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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Alexander. on Saturday 06 November 10 06:28 GMT (UK)

Title: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: Alexander. on Saturday 06 November 10 06:28 GMT (UK)
After searching high and low, I just learned from the 1911 census why one of my great grandmother's uncles, John Baxter, could not be found anywhere in the 1901 census. The 1911 census shows that two of his six living children were born in Russia. They were:

Alice Constance Baxter, 12 (b. c.1899), birthplace: Russia Resident, Nationality: British Subject
Albert Edward Baxter, 10 (b. c.1901), birthplace: Russia Resident, Nationality: British Subject

So I have a few questions:

How do I go about finding records of Alice and Albert's births? Being British subjects would their births be registered with the UK system or Russia?

What could possibly have made John and his family go to Russia? He was a wire rope maker from Sheffield, with no family connections to Russia at all. It can't have been just a short trip because they had two children born there, so they must have been there at least two or three years. They are back in the UK by 1903 with birth of their next child.

How would one get from the UK to Russia in around 1900?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: Jeuel on Saturday 06 November 10 09:26 GMT (UK)
I don't know the answers, but I guess a British birth abroad would be registered with the British Embassy.   If Alice and Albert's deaths were registered in England after 1969 they should have their birthplace on and hopefully instead of saying just "Russia" it will give a placename.

As for why he got there, I am assuming it would be for better employment prospects or because John was running away from something or someone over here!

Getting there would involve a ship to reach mainland Europe and maybe a rail and/or road journey from the port he landed at.

I can't see anything on FindMyPast's ship's passenger's lists.  Do you know when/where/who John married? 
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: stanmapstone on Saturday 06 November 10 09:31 GMT (UK)
See http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Overseas_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths

Stan
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: osprey on Saturday 06 November 10 10:47 GMT (UK)
both births appear in the GRO Consular Birth Indices for 1901-1905

Albert Edward Baxter vol 11 pg 2297 Baku
Alice Constance Baxter vol 11 pg 2297 Baku

You can get copies of the certificates from the GRO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: akanex2 on Saturday 06 November 10 15:14 GMT (UK)
My gt gt grandmother, Annie Hamilton, was a British Subject permanently resident in Italy at the time of her death in 1919.  Would she be likely to have a UK death certificate and, if so, how would I go about getting the GRO consular death references?
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: ShaunJ on Saturday 06 November 10 15:25 GMT (UK)
Annie Hamilton's death was registered with the British consul in Bordighera (page 651 in the 1916-1920 index).  She was aged 74.

Probate was awarded in London on 5 June 1919 to John Byers Gunning Moore and Edward Fraser Lennox Conyngham. She lived  at Villa San Patrizio and died on 10 April 1919.
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: Alexander. on Saturday 06 November 10 16:43 GMT (UK)
Thanks Jeuel, Stan & Osprey. I know that Albert and Alice's mother was a Florence Maud Layne (also perhaps spelled Lane), they married in Sheffield in 1891.

Will have a look for Albert and Alice's death, though Baxter is quite a common name, so not sure if I'll be able to narrow it down enough.

Thanks,
Alexander
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: akanex2 on Saturday 06 November 10 17:48 GMT (UK)
Many thanks ShaunJ - that's fantastic!

AK2
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: mikematt on Thursday 11 November 10 13:04 GMT (UK)
Hi all

I have an Alexander Howard born c1856 in Russia and would be interested to know if the GRO have a record of his birth...?

Mike
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: osprey on Friday 12 November 10 09:39 GMT (UK)
can't see him in any of the overseas indexes....

 :-\
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: ShaunJ on Friday 12 November 10 20:53 GMT (UK)
Per the 1891 census Alex Howard was born in Ouglitch, Russia. Per the 1871 his father Henry was a retired paper maker so may have been involved with the Ouglitch writing paper mill.  A Google search reveals references to Howards involved in paper milling in Russia since the 18th century.

There are some St Petersburg  baptism records at the Guildhall library. Not sure about Ouglitch.
Title: Re: Russia Resident - British Subject
Post by: mikematt on Friday 12 November 10 21:05 GMT (UK)
Many thanks for your replies.  Pity he's not in the overseas index.  However the Ouglitch link might be worth investigating.

Mike