The Mystery of Roger Dix Bond

[Lewisff]

Hi Everyone,

For those who love a challenge,here's meaty mystery to get your teeth into. I realise that it is out of the area, but I wonder if anyone could solve the mystery of where a friend's great uncle ended up.

The person in question, Roger Dix Bond, was born in Stafford in 1870 to George Bond and Hannah Dix Boon, the second of four children. The eldest, Clement, ended up as an apprentice in Huddersfield and the youngest child was an infant death in 1875.

It would appear that both parents passed away during the late 1870's and by the time of the 1881 census, Roger, and his younger brother, Alfred Edwin where in Stafford workhouse as pauper inmates.

I know that Alfred was with his aunt, his mother's sister in 1891 and believe that he went on to marry a Sarah Lord in 1905. Alfred seems to change his middle name between Edwin and Edward. However, there is no trace of the whereabouts of Roger after 1881 as he does not appear on any GRO index after this date. Given his distinctive second name you would expect him to stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Any help in solving this mystery would be appreciated

Regards
Frank (7748)

[MaryA]

Googling the name produces a number of posts on various forums, presumably by yourself. Please ensure that all results are noted here so that any help given by our crew isn't duplicating efforts made by others.

[Lewisff]

Hi Mary,

As it stands none of the posts you refer to have revealed any relevant information in relation to Roger Dix Bond 's mysterious disappearance, other than the fact that a family relation through his mother's side - a contact IU made through GR - could find no trace of his discharge from Stafford workhouse. Furthermore, she accidentally stumbled on the fact that the workhouse did regularly place boys in the army!!

Regards
Frank

[Hilary]

Where did the parents die? Do their death certificates give any clues?

[Lewisff]

Hi Hilary,

As you can see, the mother died in Stoke on Trent and the father in Stafford.


Deaths Jun 1877 (>99%)
________________________________________
Bond Hannah Boon 31 Stoke T.
6b 161


Deaths Dec 1879 (99%)
________________________________________
Bond George 33 Stafford
6b 10


Regards
Frank

[MaryA]

Hilary's query refers to the details on the death certificates - ie place of death and address, and very importantly who registered the death.

As far as my query goes, any information gleaned is relevant to the whole picture.

[Lewisff]

HI Everyone,

Just to let you know, that I can now confirm that Alfred Edward - Edwin on his birth certificate - married Sarah Anne Rose Lord in Erdington Birmingham on the 14th of October 1905. The witnesses were John J Stevens and an FA Bruff and the registrar was a J H Hawkins. Coincidentally , their daughter, Winifred Rose Bond went on to marry a Harold Hawkins in Birmingham 1931.

Apparently, the letters WRS were written in pencil on the copy marriage certificate. Anybody have any idea what they might refer to?

All the best for the New Year,
Frank

[Lewisff]

Morning all,

I can now confirm that Roger was discharged from Stafford workhouse on the 8th of June 1883 and was apprenticed to a tailor - Oliver Blackburn of Slaithwaite in Yorkshire. Given that his elder brother, Clement, ended up in Huddersfield too, there must be links between there and the Bond family.

It seems that it was one of Roger's aunts, a Mrs Bond of Cressbrook Hill, which I believe to be in the Derbyshire Peak District close to Buxton, who requested and arranged this for Roger. In the corresponance between Mrs Bond and the Stafford Board of Guardians, she does not use his middle name of Dix, which might explain why we are having trouble tracing him. Incidentally, Cressbrook was the birthplace of the Arkwright mill - the Spinning Jenny - in the early years of the Industrial Revolution.

We still don't know what happened to Roger, but he wasn't with the Blackburn family by the time of the 1891 census. Oliver Blackburn died in 1892.

Cheers
Frank