Ask the Expert - murder mystery

Our expert Stephen Rigden, pictured right, answers your questions.

From Charlotte Paton in King’s Lynn, Norfolk:

‘I am trying to trace the family of Lilian (Lillian) Alexander who was murdered in Edingthorpe in April 1901, aged 8. She was born in 1892. She had a sister Alice who gave evidence at the trial of her murderer who was born in 1890. Dad was the ‘late’ Matthew Alexander on Lilian’s death certificate.

I can find nothing on any of the censuses about the family, who Mum was etc. Can you find them and explain why I can’t please?’

Steve says:

‘Many thanks for your question. I think the best way forward for you is actually the simplest - namely, to purchase the birth certificate of Lilian (which you can do online at the official government website). Her death was registered in June quarter 1901 in Smallburgh registration district; the death index gives her age as 8 years, as you say, which means that she would have been born circa 1892/93.

Checking the birth index, you can find her birth in 1892 in Smallburgh. The birth of her sister Alice is also there in 1890. The birth certificate of Lilian should confirm the names of her parents. Once you have the certificate, you could look confidently for the marriage of the parents (to get their respective ages at marriage), after which you can search for their births, his death and so on, as well as finding them on earlier census returns.

Of course, you could speculate that her father is the Matthew in the death index who died aged 54 years in September 1893 but it is always best to work systematically and from what you know to be correct and true, rather than guessing or gambling and taking a wrong step.

Smallburgh is a coastal registration district and one reason why you have not been able to find Matthew in the 1891 census is that he may have been at sea, for instance if he was a fisherman or a mariner.’

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5 Responses to “Ask the Expert - murder mystery”

1. Fiona Berry says:

   23 July 2010 at 12:52 pm

   Even Mariners can be found on the census - I presume this depends upon whether they are within English coastal waters or not. I am currently researching my (half) brother’s family tree, and in the course of this found one of the great-great-grandparents listed as being on board ship in Anglesey on the night of the census. In any case, this doesn’t account for the lack of the sister or mother on the census return. In this case, as in some I have encountered myself, I would assume that there has either been an enumerator’s error or a transcription error, and search the census by location rather than name. This is a tedious exercise, but has often rewarded me with an ancestor I have been unable to find by searching by name. In one case, searching for someone else’s family, I found a family of Fitzpatricks listed as Fitzipree on the census by the enumerator, which had been faithfully trasncribed. I doubt that searching by name would ever have found that family!

   Reply
2. Heather Martin says:

   23 July 2010 at 4:52 pm

   Another reason why they may not be found is if they were in an institution where often inmates are recorded only by their initials.

   Reply
3. Heather Martin says:

   23 July 2010 at 4:59 pm

   Another reason why they may not be found is if they were in an institution where often inmates are recorded only by their initials.

   Have you checked out newspaper reports of the murder?

   Reply
4. Heather Martin says:

   23 July 2010 at 11:53 pm

   I put this query to the members of Family Tree Forum and one clever member, Judith M has put forward this reply which I think may be the answer to this query:

   I saw that Matthew Alexander died in Smallburgh Q3 1893 aged 54 so searched Smallburgh district in 1891 for a Matthew born about 1839 in same household as Alice born 1890 and came up with
   Matthew SAUNDERS aged 50 in Bacton, wife Hannah aged 31, children George 13, Louise 10, Charles 5 and Alice 5m

   This family seem to consistently call themselves Saunders on census but register events as Alexander and a baby name book gives “Son of Alexander” as the meaning of Saunders (another member of FTF also gave the information that her scottish Alexanders called themselves Saunders or Sanders on census info)

   Then searched for Hannah and ALice in 1901 and found living in Edingthorpe, RG13 piece 1822 folio 38 page 6, Looks like Hannah has remarried after Matthews death in 1893

   Here is the marriage of Hannah Alexander (Saunders) after the death of Matthew: Alice has taken the name of the step father, James Marshall

   And here’s the marriage:
   Q4 1893
   Smallburgh 4b 95
   Alexander Hannah
   Banyer John
   Marshall James
   Peggs Emma

   James Marshall 35
   Hannah Marshall wife 40
   Charles Saunders stepson, 15
   Alice Marshall daughter 10
   Lillian Marshall daughter 8
   Margarate Marshall dau 7
   Laura Marshall dau 3
   Gertrude Marshall dau 1

   1881

   In 1881 Matthew and Hannah are living in Middlesex:

   Name Age
   Matthew Saunders 40
   Hannah Saunders 21
   George Saunders 3
   Luesia Saunders

   1891

   Back in Norfolk

   Matthew Saunders 50
   Hannah Saunders 31
   George Saunders 13
   Lousia Saunders 10
   Charles Saunders 5
   Alice Saunders 5/12

   Matthew, aged 12 in 1851

   Matthew Saunders 41
   Elizabeth Saunders 40
   William Saunders 16
   Matthew Saunders 12
   Elizabeth Saunders 10
   Maryann Saunders 7
   Martha Saunders 5
   Stephen Saunders 3
   Robert Saunders 1

   Reply
5. Jude Niece says:

   26 July 2010 at 3:56 pm

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   Reply