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I have all the details for Arthur Henry Bennett up to the 1891 England Census, when he was employed as a draper’s assistant in a retail store in Northampton.
I then find an Arthur Henry Bennett marrying Eva Margaret Miller at St Peters, Fort William, Calcutta, on 8th October 1898. He is described as a draper and his father’s name is recorded as Joseph Hourll Bennett. My Arthur Henry’s father was Joseph Bennett and his brother’s name was Joseph Howell Bennett! So, quite persuasive but not guaranteed to be my man.
Through contact with some Miller family descendants, I then found that Eva Margaret Bennett (nee Miller) married a William Albert Clark on 27th April 1904. Eva is recorded as divorced but I have not been able to find a record of such a divorce.
The Miller family were unable to tell me what happened to Arthur Henry Bennett . I am reasonably sure that I have searched all the obvious sources on line, without success, so I hope some kind soul can help me to find him.
PeterWhat a delicious story! Were there any children born to AHB and Eva? I don’s see any baptisms on Familysearch.
Interesting – the newspaper report from the T of I on the Fibis database says St Pauls for the marriage: “Oct 8 at St Paul’s Church Fort William Calcutta, Arthur Henry Bennett to Eva Margaret Miller youngest daughter of the late Major Miller VC” – but this is probably an error in the paper or transcript, as St Paul’s was the Cathedral and would have been designated as such, and is NOT in the Fort.Unfortunately I know of no databases of divorce in India – I found one that I wanted in 1915 as a one line listing in a newspaper column of “High Court Cause Lists”. So, your best option is probably to search whatever Indian or other newspapers are available to you. However, unless the circumstances of the divorce were particularly noteworthy, there may not be an actual report.
Not sure if it is any help, but have found a listing for A H Bennett in the 1895 Thackers Indian Directory as an Assistant at Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co – which would fit with him being a draper. Given that the directory information is collected in the previous year, it looks as if Arthur Henry Bennett would have gone to India, Calcutta sometime between 1891-1894. Whiteaway’s were a very large firm of drapers etc with premises on Chowringhee Road – you would have no problem finding out more about them by googling.
Hope this helps
SylviaSylvia, thank you very much for respoding to my post. The information about Whiteaway Laidlaw is very interesting and fits with AHB’s apparent movements. Having said that, I have searched for AHB on passenger lists (Ancestry & FMP) 1891 – 1895 without success.
The search continues.
Best wishes
Peterp.s. Small World coincidence. A biogrephy of Sir Robert Laidlaw states that he bought a house called The Warren, at Coney Hall Near Bromley. I spent the first nine years of my life living about 500 yards away (in a suburban semi!).
Peter – I also searched the passenger records 1891-1894 without success. I doubt that the available records are a complete representation of passages. The other possibility is that he could have taken a ferry to Europe, train to Mediterranean port and ship from there, in which case he would not appear on an embarkation list.
How did his employment with Whiteaways come about? Did he answer an ad in a British newspaper, and go to pre-arranged employment, or go on spec?
Suggest checking the annual editions of Thackers Directories at the BL for hisfirst and last listings, then try and work out what became of him after he disappears from the directory.
SylviaHow did his employment with Whiteaways come about? Did he answer an ad in a British newspaper, and go to pre-arranged employment, or go on spec?
Yes, I wondered about that. One clue is an advert in the Northampton Mercury of 18th June 1897, in which Frisby, Dyke & Co announce they are ‘retiring business’ (closing down!). Did AHB see the writing on the wall and hie himself off to pastures new?
Thank you for the Thackers suggestion, I’ll try to follow it up.
Peter
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