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Gins posted the 1916 directory for him, but there's also this:

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
Name: Robt E W Besant
Residence Year: 1921
Street Address: 109½ E 51st
Residence Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupation: Hl
Publication Title: Los Angeles Directory Co's Los Angeles City Directory

No occupation
____________________________________________________________________

and

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
Name: Robt E W Besant
Gender: M (Male)
Residence Year: 1934
Residence Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupation: None
Spouse: Antoinette Besant
Publication Title: Los Angeles Directory Co.'s Los Angeles City Directory

Address: 109½ E 51st

Although Antoinette is named she isn't listed at the address.
_________________________________________________________________

Seems to be on his own in 1939 too:

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
Name: Robt E W Besant
Residence Year: 1939
Street Address: 109½ E 51st
Residence Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupation:
Publication Title: Los Angeles Directory Co's Los Angeles City Directory

Found Lillian in 1910, but not with Robert. She's with sisters:

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Lillian Besant
Age in 1910: 51 [57]
Birth Year: abt 1853 [1859]
Birthplace: Ohio
Home in 1910: Ho Ho Kus, Bergen, New Jersey
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Sister
Marital Status: Married
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio

Household Members:
Name Age
Alice C Victor 49
Meta Victor 43
Lillian Besant 51 [57]

Says she'd been married 19 years. No occupation.

Looking back at the 1907 arrival I'd thought he was heading home to Hoboken, it could be Ho Ho Kus

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi

(1956 Robert E W Besant on above)

Chris :)

This is the US arrival of that 1896 voyage:

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Lillian Besant
Arrival Date: 30 Jul 1896
Birth Date: abt 1864
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality: English
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Germanic

She's travelling with Robt E W Besant age 34 who is now a farmer?? They're headed to California.

So that 1890 marriage looks like a contender.

I daresay a reverend could farm as well?

Oh, that's just brilliant.

This is all tying up beautifully now. Robert's elder sister married a Canadian and obviously Robert and his papa William are travelling to visit. William was widowed a few years previously.

The family graves with magnificent kerbs are only ten miles from where I live, but Robert isn't commemorated on it at all. Even other family members who lived and died in Canada/USA are on there . . . And the church has some wonderful paraphernalia dedicated to William and his wife; reredos, pulpit, prayer desk, etc.

His father's rectory still stands and is a magnificent building. We have old family diaries where the writer makes entries about staying there with the family. Wonderful stuff, we are so lucky.

Wish we could find him on the 1910 census - anyone?

Keep it coming, please. I'll be back to this later this evening.

:-D :-D

I think he was a priest like his father!

Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960

Name: Rev R E W BESANT
Date of departure: 22 July 1896
Port of departure: Liverpool
Destination port: New York
Destination country: USA

Date of Birth:
Age:
Marital Status: Married
Sex: Male
Occupation:
Notes:
Passenger recorded on: Page 10 of 11

The following people with the same last name travelled on this voyage: -
Mrs BESANT

Ship: GERMANIC
Official Number:
Master's name: E R Mckinstry
Steamship Line:
Where bound: New York, USA
Square feet: 6352
Registered tonnage: 2989
Passengers on voyage: 290

What a shame they don't give his wife's first name!

Age a bit out, but possibly:

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Robert Besant
Arrival Date: 21 Dec 1907
Birth Date: abt 1866
Birth Location: England
Birth Location Other: congchen (Congleton)
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: English
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Mauretania

Stamped as "non-immigrant alien". Returning home to Hoboken, New Jersey.

Occupation "none". NOK in England was his father in Congleton, Cheshire (no full name & address given).

Here's your family in 1871 - his dad William is a clergyman!

BESANT, William Head M 37 1834 Dorset Clergyman
BESANT, Violet Wife F 34 1837 Lancashire
BESANT, Emmeline Daughter F 11 1860 Cheshire
BESANT, Walter H Son M 10 1861 Cheshire
BESANT, Violet M Daughter F 7 1864 Cheshire
BESANT, Robert E W Son M 1 1870 Cheshire
POTTS, Mary A Servant F 22 1849 Cheshire
STACEY, Pemela Servant F 26 1845 Staffordshire

Piece: 3703 Folio: 23 Page: 17
Registration District: Congleton
Civil Parish: Buglawton
Address: Vicarage, Buglawton County: Cheshire

SO - looks like him and his father back and forth a few times to Canada.

There is an outbound voyage to Canada:

Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960

Name: Mr R E W BESANT
Date of departure: 10 July 1890
Port of departure: Liverpool
Destination port: Quebec
Destination country: Canada
Date of Birth:
Age: Adult
Marital Status: Single
Sex: Male
Occupation: Gent
Notes:
Passenger recorded on: Page 7 of 9

The following people with the same last name travelled on this voyage: -
Revd W BESANT

Ship: PARISIAN
Official Number:
Master's name: Joseph Ritchie
Steamship Line: Allan Line
Where bound: Montreal, Canada
Square feet: 7845
Registered tonnage: 3263
Passengers on voyage: 342

he's travelling with the Reverend, both English, both adults, both Gents.

MarieCeleste:
Oddly enough, that's not a COMPLETE coincidence!!

RWEB's married sister Emmeline Aline Walker, nee Besant emigrated to Philadelphia with her husband and two daughters.

So, I wonder whether we can find the possible first wife's death perhaps??

And where is he in 1910??

:-D :-D

This might be a complete coincidence but thought worth posting, just in case:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Marriage Index, 1885-1951
Name: Robert William Besant
Gender: Male
Spouse Surname: Victor
Spouse Gender: Female
Marriage Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Marriage Year: 1890
Marriage License Number:
38864
Digital GSU Number: 4140386

Robert William Besant Victor 1890
Lilliam StJohn Victor Besant 1890

~Thank you again Gins and everyone. Interesting that he retired at aged 50 - we wonder what he did??

Can you find him in the 1910 US census please??

TVM.

Occupation

1930 - retired

1920 - none

Please can you look and see what his Occupation is on the US census entries?

That may reveal more for us.

TVM.
:-D

I wonder if he went to Canada first? No age given on the original, occupation states he is a "gent"
Might be a coincidence of names


Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
about Mr R E W Besant


Name: Mr R E W Besant
Gender: Male
Date of Arrival: 30 May 1888
Vessel: Sardinian
Search Ship Database: View the 'Sardinian' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Roll: C-4514

Thank you to EVERYBODY.

Mike, no that is not my tree so I need to see whose tree my chap is on!

Can anyone find him on the 1910 US census please?

Thank you, standing by.
:-D

Nettie Lela Pratt
Birth Jun 1855 in Rock Creek, Carroll, Illinois, United States

California, Death Index, 1940-1997
about Robert Ew Besant
Name: Robert Ew Besant
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 22 Nov 1869
Birth Place: Other Country
Death Date: 23 Dec 1956
Death Place: Los Angeles

Is this from your tree ?

Robert Eddy W Besant
Birth 22 Nov 1869 in Buglawton, Cheshire, England

Death 23 Dec 1956 in Los Angeles, California

26 Sep1913
Age: 43 Marriage to Nettie Lela Pratt 1913 26 Sep — Los Angeles, California, United States

1920 United States Federal Census
about Robert E W Besant
Name: Robert E W Besant
Age: 50
Birth Year: abt 1870
Birthplace: England
Home in 1920: Los Angeles Assembly District 71, Los Angeles, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1888
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Nettie L Besant
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Home Owned: Rent
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Robert E W Besant 50
Nettie L Besant 63