William Benham
 

Name - "official" name and what they were known as
William Benham

Date and place of birth
1795 Rendlesham, Suffolk, England

Names of parents
Henry and ???

Date and place of baptism - if applicable

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any
23rd June 1828 at St James Westminster to Elizabeth Sillett
and, after her death in 1851:
23rd March 1857 at St Paul Islington to Sarah Paterson (née Roots)

Occupation(s) - if any
postman

Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK) - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on (if s/he lived in census times!).
1840 - Richard Street, Islington
1841 - Post Office, St Leonards, Middlesex
1851-61 - 5 Norfolk Place, Islington
1871 now known: 17 Tyssen Street, West Hackney, London - lodging with the Knapp family
1881 - Bawdsey, Suffolk with his daughter Mary.

Date, place and cause of death
now known: 11th December 1884 - Bawdsey, Suffolk
"old age"

Date and place of burial.
unknown

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable

Memorial inscription - if any

Sarah, there is this William Benham in the Workhouse in 1871:

1871 Census
BENHAM, William
WOODBRIDGE, Suffolk
RG10 piece 1758 folio 164 page 20

Sadly it says "idiot" beside his name and that he was born in Hasketon, and is unmarried. However, I couldn't find another William Benham of the same age in 1861 so could it be him??

Thanks Elizabeth,

So the death cert may or may not be 'my William'
The problem of having limited cash for certs ;)

I don't think it says idiot for the 1881 census though... I'll have a look now

For ref:
1841: HO107 721/15 folio 4 p2
1851: HO107 1502 folio 362 p24
1861: RG9 142 folio 85 p12

1881: RG11 1882 folio 20 p4

Sarah, I don't know whether it's him because there is another death:

Mar qr 1874
Benham William 76 Woodbridge 4a 445

The trouble is, the one in the workhouse was already 75 in 1871 although I doubt they knew their ages accurately!

Your William was definitely alive in 1881 so I would think the death you found is correct.

I wish I could find another William Benham in 1871 for you.

Thanks for looking Elizabeth, most of his children are hiding or dead too... :(

Is this William in 1871

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin...1-&bsk=&pgoff=

Class: RG10; Piece: 316; Folio: 42; Page: 12; GSU roll: 818893.

Maggie, you may be onto something there.

The writing is diabolical, and I've been trying to read the occupation and POB.

The POB is definitely "-ridge".

What made me think its him is the occupation does that say GPO at the end? I can't read the first two words though.

On the 1881 it had post office pensioner from my recollection

On Ancestry its transcribed as Woodbridge, Suffolk, England for POB.

Edit to say: Can't read first word of occupation but last two are 'Messenger GPO'

Wow, thanks!! Yes, I think that's him.

Superannuated messenger GPO ?? (It says 'Superannuated postman' 1861)

Tyssen Street??

Yep I think that is what it says or supposed to say.


Superannuated Messenger GPO

Yes Tyssen Street its still there its off Dalston Lane.