Russia Resident - British Subject

[Alexander.]

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!

[Jeuel]

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? 

[stanmapstone]

See http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Overseas_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths

Stan

[osprey]

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

[akanex2]

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?

[ShaunJ]

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.

[Alexander.]

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

[akanex2]

Many thanks ShaunJ - that's fantastic!

AK2

[mikematt]

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