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Please help with the US records for this ancestor, if you can.

I have his BC and also the 1871 and 1881 census.

Then he emigrated to the States and I can see these records on ancestry uk but I cannot access them:-

Robt E W Besant

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)

Robert Besant

California, Death Index, 1940-1997

Robert E W Besant

1920 United States Federal Census

Robert E W Besant

1930 United States Federal Census

We believe that he married a 'Nellie' but can't get any further with that, and perhaps children too? And I think that there should be some ship's passenger lists with him on them, too.

I would be very, very grateful for all help you can give on this one.

Thank you.
:-D

U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
about Robt E W Besant
Name: Robt E W Besant
Residence Year: 1916
Street Address: 109 E 6let
Residence Place: Los Angeles, California
Publication Title: Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1916

is this him ?


R Besant
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1869
Departure Date: 4 Feb 1891
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Destination Port: New York, USA
Ship Name: City of New York
Search Ship Database: Search the 'City of New York' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Master: Fredk Watkins

1930 United States Federal Census
about Robert E W Besant
Name: Robert E W Besant
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1870
Birthplace: England
Race: White
Home in 1930: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
View Map
Marital Status: Married
Immigration Year: 1888
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Nettie L Besant
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Occupation:

Education:

Military Service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:

Parents' birthplace: View image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Robert E W Besant 60
Nettie L Besant 70

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That may reveal more for us.

TVM.
:-D

Occupation

1930 - retired

1920 - none

~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.

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

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

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.

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.

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).

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!

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