Harold Alexander SINCLAIR

[royboys]

I am trying to contact chat name mcguyver who was asking for info on Harold Alexander Sinclair, I am Harold Sinclair's grand daughter.

[Jamjar]

Welcome, royboys

Hopefully they will receive a notification to say that someone has posted a reply here.

Jamjar

[mcgyver]

Hello Royboys
Great to hear from you. I am trying to locate information about Frances Beckensall. She was daughter of Jane Evans, father unknown. She was born before Jane married Beckensall. France's had a brother Walter who was born in New Zealand in 1882. Unfortunately Jane's husband had died 7 years earlier. Am trying to find out if anyone in Frances' family knew who Walter's father was as Jane left that blank on the birth certificate. They moved to Victoria Australia where Walter married and had my grandfather. Unfortunately Walter died at Gallipoli and his wife remarried that same year and changed the boys (2 sons) names to Russell. If I can help you with other info please let me know. There were other siblings but need to check my notes. just so great to locate you. Many thanks
Mcgyver

[royboys]

Hi Mcgyver, great to be in touch with a long lost cousin!well I kew about Walter being killed at Gallipolli.
My grandfather Harold Sinclair had 2 children as you know. Alan Alexander sinclair was born 16/3/1921 and died in 2006. Unlce Alan had a very distinguised career in the Australian Public Service and also served in the Royal Australian Navy seeing service in the battle of the Coral SEa.
Unlce had 5 children of whom 4 are still living, 3 gilrs and 2 boys, my mother was Harold and Mary sinclairs daugher Berry Frances sinclair born 4/3/1919 and dies 3 January 1997. Harold and Mary sionclair only had the 2 childeren.
Mum only had the one child that is me.  I di not have any childeren.
My grandfathjer was very fond of his mother.
Family legend has it that Frances Beckinsal was a dressmaker for Queen Victoria, not how reliable that info is.
I did a bit of research ahd saw that the Beckinsall family came from Berkshire a town called Stephanton is that right.
Wish I had caught up wioth you a bit sooner but I dont have a pc at home and only by chance googles poppa's name for a bit of a joke on the pc here at work.
Also poppa had a sister Vera Sinclair, aunty Vera married Ben Greenough and moved to Sydney. She did not have any childern, she died in about 1977.
keep in touch I will do a bit more research on the family. Are you on the Beckinsall dside of the family?

[royboys]

this is for Mcgyver, have checked australian War memorial war records, have found that Walter Beckensall embarked for the war from Melbourne on October 1914. Have also found another Beckensall This is Francis Julius Beckensall who was also born in New Zealand but again embarked for the war from Melbourne. Interesting that Francis Julius Beckensall gives his next of kin as Jane M Beckensall, and Walter gives his next of kin as Francis Walter Beckinsall at 84 Canning Street Carlton Victoria.
I will keep looking

[royboys]

again another message for Mcgyver.
Have checked on Francis Julius Beckensall and his next of kin is Mrs J Beckensall at 329 Lennox Street, richmond, he enlisted 26/11/1915. His address at time of embarkation on HMAT Demosthenes was 329 Lennox street, Richmond Vic. So I wonder if he enlisted becuase of Walter's death. the ship left Melbourne on 29/12/1915.
Whilst there is a record of Walter being killed no record comes up for Francis, so he may have survived the war.

[mcgyver]

Dear Royboys

Thank you so much for all your information, I find it fascinating learning about our families past.
My Great Grandfather,  Walter Herbert Beckensall died in the second wave at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, his 32nd birthday.
George Beckensall married Jane Evans on 17 October 1868 in Steventon, Berkshire. Walter’s mother . It was believed Jane was born in 1843 but she must have been born in 1840 because she died in 1992 in Warburton Victoria aged 82.  It is believed she had twins, Milton and Maryanne Evans who died on 20 March 1859 and May 1859 in Berkshire.
I know they must have moved to NZ between 1871 and 1881 but can’t find any information about that.
Walter’s older brother Francis Julius Beckensall was born in Oamaru, south of Timaru NZ in 1881, enlisted in the Army on 26 November 1915 and later died at Caulfield Victoria in 1936. You will find his Army record as well as Walter’s in Australia War Archives.
Frances (Fanny Dearlove Evans) born 19 June 1865 was Walter and Francis Julius’s step-sister. As Walter and Francis’s mother did not put their father’s name on their birth certificates, our family do not know who we are. We thought we were Beckensalls but alas George had died 7 years before Walter’s birth. There was another brother Albert Edward born about 1871 in Steventon Berkshire and died in 1942 in Fitzroy Victoria aged 72.
My grandfather Francis Walter Beckensall, Walter’s eldest son, had a brother Albert and he had 4 daughters. Have managed to track down a couple of cousins from Albert’s family.
There are a couple of news items about Jane and Fanny in the NZ newspapers you might like to read.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/
Look forward to hearing from you again. Ciao

[Maddie]

Hi

If you have a look at Family Search on the New Zealand Immigration Passenger Lists your George Beckensell with family can be found on the Tintern Abbey into Canterbury, sailing 7 Jan 1875, arriving 3 May 1875.

Hope it helps.

Maddie

[mcgyver]

Dear Maddie
Many thanks for your information. I have looked and obviously missed this information.
Wonderful of you.
Ciao
Mcgyver