Mystery of Great Grandfather Mc Laven

[Ragna]

Hello all again (2nd attempt, granddaughter deleted last attempt)

Wonder if anyone has any advice that can help me solve a 2 year mystery about my Great Grandfather Sydney George Frederick McLaven aka Frederick George Sydney McLaven. I can find no signs of him on any census's or his birth, so therefore I am unable to go back any further.

I have 3 definate pieces of documentation in my possession for him

Marriage Certificate March 9th 1895 to Fanny Terrey. On this certificate he is named as Sydney George Frederick McLaven, 28 years old, a Bachelor, Hotel Assistant who lived at 1 Acorn Place Peckham (was Fannys sisters house)and father named as Edward McLaven who was a Farmer. (did not say deseased) The witnesses were both Terrey's which therefore makes me conclude that his Family didnt attend.

Death Certificate August 9th 1907 Salisbury but this time named as Frederick George Sydney McLaven Aged 40 years.

Medical records leading to his death mention that he owned Claridges (obviously he didnt, but led me to wonder if he worked there) So rang Claridges but they were not very forthcoming.

Apart from these I have found absolutely nothing else or on his Father Edward.

One theory was that he perhaps was originally LAVEN and because this is a Jewish name and there was an awful amount of anti-semitisium around this time he changed it. If this is the case then I have found a Sydney Laven born in Marylebone on the 1881 Census who was residing at Wandsworth Reformatory Boys School. Yet I can not find him on the Marylebone Births. (unless I didnt look correctly)

Another theory was that he came from Ireland or Scotland?

He does not feature on any of the Census's including the 1901 Census where he is missing although his Wife and children are residing at 27 Surrey Lane Battersea.  Nor Can I find a Edward McLaven. I have tried all varients including putting in just Sydney George Frederick, just McLaven & Laven but nothing seems to tie in.

So basically I have come up against a brick wall but i am wondering whether there is something obvious that I am missing here.

Has anyone got any advice or suggest what road to go down next.

Many thanks again

Ragna

[Rian]

Hi Ragna
I thought that he may have been mistranscribed as a McLaren but I couldn't find a match there either (I don't have access to all the censuses though).
I would look at Scotland; and hope he isn't in Ireland as they are more difficult to find there, a lot of their records having been destroyed.
Have you tried GenesReunited? They have a large membership now and can be useful.
Interesting about the Claridges reference — I wonder why they mentioned it if there was no truth in it?
Good luck, Rian.

[Josephine]

Ragna,

Do you have his obit?  You know when and where he died so you could write to the library and ask them to look it up and copy it for you.  His obit might mention where he was born or where he grew up.  It might also mention family members and their whereabouts.

You could also write to the cemeteries and funeral homes in the area.  Their records might list place of birth.

Regards,
Josephine

[Josephine]

Ragna,

Another thought would be to try to find Claridges in the 1901 census, in case he was working the night shift.

Their website gives the street names, etc:

http://www.claridges.co.uk/about_claridges/default.asp

Regards,
Josephine

[Ragna]

Thank you for all your replies

Rian - Yes i wondered too about McLaren because quite often the V can look like a R. I have found nothing that fits so far. I am on GenesReunited but sadly have had no links yet, I have also got a tree with ancestry so hoping in the future that eventually someone will shed some light.
The reason I mentioned Claridges is that within his medical notes they said he would say he owned Claridges in London (of course he didnt..he was a pauper) but it made me wonder if he was a Hotel Porter there (that was his occupation) and this was the reason he mentioned it.

Josephine - Yes I have his death Certificate but his birth is not mentioned on it. Would there be more information somewhere else? (think I may go and start making some phone calls)


Well as for Claridges, I have tried to find it on the 1901 Census without luck. (think i must be putting in something wrong) & I actually rang Claridges who were not very forthcoming and still awaiting for them to call me back.


Thanks again..(i will not give up....i will not give up...)

[Josephine]

Ragna,

Was a notice put in the newspaper when he died?  That's what I meant by his obit (obituary).  Sometimes the family includes place of birth in an obit, especially if it was another country or area.

This information might be on his tombstone or in his cemetery or funeral home records.

Since you have the date of marriage, you could also request a look-up in the newspaper in case there was a notice in the newspaper about it.

Good luck!  I have several brick walls, so I know how it feels!  But never give up until you have exhausted all the possibilities!   

Regards,
Josephine

[Lydart]

I checked The Times archives ... nothing about him there

[Ragna]

Thank you both...

After I read some replies earlier I rang Salisbury Registry Office and asked if there would have been more information than what is on the Death Certificate. They said in those days there wasnt but told me to call the Library which i did and they are currently running a search for me to find where he was buried, but sadly it will most likely be in an unmarked grave as he was a pauper.

I very much doubt if there would be an obituary as from what I make out he was disowned by his family after contracting Syphillis of the Brain (took 3-5 years for them to die) However I will see if there is something more about his Marriage.

So frustrating !!!

Ragna

[Josephine]

Ragna,

That's a really sad story.  Oh, boy.

I've tried to search for him in the various censuses using just his first initials and even that didn't pan out.

Most of the McLavens listed in the 1901 census were born in Scotland.  (There's a George McLaven, aged 38, in prison in 1901 and he was born in Edinborough.)  Perhaps, as someone else suggested, you might look to Scotland for his birth.  You know approximately when he was born (from his age when he was married). 

I wonder, if you request a look-up on the Scotland board, perhaps someone might be able to find his birth or baptism in the Scotlands People index, or even just tell you if it isn't there.  He's got quite the name so it should be easy enough to identify him, no matter the order in which his given names were written (at least I hope so).

If the library is able to learn where he was buried, that might be a clue, at least as to whether or not he was Jewish.

Regards,
Josephine