Robert Hichens has been found

[Sally@Hichens]

Robert Hichens was the last man at the wheel of the Titanic. For three years I have been trying to find his final resting place and at last he is found. He is buried at Trinity Cemetery in Aberdeen in a grave with three other people. This cemetery was well known as a resting place for seamen. I found him by going through the bereavement services at Aberdeen Council where a very nice man called Ian finally found the paperwork to confirm where he is.

This is a poignant conclusion on a long road I have travelled whilst writing the life story of my great grandfather and now all it leaves me to do is to book a flight up to Aberdeen to lay flowers for my dear ancestor, Banjo Bob.

Sally Nilsson

 

[Jake Peterson]

Glad to hear you found him. Will you bring him home to have him buried with your great grandmother and other family?

 

[Sally@Hichens]

Problem there is he is buried with three other people so we wouldn't know who we were bringing back. I'm quite glad he shares a grave with some mates so he won't be lonely. I have also only recently been to Robert's wife's (Florence) cemetery but the graves are quite derelict and there is no headstone as she came from the workhouse and I haven't located her grave yet - still looking.

Sally

 

[Jim Currie]

Glad you found him Sally!

He seems to have died of a heart attack when 'Engilsh Trader was anchored 2 miles off Aberdeen.
Wonder why they put him in a shared grave? i knoe it was wartime.

JC

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Sally, I hope you can at some point correct the matter with the tombstone. Shared grave or not, your reletive deserves better.

 

[Sally@Hichens]

Thank you Michael. Yes I am sure our family will get together and organise a small plaque or stone for Florence and Robert. I am so eager to go up and have a 'chat' with Robert. I feel as though I got to know him quite well. I should take a dram of whiskey to salute him.

Sally

 

[Jake Peterson]

Sally;

I sent you a PM on this site, but I don't see it as sent in my sent folder. Was curious if you had gotten it?

Nothing much. I had a link to FreeBMD.com, the UK's center online place for searching for vital stats there. I found that Florence died in Mar 1940 in Southampton. You said you didn't know where she was buried, so I was wondering if maybe the death record might shed some light on the situation.

 

[Sally@Hichens]

Hi Jake

I didn't get you PM. Florence died on 23 September 1940 at St Mary's workhouse of a brain tumour and was buried at the Stoneham Cemetery in Swaythling Southampton. I have the grid reference and know roughly where she is but sadly the area she is in is all weeds, grass and crumbling stone outlines of old graves. When I can I'll get there and find her grave and tidy up a bit, maybe plant some lavender. When our family have all spoken we shall organize a headstone. Robert died 6 months later on 23 September 1940 of heart failure in his cabin on the English Trader. His body was taken to the police mortuary before his burial at Trinity Cemetery Aberdeen. We'll do the same for him. Two moths later Southampton was hit by the terrifying blitz.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Sally, is there any particular reason why the cemetary is in such a state of neglect? Was it abandoned or did the owners just give up on it or what?

 

[Jake Peterson]

Hi Sally;

Have you thought about doing a DNA test with each of the skeletons? they can compare that with yours to see which one is related.

 

[Brian J. Ticehurst]

Well Done Sally on finding Roberts grave.
I have now entered the details in my book Titanic memorials Worldwide - Where they are located - (sadly out of print) and it is number 1,181.
You might like to know that in the South Stoneham Cemetery where his wife is buried has about 20 Titanic related graves so she is not alone.
Very best wishes

Brian J. Ticehurst

 

[Sally@Hichens]

Thank you very much Brian.

Michael, the cemetery where Florence is buried is nice but all her children have passed away so there has been no-one to keep up the maintenance, if they ever did. I don't know how much I will be able to do or my family but we'll have a go.

Jake, you've been reading too much Arthur Conan Doyle..............

Sally

 

[Jake Peterson]

Hi Sally;

Actually, in my spare time, my other hobby is genealogy, so I keep up on the latest trends and such, and have read how DNA testing can help in certain situations.

Of course it is pretty expensive to do, as I've read numerous online sites, like Familytreedna.com charge around $100 American for such tests to be taken.

It was just a thought, though! If I was in that situation, I'd definitely would like to know which one was my ancestor.

 

[md5299]

Hi Sally,nice to know you have been rewarded for all your hard work which is appreciated by family members.Had a chat with Neil today and we are going to see him next week,the Cornishman is running a story next week about Robert,looks like you found him just in time!Mike.

 

[Sally@Hichens]

Hi md5299. Thank you and I'm so happy to have all of you new family members. I hope you do get up to Aberdeen with Neil. Tomorrow will be very emotional. Even though Robert has no headstone of his own - yet - I know he is there and I will say a prayer for him and from all of you.

Sally