Newbie - Braithwaite-Brown, Gamble, Penningtons

[Mutthouse]

Hello all, I am new to all this genealogy stuff. I have been tracing my tree through ancestry and working with information from family am doing ok but we still have a bit of a mystery - maybe someone here can help?
The mystery lies with a James Braithwaite Brown - married to Clara Beatrice Samuels in Poplar in 1909. His father is listed as a Sheep farmer.
The family rumour is of a link with New Zealand and some life saving from a shipwreck.
I have found a JBB born in new zealand of the right age with a father called william but I am struggling to prove it is him with a death certificate. I have been searching but as of yet not found anything that I can say might be the right clue to follow. My grandad seems to think he died aged about 90 ish so that puts it as the 1970's in or around the stepney/poplar area.
To say its driving me mad is an understatement - can someone offer me some light at the end of the tunnel or shall I go down to london and start trawling through the headstones ( I certainly can't afford the £100 search fee!!  )

Thanks Nic

[madri]

Hello Nic and welcome to Rootschat.  Can you clairfy for me please:

James Braithwaite Brown was born in NewZealand?  If so what year?  Do you have the birth certificate?

He came to England and married Clara Beatrice Samuels in 1906.  Do you have the marriage cert?  Did they stay here or go back to NZ?

Marriage
Clara Beatrice Samuels / James Braithwaite Brown
Apr - June 1906 / Poplar
Vol No: 1c / Page No: 998

Madri

[Mutthouse]

James was born in 1882. I have no proof yet that it was NZ. The marriage certificate gives no details of place of birth. They lived in and around poplar after their marriage and until their death. She died in 1954 and him some time after. The rumour is that he jumped ship to marry her and is listed on the marriage certificate as being in the merchant navy but there are no records for anyone for that time.
I do suspect that it is the right james as the children of James and Clara bear the same names as James siblings. I just need to prove it with a death certificate - I just wish he had been born with a more unusual name lol 

[madri]

Nic, you could ask for a birth look-up on the New Zealand page.  Also, are you sure James died here in the UK, no chance he went back to NZ??
 I cannot find a death registered in the names of James B Brown.  Whoever the informant was, probably just registered it as James Brown!!  I will keep looking.  In the meantime see if you can get a look-up on the NZ pages. 

Madri

[geniecolgan]

Hi Nic,

It looks like James was born in N.Z.
James Braithwaite Brown is on this database 

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cg3/

He was born in 1881 to William and Sarah Ann.
Reg. No. 4919.

[madri]

Nic, have you ruled out this death?

James B Brown / Age 86
Jan-Mar 1965 / Poplar
Vol No: 5d / Page No: 299

[Mutthouse]

Hi Nic,

James Braithwaite Brown is on this database 

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cg3/

He was born in 1881 to William and Sarah Ann.
Reg. No. 4919.

Yes that is the record that I have ordered but can't prove it until I have a death certificate to cross reference it - does that make sense 

[Mutthouse]

Nic, have you ruled out this death?

James B Brown / Age 86
Jan-Mar 1965 / Poplar
Vol No: 5d / Page No: 299

Unfortunately he was born too early - I have his birth date from his marriage cert to Clara as 1881/2

[madri]

It's out by a few years.  Depends who registered the death cert.  Did they know his actual date of birth or did they guess or estimate!!!!

Madri