#msg4151735 on a google books snippet (post #41)...a little more:
"Eminent Lawyer, reserved and exclusive society — his wife, grand daughter of late Biney of Cape Coast, rich shareholder in Ashanti Gold Fields, and her mother was a Londoner. Coussey never fancied Free Mason and up to now is not a member, which is unusual for an eminent lawyer in Accra. Was standing Counsel for the late Nana Sir Ofori Atta, and when I first came out as barrister I practised in his Chambers. Kept apparently aloof from politics; he was one of the first to see our original draft of the Constitution of the United Gold Coast Convention which he warmly received from me. He is highly respected in Convention circles, and I think he was choosen by the Governor for the Chairmanship because he had not been openly committed to local politics either way. I personally welcome him as Chairman and so does Akufo...."
Monica :)
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I am much indebted to my friend Mr. J. E. Biney of
the Inner Temple for his assistance in passing this edition
through the press.
J. M. S.
The Lirrary, Lincoln's Inn,
Michaelmas Term, 1903.
www.archive.org/stream/fanticustomaryla00sarbuoft/fanticustomaryla00sarbuoft_djvu.txt
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Coming at this for the first time, with all of you having found lots of info already in the last couple of years...
Am I right in thinking we have a Joseph Edward Biney Snr who started his very successful business in partnership c. 1890 in Cape Town. His son, of the same name, came to London around the early 1900s. Maybe studied or came already qualified and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1902. He was here at least until the conception of Irene and then left for home, Cape Town.
Apologies about this (sure it may have come up already :P). When and where did Irene (Renee?) marry?
Another daft question (from sheer ignorance on this subject) for a native Cape Town man, why would J E Biney (Snr. or Jnr...most likely Snr.?)'s will & testament show up in the UK in the late 1930s/40s?
J E Biney Snr's home in Cape Town http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0041366/00001/349j and also for background here http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0041366/00001/349j
Monica
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You are correct. I'm not sure when Irene married. I think it of may of been around the mid 1930's as she went to Ghana in 1931. She married James Henley Coussey, later to be known as Sir James Coussey, K.B.E.
Brilliant picture that is.
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Reply #18 has the extract from Irene/Renee's husband's obituary saying that they married in 1930.
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Another daft question (from sheer ignorance on this subject) for a native Cape Town man, why would J E Biney (Snr. or Jnr...most likely Snr.?)'s will & testament show up in the UK in the late 1930s/40s?
It appears from the Probate Calendar that he had over £100,000 of property in England which needed to be dealt with. Probate was granted in Gold Coast in 1937. There was then a grant of letters of administration to a chartered accountant, Charles Lionel Woolveridge, in England in 1939, followed by the sealing of the Gold Coast probate in London in 1940. This (last) is likely to have been necessary in order for the executors to have the Gold Coast probate recognised in England (and displace the administrator in respect of the estate covered by the terms of the will).
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Would there be anyway of tracking down the property that Chief Biney had in England?
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Again, from reading all the suggestions over the last couple of years on this, and the other linked thread, have any of the related family ordered and looked at the will to see what assests etc were mentioned?
Monica
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avm228, thank you for the notes and background re probate etc. :)
Monica
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No, do you think I should? Can I order it online?
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The link is for ordering a Will-
And then also probate was granted in the Gold Coast to Reverend Frederick Emmanuel Ekuban, Reverend Joseph Emmanuel Addo,and ministers Joseph Alpheus Vincent Cann company manager and John Samuel Akianyor clerk.
This was dated 11th may 1940,and the amount given as before (England)
His will(and codicil) could be obtained for £6 from http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa1s_0405.pdf
Carol
I hope this is the right info from what has already been posted previously :) English records, to this degree, are not my speciality (better on the Scottish stuff me ;)).
Monica
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Jonathan, can I ask after these last couple of years, with what you know to date so far on the family....how do you want to progress? I think you have been working on this for a granddaughter of Irene (from the other post)?
Over two years, directions can change, based on what you discover and learn over time. You have posted again after two years...with a breath of fresh air ::) what do you know want to research further?
Monica
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We now have the following details:
Chief Joseph Edward Biney Snr. (1850-1937) was the father of Joseph Edward Biney Jr. (1877-). Joseph Jr had Irene with Jessica Russell (1878-1953) in 1905. Joseph Jr. was admitted to the Bar on the 11 Jan 1902. On the 23rd August 1902 he went to Cape Coast, and was called to the Bar on the 17th November 1904. His daughter, Irene Dorothy Biney, was born on the 30 April 1905, and in that same year on the 11 November 1905 he went off to Cape Coast, Ghana.
I'd like to, if possible, find out who Joseph Jr's siblings were and when Jr died. Also I would like to establish who Joseph Snr married. I wouldn't mind tracing back the Biney family but I do understand that it will be difficult seeing as Ghanian records are not all online.
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Just searched on family search and the following came up. This might me Joseph Edward Biney Jr in England in the 1901 census? I don't think we ever found him.
Joseph E Biney
1901 Census
Male
22
Boarder
Birthplace: Cape Coast Castle
Hackney, London, Middlesex