60 year old Brick wall - Help to knock it down

[pauline1944]

JOSEPH JAMES MINETT was born in Islington, London in 1855. He married ELEANOR SEARS ROBINSON at St.Pancras Old Church, London in 1877. They had three children, Sophia Eleanor, Joseph Frederick and Alphonso George Edward (the latter being my grandfather). On the 1891 Joseph James is on his own at Cornelia Street, near King's Cross Station. Eleanor, Sophia and Alphonso are with Joseph James's parents,(with their surname spelt wrong as MINCK, but been corrected) Sophia and Alphonus Minett home. It seems that Joseph Frederick is with a Mr and Mrs May, as a scholar. Joseph James is a Traveler for his father's Soap Manufacturing company which is in the York Way area, near King's Cross Station, London.

Joseph James Parents both had died by 1896, and Eleanor Sears inheritated everything in the will even the soap manufacturing company which she later sold. In the 1901 census she is with Sophia. No sign of Joseph James anywhere, the Joseph Minett in the Workhouse, St.Mary's Islington, is not him. I have even bought certificates for him to prove it. Sophia got married in 1902 and it says Joseph James is deceased, as it does on Grandad's certificate in 1909. So what happened to Joseph James??????

My sister and I have scoured Ancestry, Find My Past, Family Records Office has been scoured over the years from as early as the 1950's, and nothing. We have asked Scotland Yard, and they can find nothing, and my sister is now doing the rounds of what mental hospital's she can find, but surely if he died in a hospital he would have had his death registered???? The Passport Office will not help, as I cannot provide a Death Certificate. I cannot find him on a passenger list anywhere, unless of course he has lied about his age of course, or even changed his name, and not registered the change. Or he has committed suicide, and no one knew his identity. In which case we shall never, know, but something was known, as Grandad was going to tell Mum, only never did, dying suddenly in 1962, In hospital for prostrate problem and had a cononary and that was that. Secret never told.

So has anyone Please got any fresh ideas???? Can we find my elusive Butterfly after so many years hunting

Thank you

 

[pee wee]

Hi Pauline,

Well you have got a brick wall haven't you. Unfortunately I don't subscribe so could only look through the public records. I found his, Christening, marriage & births of his children & what he was doing on the 1881 census. His death doesnt pop up anywhere under any spellings.

As his wife inherited the estate I would imagine he had died before his parents. Or he did something real bad & was disinherited. Another scenerio could be that as he was a traveller he went missing in the 10yrs between 1891 & 1901 census & was declared dead by court. The parents could have changed the will to keep things in the family. Have you seen a copy of the will? & have you checked prison records?

After 60yrs I prob haven't given you anything new to think about, but these were the lines my train of thought were going along.

Cheers Peta