BMD's for British Expats in St Petersburg Russia pre-1917

[ShaunJ]

Having spent a fruitless afternoon at TNA yesterday I wondered if anyone has any ideas about where I might find the birth records of British children born in the Schlusselburg/St Petersburg area in the 1885-1917 period. I looked through the British consular records in FO 378 and RG33/148-151 without turning up any trace of an Austin family to which at least 5 chidren were born in that area in that period.

The father James Austin was described as a retired Works Manager on one of the children's marriage certificates.

[seamike]

Hello ShaunJ,

Do you have names and birth years of other children born in Russia? What is on the marriage certificate - "Shlusselburg" or "St. Petersburg", or both?

Mike

[jds1949]

One of the families in which I have an interest has children born and christened in Russia at this time. There was a Chapel attached to the British Factory at St Petersburg. You might find the following link of interest:

http://www.familyhistoryforum.co.uk/lofiversion/index.php?t2111.html

jds1949

[ShaunJ]

Hi Mike,

These are the children of James Austin that I know about. They are all together in the 1911 census for Newton, Cheshire.  

John Harold Austin born 3 April 1893 (per US WW1 draft registration) at St Petersburg (1914 US immigration manifest) aka Petrograd (US WW1 draft registration)
Vera Austin born 8 October 1895 (GRO death index) at St Petersburg ( as far as I recall from conversations with her)
Doris Alice Austin born circa 1900 in Russia (1911 census)
Albert Edward Austin born 22 Feb1902 St Petersburg ( per a tree on Ancestry which also shows the mother as Emily)
James Stanley Austin born to James Austin and 2nd wife Nancy Clough 2 Sep 1904 at Schlusselburg (1921 US immigration)

Per the certificate for the second marriage in 1903, James Austin was a resident of Schlusselburg

[ShaunJ]

JDS 1949 - that's very useful - thank you!

[ShaunJ]

Just found Albert Edward Austin on a ship's manifest arriving New York in 1954. This shows a birthdate of 7 May 1902. Born Russia. Nationality shown as "M.B.B.S" - does anybody know what that means?

[davidrigg3]

Was he a Physician??

MBBS usually stands for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, i.e. a qualification written in the wrong place on the manifest??

Just a thought

[ShaunJ]

No - he was a seagoing electrician. The B.S. bit is probably British Subject.

[ShaunJ]

I have just received more information on Albert Edward Austin. He was born to James and Emily Austin on 22 February 1902 (Julian calendar)/ 7 March 1902 (Gregorian). He was baptised at Schlusselburg on 10/23 March 1902.