This is all about the Bennett family who lived in Dudley. There are some minor queries but one much more complex mystery. So here goes :
Edward Bennett was born in 1857 in Stourbridge. In 1883, he married Sarah Nicklin in Tutbury, where their 5 children were born, then between 1896 and 1901 they moved to Dudley, where they all lived in 1901 and 1911 at 18 Himley Road. After Sarah died, he was still there in 1921 but I have found no record of his death.
However, in 1911, his daughter Elizabeth (born 1888) is shown with them at Himley Road but a note says “British subject by parentage”. The same note is applied to her youngest brother Edward aged 14, and also William Bennett, aged 3 and shown as Edward’s nephew born in America - bit none of the others. His birth date is shown as 7.3.08 in the 1939 register, and I found a record showing William Bennett born in Manhattan 7.4.08 so that may be him – but that's all I have i.e.nothing about parents. Back in Dudley in 1911, there is also a niece Sarah, then aged 1 and born in Dudley Port. I have two theories about William and Sarah (though there may be others) :
• They were indeed nephew and niece to Edward, which means that he must have had a brother who emigrated to America then returned to Dudley Port by 1910 and presumably died before the 1911 census, hence they went to live with Edward and his family. I can’t substantiate this further because I can’t find a record of Edward and his parents in 1861, and in 1871 he was living with his own uncle.
• Elizabeth emigrated to America some time between 1901 and 1908, gave birth to William, then returned and had Sarah in Dudley Port – they are recorded as nephew and niece to avoid the “shame” of illegitimacy. But because I can’t find a record for either, showing parent(s), I can’t prove that either. It also seems strange that Edward (Edward Thomas Bennett baptised 1896) would have accompanied Elizabeth when only aged between 5 and 12.
I have access to Familysearch, Ancestry and Findmypast but, for once, none of them have produced anything. So I am hoping to find a Rootschatter who can access either (1) details of Edward’s family to show a brother, (2) birth record for William in America to show parent/s, or (3) emigration / immigration records for Elizabeth, William and maybe Edward. Hence I am kicking this off in the Common Room as it would apply to at least two other categories.
Elizabeth subsequently married twice and had 3 or 4 children with Arthur Paskin (1886-1923) and 1 with Joseph Edward Addison (1881-1953). She died in 1973.
Thanks for your attention!
