Where was Arthur for 48 years? In 1891, he was living with his family. He then disappeared for 27 years before marrying May in 1918. Another 21 years pass and he shows up living in Beccles.

Arthur Edwin Oxborough

Born: 25 APR 1880 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: Stephen Oxborough (1858 to 1906)
Mother: Emma Reeder Baxter (1858 to 1891)

Spouse: May Elizabeth Payne (1882 to 1942)

Married: 1918 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children: None

Died: 1950 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1881 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1891 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1891 Death of brother, Frederick
1891 Death of mother, Emma
1891 Death of sister, Ethel
1898 Death of sister, Caroline
1906 Death of father, Stephen
1918 Marriage to May
1939 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1942 Death of wife, May
1950 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

1881 and 1891 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: None

The 48 Year Mystery:

As I was building Arthur’s profile on my family tree, I hit the proverbial “brick wall”. I could not find him on the 1901 and 1911 England census records.

There are many reasons why your ancestors could “disappear”. They may have emigrated to another country. They may have been in jail or a mental asylum. They could have been fishermen who were out to sea for months at a time.

In Arthur’s case, I wonder if he joined the British military. He had last appeared on the 1891 England census with his parents and siblings. I then have to jump forward 27 years.

I knew that Arthur married May at the end of 1918 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. This was also the time that World War I was ending and the troops were returning home.

I searched the military records on Ancestry.com but came up empty. The National Archives notes:

“In September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store in Arnside Street, London, approximately two-thirds of 6.5 million soldiers’ documents for the First World War were destroyed.”

I had to jump forward another 28 years. Arthur next appeared on the 1939 England and Wales Registers. He is listed as “incapacitated”. This may or may not have been due to serving in the military.

This is just one scenario that may answer this mystery. If any Oxborough descendants know what happened to Arthur in these 48 years, please contact me at dlwakenight@yahoo.com.

Spouse:

May Elizabeth Payne:

May was born on 4 MAY 1882 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1942 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

May’s father was William Payne. He was born in 1858 in Barnby, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1942 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

May’s mother was Esther Turner. She was born on 6 MAR 1860 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1939 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

May had 12 brothers and sisters:

Florence A Payne (1878)
Joseph W Payne (1879)
Jane Payne (1881)
Sidney Payne (1885)
Lily Payne (1886)
George Payne (1888)
Oscar Payne (1891)
Elsie Payne (1892)
Bertha Payne (1894)
William Payne (1898)
Donald Payne (1899)
Wilfred Payne (1904)

Elsie had previously married William Andrews in 1901 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

William Andrews was born in 1883 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1918 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Again, I wondered if William had fought in World War I. Even though his death was registered in Wangford Registration District, he may have been wounded and sent home where he died.

Yet, World War I was not the only event that killed people. By the spring of 1918, the Spanish Flu had begun to spread across England. This is where descendants of William Andrews may be able to “fill in the blanks”.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th Century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th Century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

Creating Your Family Tree:

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!