Frederick William Rhodes born in Sheffield area in March 1882 so of Wilfred Wilson Rhodes and Emma Fish Hardwick.

In 1909 he married Mary Floerence Brown but then my continuation for him goes cold.

If anyone could give me any clues to his death, not sure if he enlisted in the army or not, or if he sailed overseas it would be appreciated.

Regards

John

Hi John

just found the couple on 1911 census at 168 Brunswick Road. He was a spring knife cutler. If you want a copy let me know

Jenny

will keep looking elsewhere.

Thank you Jenny. I shall try the 1939 register but I have a feeling he will not be on but you never know.

Looks as though he enlisted and was a prisoner of war. I can send the docs if you require them.

Jenny

Hi

I’ve found some information on Mary Florence but, thus far, I’ve been unable to find Frederick William after 1909.

Mary appears in the 1939 Register and is living in the home of Hola E Crookes at 88 Nottingham Street, Pitsmoor; it looks like she’s a live in housekeeper.

First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Hola E Crookes 30 Oct 1857 Female Retired Private Means Widowed 49 1
Mary F Rhodes 01 Oct 1881 Female Paid Domestic Duties Married 49 2

She says she is married but no sign of Frederick.

Mary died in 1955, her burial is on this site. Frederick isn’t buried with her but Eric (son of Frederick) is buried with her. As Eric wasn't born until 1921, if Frederick did join up he must have survived.

Carol

Jenny thank you was his info on FMP? Carol Thanks for the info on Mary that is interesting so where then was Frederick in 1939 and why can't I find a death unless of course it is registered different due to the spelling.

Hi John

yes I found the info on FMP. Drop me an email if you want the documents.

Jenny

Hi John,

He was still listed as being at 168 Brunswick Rd in Kelly’s 1923 Directory.
There are also 2 Rhodes births registered in Sheffield with MMN Hardwick - the last one being in 1927.

Heths

Hi again

Frederick appears in 6 family trees on Ancestry and, it would appear, as none show his year of death that it's not only you who is unable to find it.

Carol

Thank you all so the plot thickens then. I wonder if he was up to no good and therefore changed his name and did a vanishing act.

A Frederick W Rhodes died Q1 Stoke 1960 age 76. Might be him
Dave

A Frederick William Rhodes died in 1951 aged 70 in the Leeds General Infirmary and left 12000 pounds. The executers were the Yorkshire Penny bank so could he have split from his wife etc or do you think that is not my man.

3 hyears since I posted this and getting my thinking cap on again with this. The one who died in stoke in 1960 left money to Stanley RHODES do not think frederick had any children. having another go at finding death

John, have you found him on the 1921 Census?
Dave

Yes him and his wife with a niece called constance. I'm sure that is the correct family I'm looking for.

The only thing I've not checked is hazard his desth been recorded william frederick.

Hi John,

There’s a Frederick W Rhodes with DOB 11 Jan 1882 living at 19 St Mary’s Cottages, Eastbourne in 1939. Occupation General jobber grinder cutlery instrument (surgical) repairer. Wondering if that could be your guy? There’s an Alice Rhodes DOB 3 April 1888 living with him, and they’re both listed as married, but I guess they might not necessarily have been married to each other...

Heths

The one who died in Leeds in 1951 was an electrical engineer with a wife called Beatrice, according to the deaths column in the Yorkshire Post & Leeds Mercury.

Thanks Heather that deffo rules out 1952 guy I wonder then if he and mary split up and he remarried. Must look on family search to see if that helps. Looks deffo now he did not die in Sheffield. Might have to take a gamble and get Mary's death cert but not yet checked gro will index to see if there is one

If he was the one in Eastbourne in 1939, then presumably he died before 1976 because Alice was taken to hospital with hypothermia that year and the newspaper described her as a widow.

Frederick William Rhodes death reg is 1961 Eastbourne age 75. According to the 1939 Index he should have been 79.
Dave

The only other thing I can think of at the moment is that he died in Sheffield during the blitz and his identity was not known and hence no death cert could ve issued. That is if it's plausible

The digital image Birth reg for William Frederick in Sheffield Q1 1882 looks like a good investment of £3. Perhaps the birth date will match that given in 1939 for the one in Eastbourne. It will give you proof either way.
Dave

Frederick William Rhodes (married Mary Florence 26/4/09) 202776 was aged 33 years 11 months when he enlisted 10 December 1915. This points to a birthday in January 1882. Disabilities includes asthma and stammering. Officially reported prisoner of war 26 June 1917.

The full prisoner of war record for Frederick William Rhodes Army number 202776 is available from the Red Cross files. It clearly records that his birthday was 11 Jan 1882. That is exactly the same birthday quoted by the Frederick William Rhodes who was in Eastbourne in 1939.
Dave

Terry and Dave thank you. He married mary florence and sonetime after 1921 he left her then and went to Eastbourne and set up shop with alice. Obviously Alice had done the same. Just wondering if the asthma etc he went to try to get cleaner air. Interesting that the mary florence burial on this site says widow wonder if she presumed he was dead then

I don’t subscribe to Find My Past. But this is a snippet, and could be the Alice M Rhodes of 1939.
7 December 1977 Eastbourne Gazette
Inquest Verdict: Misadventure Woman … suffered from dizzy spells, died of exposure in her home after a fall, a coroner was told on Monday. A neighbour last saw Mrs Alice Rhodes alive four days before her body was discovered in the kitchen of her home at St Mary’s Cottages, Old Town, on November ...

Free BMD Deaths Dec quarter 1977
Rhodes, Alice Maud, 3 Apr 1888, Eastbourne, 18 657
Birthdate matches the 1939 record.

Could be same couple:
Electoral register Eastbourne 1935-36, 18 Susans Road, Frederick William & Alice Rhodes.
1936-1937 Eastbourne same names at 19 St Mary’s Cottages.

Might have to put that on back burner then if a couple. Perhaps we will never find his death after all the only other possibility is did my frederick not marry mary florence brown need to recheck this record

Just rechecked definitely correct to mary f brown. Yes found family on 1921 census. Would a death certificate in 1955 say who she was the widow of?

The 1955 death certificate will tell you who it was who incorrectly reported she was a widow
Dave

Note the 1955 death certificate is available as a digital image, only £3 and instantly available
Dave

Just still looking at this, perhaps Fred's death was just recorded as Fred but anyhow will shall see.

Mary F Rhodes is on the 1939 register, I am sure that is mine and she is living with a Mrs Crookes. Can anyone decipher or have a guess what her first name should be please?

Going to see if that can help us.

I might have to pay another visit to the cemetery and look at the headstone I have photographed it but zooming in there looks like some other writing on it but very hard to see, might need to give it a clean.

Take it I would just use soap and water or would that make it worse?

John
Have you checked her birth registration out?

Elaine.

Hi John

The Mary F. Rhodes you mentioned in the 1939 register was living with an Ada E. Crookes DOB 30/10/1857, widow, retired, private means. (FMP transcribed her as Hola E Crookes, but I think it says Ada) Address was 88 Nottingham St and Mary Rhodes had DOB 01/10/1881, married, occupation paid domestic duties.

Heths

John, have you found Mary Florence Rhodes probate record?
Dave

Yes says living parson cross probate to robert gray solicitors and eleanor vinnie Jenkins 539 pounds

Do you know who registered her death.?
Who was Eleanor Vinnie Jenkins? Not difficult to find.
Have you considered that Frederick may have been declared officially dead after disappearing for so long to distant Eastbourne?
Dave

Not yet will gave to get the digital image sometime. Might even get her will to see if that shows anything. Presume the names on idex are those that execute the will

just tried to order her will and te search results are not coming up, is it me or is there a problem with the gov website

just a glitch, have oredered it

Will came for Mary today, thought it might lead us to Frederick. It does not mention his name so obviously she was a widow with no children. Dave I shall send you a copy in the morning to see if something stands out for you.

I am now beginning to side with Heather now thinking that fred and alice in 1939 were not married to each other. I wonder if alice was in fact a sister of mary and married say a cousin of frederick. Need to find mary on the 1901 census. I'm now beginning to eliminate 1961 death and I think fred probably died during WWII

John, finally received the will you sent for Mary Florence Rhodes who died April 1955.
She signed the will in October 1954, 6 months before she died. SHE CLEARLY STATES SHE IS A MaRRIED WOMAN.
This implies she knew where her husband was (Eastbourne Of course) and that he was still alive.
Realise that if she did not write that will all her assets would automatically be inherited by her next of kin, ie her husband Frederick William.
The purpose of the will is to make sure her assets do not pass to her husband, but instead go to the people she wants them to go to.
At the time of her death she was living with her niece Constance Aistrop nee Rhodes ( not a blood relative). It is likely that either Constance or her husband registered the death and, when asked unexpectedly by the registrar for her marital status, gave the erroneous answer widow.
Frederick William died in Eastbourne in 1961 and his live in partner Alice Maud reported the wrong age for him.
In theory because he left no will, his assets should have been inherited by his next of kin, Constance Gilliam Aistrop nee Rhodes and Alice Maud, whoever she was, should have got nothing.
Dave

Dave,

Thank you, yes I see now that Ive cleaned my glasses. Be interesting to find out who Alice was and if they had any children but I presume we will never know.

John