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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: RichardK on Saturday 08 May 21 08:28 BST (UK)
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Hello - I've been looking for the death of a man known as Caleb Francis Best or Forrester. He was illegitimate and mostly used his mother's surname of Forrester, but his birth was also registered under his father's surname of Best. He was born in 1860 at Crockenhill in Kent, and his last confirmed sighting is there in the 1891 census. He was listed as deceased when one of his daughters married in 1904.
I've found the attached extract from an 1892 funeral record in the Everest Funeral Directors' record book, which appears to start with "Mr Caleb Best Orpington", but I'm struggling to read the text which follows. Unlike most other entries in this book, no date of death appears to be given. The name listed at the start of these entries is usually the deceased, but not always, sometimes being a husband or parent of the deceased instead. The entry comes between those for Rebecca Wanden (died 22 Feb 1892) and Nellie Elizabeth Clifton (died 29 Mar 1892). They were both buried at All Souls, Crockenhill. There was one burial at Crockenhill between theirs, being Jane Augusta Puddifant, buried 24 Mar 1892.
Any suggestions as to what the handwriting says which may make sense of this? Is this Caleb's funeral (despite no obvious death registration) or is he merely somehow involved in paying for someone else's funeral?
Many thanks
Richard.
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Part of it says he was buried by Sales of Orpington and that it included the opening of Mr Bush? vault in the churchyard.
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Jane Augusta Best- d/o Caleb Best, married Thomas Puddifant on 30 June 1886-Kent.
djm 297
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Jane Augusta Best- d/o Caleb Best, married Thomas Puddifant on 30 June 1886-Kent.
I think it might say:
Mr Caleb Best Orpington
Augusta P[hants] sometime
Augusta Best
Payment for her funeral?
Birth: Jane Augusta Best, born 1 q 1856, Bromley 2a, 227
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In 1861 Jane Augusta can be found with her father Caleb aged 34 and family in Orpington, RG 9/ 464/ 146/22
Her father is still alive in 1891, aged 63, still in Orpington, RG12/ 364/33/64
I think this payment could well be by Caleb Best senior, not the Caleb you are interested in.
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Thanks all - still not entirely sure what the writing was meant to say, but yes, in light of that marriage record it would appear that this is the funeral of Jane Augusta Puddifant formerly Best, daughter of the older Caleb Best, and therefore not the funeral of the younger man who disappears / dies some time between 1891 and 1904.
Many thanks
Richard.