Henry COWLING - Devon

[brentor boy]

I am trying to trace the death of Henry Cowling who seems to disappear from official records after 1881.

Henry was baptised at Brentor, Devon, on 9 Jan 1851. In 1872 he married Mary Ann Doidge and in 1881 he is shown as a railway packer living with her and 5 children in West Blackdown, Mary Tavy. In 1891 Mary Ann is shown as a widow, with an additional child born Mar Quarter 1884. I can find no record of Henry in 1891 or 1901, nor find any entry of his death on BMD. I have looked at variations of his surname and for him as Harry, but without success.

I realise it is possible that he might have gone overseas and expired there, but I know of nothing to support this theory. Can anyone suggest where I might now look?

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Brentor Boy,

I think we're looking for the invisible man! I've not found anything in fact the same as you. If I find something will let you know.

 

[brentor boy]

Hi Julie,

Thanks for looking. Sorry it was with negative result.

Although I dismissed the possibility of Henry going overseas in my original post, I think I may have to reconsider that view, particularly as between June 1886, when one was married in Cornwall, and Nov 1886, when they were joined by their families, Henry's two brothers-in-law, John and George Doidge , emigrated to Canada. It is possible that Henry travelled with them and then did not call his wife and family forward. I cannot imagine the brothers would have allowed him to abandon their sister voluntarily. I have been in contact with the brothers' descendants in Canada but they have found no records to support this theory. I do not know, of course, how comprehensive are the records, nor how thorough was their search.

 

[darkcrystal]

I am trying to trace the death of Henry Cowling who seems to disappear from official records after 1881.

Henry was baptised at Brentor, Devon, on 9 Jan 1851. In 1872 he married Mary Ann Doidge and in 1881 he is shown as a railway packer living with her and 5 children in West Blackdown, Mary Tavy. In 1891 Mary Ann is shown as a widow, with an additional child born Mar Quarter 1884. I can find no record of Henry in 1891 or 1901, nor find any entry of his death on BMD. I have looked at variations of his surname and for him as Harry, but without success.

I realise it is possible that he might have gone overseas and expired there, but I know of nothing to support this theory. Can anyone suggest where I might now look?

hiya,

do you have a birth certificate for the child born in 1884? at all, this would narrow down even further his date of death or possible emigration.

It is possible that he was working elsewhere in the country and died perhaps working away? or he might have re-married. There are emigration records to look at, I think that Find my past have some, and maybe Ancestry might, I dont know though as I havent had the cause to need them.

he could be mistranscribed though, that is a possiblitity.

 

[brentor boy]

Thanks, Dark Crystal.

It seems Ancestry has some new emigration records since I last looked. I shall have to check those.

 

[benny1982]

Hi

Maybe Henry joined relatives in Canada or something.

I have an ancestor who vanishes off the face of the earth after his wife died in 1871.

I wonder if emigration has anything to do with their sudden departures. Ancestry Canada may help. There may be some incoming passenger lists.

Ben

 

[brentor boy]

Hi Ben,

I do not subscribe to Ancestry but use the version at the local library. Unfortunately I have drawn a blank there. Also relatives in Canada have looked for me but without success.

 

[benny1982]

Hi

He may have died in England but his surname has been grossly mistranscribed or it was missed off the index.

It may be an option to check the local register office death records or burial records for his last known place of residence for a burial.

Ben

 

[brentor boy]

Thanks Ben, looks as if I am in for some serious digging!

 

[benny1982]

Hi

I have a few ancestors who vanish. My ancestor Thomas Musgrave was aged 63 a widower in 1891 living in St Helen Auckland, Durham as a miner. He vanishes off the face of the earth after that.

I suspect that he may have been grossly mistranscribed or he emigrated.

Ben