Genealogy Chat

Thanks, can't afford membership of Ancestry although I have had a few free fortnights on various emails! Might invest in a months subscription, could pay dividends.
Constance must have called herself Bea!! No supprise, my husbands step mother was known by her fourth of five names!! J ;-)

That was found by google. always a good tip.

Good find LK.

Joan, I've received a reply from the person on Ancestry who has a private tree with Ronald's family (they have cousin connections). They confirm that Ronald married Constance in Australia, not Beatrice in Devonport.

Thanks LadyKira never seen anything like this before :-D

On this site is the Hambrook school admission register and it gives details of him leaving the school in 1905 and also his date of birth. This will be useful when comparing them.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=baugh%20farm%20downend%20bristol%20and%20cousins&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CE0QFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.frenchaymuseumarchives.co.uk%2FArchives%2FSchools%2FHambrook_SchReg_1893-22.rtf&ei=kpNKT_njH4ry8QPa78XbCw&usg=AFQjCNF0REEy7Jz2l4CmoWF7bQgtzOiEzg


128 2.7.1902 Ronald COUSINS John Baugh Farm, Downend 6.5.1895 Private 20.4.1905 Gone to Merchant Venturers Tech Sch

Joan - please think about this! You say he's in England in **** 1926 **** and Beatrice appears. That has got to be Constance!

The marriage that you think is your Ronald to Beatrice Rhodes didn't happen until 1935.

Where did you originally get the name of Beatrice from? Who connected that 1935 marriage to Ronald?

MarieCeleste, now that my computer has caught up and I have read all your posts it looks like the marriage to Constance is right. In all the photos she is refered to as Bea, but through experience I realise this doesn't always mean its the first given name. The dates would fit better, 1935 does seem very late. :-)

I have had another look at my Grandma photo album. It looks like my Ronald was in England in 1924 as there aare photos of him at Baugh Farm with his brother.
He is also in England in 1926 and Beatrice appears, they look very fond of each other! He is also there in summer 1927 when they are on holiday and then there are no more pics until the one sent by Beatrice after his death. There is no info on this photo.
I also looked through an album my mother had as a child in the 20s and 30s, but there are no photos of either Ronald or Beatrice.
MarieCeleste, I did send a message to thank you for the info you sent re his passage to Aus., but my computer keeps having strange moments today (know how it feels),and I don't think it was sent, really great info . Thanks to all :-D

Just had a look on Ancestry and there is actually a public tree that has the same information about Ronald's parents, census records, voyages, marriage to Constance and death in 1947 as I have stated. (It doesn't mention Beatrice)

There is also a private tree that has numerous records and photos associated with Ronald (these aren't visible unless invited by the tree owner). I've sent a message asking them if they have any definitive confirmation as to Ronald's spouse.

Joan - the "other" Ronald who died in Australia had the parents John Cousins and Emily Churchill. The same chap also visited Stapleton in Bristol in 1927 with his wife Constance, who he married in 1926 in Australia, and who he was with until his death in 1947.

I definitely think there is a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. You need to consider these points:

Is the Ronald on the 1911 census, who was the son of Emily Churchill definitely your Ronald? If so, then that is surely his death in Australia in 1947 (that death record I posted on page 1 names his parents).

None of the census or shipping records show a middle name, or initial A - the only place that appears is on that 1935 marriage record to Beatrice Rhodes. Ronald's birth record in 1895 does not have a middle name. (There was, however, a Ronald Albert Cousins born in Camberwell, London in 1895).

Does the photo in your Gran's garden actually name the people in it? Is there a chance that the photo could be of him and Constance? (They did visit Stapleton together for a few months in 1927).

I think it's imperative you order a copy of that 1935 certificate to check all the details on it match what you believe. Otherwise you could be following a wrong path (I've been there and done that myself!).

The document I sent was dated 1924 so would be before he'd married anyone.

Thanks Marie for sending a copy of the landing Doc for Ronald, I always find it amazing that we can see all these docs.
I know Ronald married Beatrice as I have now found photos of the two in my Grandmas garden, so they were in England. Will have another look and see if there are dated. On the doc you sent he says he is single, it does ask for widowed or divorced, so I think he only married once and the other Ronald may be someone else.J :-D

Might it have been Constance that sent the photo to your gran after Ronald's death?

Doesn't look like she re-married:

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985
Name: Constance Vere W Cousins
Death Place: Surrey Hills, Victoria
Age: 72
Father's Name: George Reid
Mother's name: Ann Nicholls
Registration Year: 1967
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 13760
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1895

For some reason Ronald liked travelling the long way round!

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
Name: Constance Cousins
Birth Date: abt 1897
Age: 30
Port of Departure: New York, New York, United States
Arrival Date: 24 May 1927
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Ceramic
Search Ship Database:
Shipping Line: Cunard Line
Official Number: 144301

Although the ship is listed as from New York, Contance and Ronald (now a salesman) had embarked in Sydney. Their onward destination was Belaugh, Stapleton, Bristol. They were not intending to stay permanently in England.

Joan, how sure are you about Ronald's 1935 marriage to Beatrice Rhodes?

Would it be possible for there to be TWO Ronald Cousins, both born 1895/6 and both with parents called John Cousins and Emily Churchill?

The death in Dandenong I posted earlier this afternoon certainly ties up with your Ronald.

However, this 1942 electoral roll record seems to be the chap who died in 1947:

Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 about Ronald Cousins
Name: Ronald Cousins
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1942
State: Victoria
District: Flinders
Subdistrict: Dandenong

He's listed as a clerk and living with Constance Vere Ward Cousins.

(The couple are together throughout the previous Electoral Rolls)

This would be the marriage:

Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950
Name: Ronald Cousins
Spouse Name: Constance V Ward Reid
Marriage Date: 1926
Marriage Place: New South Wales
Registration Place: Woollahra, New South Wales
Registration Year: 1926
Registration number: 12807

That now ties in with the 1927 shipping record posted earlier by Adeline for Ronald and Constance Cousins. Perhaps he was taking his new bride to meet the family, before returning to Oz?

I must admit, I thought it seemed a long way round too! Who knows, perhaps it was cheaper, perhaps he wanted to see a bit of the world, perhaps he knew someone there?

Would you like me to send you a copy of his arrival form? I can send it via message on here.

I have to say, I can't find a record of him coming back to England - unless he landed elsewhere. Either way, we know he died in Oz.

yes that is her, I have managed to trace most of Eva's details.
Just spoken to my son who asked why would Ronald have gone to Australia via Canada? seems an awful long way round :-)

Well at least you now know Ronald was 52 when he died in Australia.

Wonder if this is Eva?

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005 about Eva Holder
Name: Eva Holder
Birth Date: abt 1886
Date of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1951
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Weston-super-Mare
Inferred County: Somerset
Volume: 7c
Page: 520

Hi MarieCeleste, this information is great, the Canada via Australia would be correct as they did live at Baugh Farm. Looking at the photos again I think he must have come back to live,since finding the death one I can place him in groups. The photo sent to her after his death shows he couldn't have been very old, probably 50s.
John Cousins did marry twice, my mother only knew her step Grandma and always refered to her as 'Steppy', I have details of his second marriage in 1905 and I also wear her engagment ring!
I always thought Eva and Ronald must have died very young as I had never heard any reference to either although I could find no trace of deaths. I found Eva's details only last year. Everybody who could have filled in the details is sadly dead, and my sister, brother and I are the only remaining ancestors as far as I found so far!! Always hope I might turn someone up.
I haven't as yet seen Ronalds wedding cert, but could be interesting.
Thanks again :-D

Joan - when he married Beatrice in 1935, what was his marital status on the marriage certificate?

Possibly John's first marriage:

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1879
CHURCHILL Emily Barton R. 6a 281
COUSINS John Barton R. 6a 281

** Can't find a second one.