TOPHAM BECHER DABRIDGECOURT HOUGH - Birth 1898 St Pancras

[avm228]

A short obituary of TBDH (among others of "Fallen Officers") appeared in The Times, 25 Jan 1916.

His DOB is given as 15 April 1897.

He is described as the only child of Topham Hough Hough and Mary J. Hough.

Education: Colet Court, Bridlington Grammar School.

He wanted to be an architect and was a probationer of the Royal Institute of British Architects, having passed a preliminary examination.

He was said to be a kinsman of Lord Sherbrooke "and also of H. O. D. Becher, the Cameronians, S.R. and Major J.P. Becher, D.S.O., 8th Sherwood Foresters (T.F.), both of whom have lost their lives in this war".

[bendywendy]

  but how are they related to Lord Sherbrooke.... questions and more questions...

I wonder if that school is the school his father and uncle went too, a bit more digging required.

With these other names in his obituary I will do more searching, tea to cook first (in Yorksha evening meal is Teatime)

Thanks to you all, I find this family fascinating, came across them some months back as I have ancestors who are Hough and only yesterday when it was on the local radio that "Lost WW1 letters turn up at a Bridlington School" they were written by TBDH and they were donated to the school a long time ago but had been lost, it made my mind ring..... isn't that the family I was working on some time ago...sure is, but I didn't know about the son then.

b.

[avm228]

The other named "kinsmen":

www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/58951/BECHER,%20HENRY%20OWEN%20DABRIDGECOURT

www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/75739/BECHER,%20JOHN%20PICKARD

[hugatree]

I searched for all Marys born Wootton Rivers in 1891 census
Came up with Mary married to Thomas Smith a police constable.  
Checked marriages and there is a Mary Farmer married Thomas Smith in Pewsey in 1887. BUT they are also on the 1901 census
Then a Mary married to Richard Harmour, maiden name Bush married Pewsey 1888
Then a Mary J Goddard born 1870  a servant to Joseph and Eleanor Russell at 16 Lower Belgrave Street, London.  She is in the 1881 census also.
Then Mary Brown visitor to 24 Spence Road Islington, who is also on the 1881 census
Then Mary Beckingham in somerst a cook, who is also on the 1881 census
Now cross referncing marriages of Mary Farmer
Phew!

EDIT - Ha mised Maddie's comment about Mary Panner, visitor.  She hasn't popped up on my search as she was indexed as born in Australia!  I admit the image is not a good one but Australia???  Oh well mystery solved, that's one good thing.  So the Farmer birth cert is the stab in the dark.   
Am I safe to assume there are no military records available with date of birth etc?

[bendywendy]

aye thanks everyone  now I must go cook tea
b.

[avm228]

His father is TOPHAM HOUGH KIRBY of Scarborough, N. Yks,  c1822, and later 1881, changed his name to TOPHAM HOUGH HOUGH, who it turns out is a kinsman of Lord Sherbrooke, how this comes about I have no idea at the present time.
His father was James Kirby a Joiner/Mill Owner at Belle Vue House, Scarborugh and brother to James Barber Kirby, Reverend of several churches south of England and then of St Mary's, Beverley, East Yorkshire where he died 1920.
Both these sons had private education, according to the University info and had a sister Anne Louisa Kirby c1867 Scarborough and never married, she was a nurse but then due to ill health lived off small amount of private means. Both her brothers left substantial amounts upon their deaths, Topham £6, 154.5s.8d  and  James  £7,495.19s.11d

It looks from the censuses 1891 onwards (and death reg) as though THH was born abt 1863 rather than 1822.

Edit: His birth is registered as Topham Hough Kirby, Jun qtr 1863 Scarborough.

Has he been found before 1891?

Are these his parents marrying?

Marriage, Sep qtr 1862

James KIRBY
Ann or Annie BARBER

...on the same page, Scarborough 9b 430.

I see that James was a widower in 1861 and again in 1871, by which time he had son James Barber (6) and daughter Anne Louisa (4) with him but no Topham.

His wife "Anne" Kirby may have died aged 37, Dec qtr 1870 Scarborough.

[JenB]

Am I safe to assume there are no military records available with date of birth etc?

Anna gave the date of birth in reply #9

[bendywendy]

Hi avm228
I have no idea why I put 1822... yes it is Topham Hough Kirby Jun 1863 Scarborough and those are his parents.

James Kirby at Nafferton, Yks on 1841 cen as App to a Carpenter, which would fit with his later trade
James Kirby and wife Jan, she had 3 dau's by the surname of Clarkson on 1851 census.
James Kirby and step dau Clarkson and visitors and servants on 1861 census.
James Kirby and son James & Anne on 1871 census.

James Kirby bap Weaverthorpe, 10 Jun 1812 to Benjamin Kirby & Jane.

But where was Topham Hough Kirby ?? even if he was at school, he would be on the census's. He then turns up on 1891 cen with surname Hough.

b.

[bendywendy]

He is listed as 18 yrs for death in London Gazette, all the year of births on census' s etc all match up to around 1897/98 ish.

His father was solicitor so anything could be probable as to changing his name etc.. unless he was born
abroad and for some reason give a birth place as St Pancras

b.