Rebecca Fenn 1860

[Daisy01]

I'm looking for any information on Rebecca Fenn born 1860 Warwickshire England. In 1891 she was working as a cook for the Green family in Hendon Middlesex.Sarah's parents were James Fenn and Elizabeth nee Lawrence.It's believed she went to South Africa with the Green family .One of the son's was Fred W E Green a physician later known as W . Eldridge-Green inventor of lantern to determine colour blindness.
Rebecca's was on the passenger list to England in 1934 , her nephew W J Taylor of Birmingham was enquiring into her whereabouts in 1902.
Did she go back to South Africa?Where did she die? Is a will available and where would i find it?
Help!!!!!

Daisy.

[Mole]

There's no sign of a deceased estate file for Rebecca Fenn on NAAIRS. This doesn't necessarily mean she didn't die in SA as not everyone who did so had an estate file lodged with the Master of Supreme Court. Naturally, there would be no will available if no estate file exists. I did find the reference to Taylor enquiring into Rebecca's whereabouts in 1902. You then mention that she was on a passenger list to England in 1934 ? If you haven't found her subsequently on a ship returning to SA, she may have remained in England and died there. Have you checked UK GRO deaths for relevant years?

Mole

[Daisy01]

Thanks Mole for your help. I've tried UK GRO and not found anything,also can't find her on any  other passenger lists so she might well have stayed in England. There isn't any trace anywhere that i can find unless she married in late in  life.

Daisy

[Mole]

Did you mean that Rebecca was sailing from SA to England in 1934? Just checking. If that's the case she would have been aged about 74. How far forward did you search in GRO deaths? Sometimes people lived to a surprisingly great age.
I had a look at the Census returns from 1861 forwards and found results as you mentioned: note the birthplace of the Rebecca Fenn working for Green family at Hendon in 1891 is given as Birmingham.

Mole

[Daisy01]

Yes Rebecca sailed from Mombasa and arrived in the UK 20.8.1934. No return passage found.I've gone back as far as 1955 in the GRO deaths and still nothing.

Daisy

[braw]

Hi Daisy.

I cant see the south african link if she departed Mombassa which is in Kenya some 1800 miles to the north or am I missing something?

[Mole]

  I was about to mention that, too. Mombasa certainly isn't in South Africa.

However, there is a South African link i.e. the reference re Rebecca's nephew W J Taylor of Birmingham enquiring into her whereabouts appears on SA National Archives index (NAAIRS) dated 1902.

Mole

[braw]

I still dont see the link even if her nephew also assumed she might be in South Africa.I dont know if Kenya has acurate archives open to the public but think this might be well worth investigating.

Bruce