The Identity of Seaton Blake

[X----- X-------]

I am still left somewhat thwart after checking the biography page of Seaton Blake allegedly born in Portsmouth. This man has kept me on my toes for the last eight years or so and still I am left baffled of his true identity. Has any one had a similar experience?

The secession of compiling the Relief Fund is now finally over with as I have recently finished forgathering all the 653 pages by hand, and this man's name doesn't appear, not even a brush with any of the local Southampton newspapers. He seems to be a bit allusive to say the least.

Whilst I have more freedom on my hands I've started turning my full attention with Portsmouth Archives and one of the first calls of duty are to carefully browse the local papers of that particular area. Despite all the efforts of wanting to try, this man continues to evade my itchy-fingers as I want to get to gripes of discovering his livelihood and background.

According to the biography he was 26 when he was listed as one of the many of those classified as lost, and according to my calculations he was born in the year of 1886. Done the usual checks with Ancestry UK branch, and nothing is turning up on the Census records for the years 1891 and 1901.

Perhaps if I did the honours by opening a new thread, this may attract today's family who may wish to come forward and put closure to the mystery surrounding this man.

Any feedback or wishing to share your thoughts is a welcome opportunity.

 

[Senan Molony]

I believe Seaton Blake was a detective.

I further believe Seaton Blake was the houndstooth-wearing, rumpled academic forensic deconstructionist that Sherlock Holmes always wanted to be.

It was Blake solved the Carnoustie cottage mystery.

The rusted key. The contaminated shellfish.

You remember.

 

[Senan Molony]

>>He seems to be a bit allusive to say the least<<

He always spoke like that, but it was never vulgar name-dropping. Not with Seaton.

Mrs Thurible said he would stop playing his exquisite violin every so often and say -

"Demosthenes"

Then he would resume. So sweet. Head and hair swept back. And then stop again -

"Cerebus. Two heads."

Off again. And a hiatus. Sometimes when he broke a string.

"And thus scrape Zarathustra."

Or just -

"Bellini. Talleyrand. Zelda Fitzgerald. She could be absolutely beastly to Ezra. What arrondissement does it matter?"

Allusive. You said it.

So did Seaton Blake.

 

[Sheila Dixon]

Have a look at the original records when he signed on in Southampton. His first name is not given, just S. Blake. Although his birthplace is given as Portsmouth when he joined the ship in Belfast, it's given as Cowes when he re-joined in Southampton.

Then look at the 1911 census for the address Holy Rood (mistranscribed as Holy Road) House, Winkle Street, Southampton. There is a boarder named Stanley Blake aged 25, a ships steward born East Cowes IOW. The full census reference is RG14PN5984 RG78PN273B RD99 SD1 ED50 SN128.

The online transcription of the US Inquiry also lists him by initial only.

There is no entry for a Seaton Blake in the birth indexes for the whole of England and Wales so I don't know where the first name Seaton comes from but I would suggest that Stanley is your man. You should be able to find him easily on the earlier censuses.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Good detective work, Sheila. And speaking of detectives, The fictional Sexton Blake was even more of a household name back then than Sherlock Holmes. So maybe 'Sexton' (possibly mis-transcribed at some point as Seaton) could have been Stanley's nickname. Just a thought.

 

[Senan Molony]

Documentary, my dear Dixon.

Good God, Sheila, how do you do it?

>>There is no entry for a Seaton Blake in the birth indexes for the whole of England and Wales<<

The dog that didn't bark in the night.

 

[Senan Molony]

Perhaps Bob's nickname theory is right. A weird form of full circle that he should be re-nicknamed 100 years later.

Poor Stanley Blake.

 

[Sheila Dixon]

Thanks Bob - just call me Miss Marple!

Interesting theory about the name though.

 

[X----- X-------]

The last week or so my mail box was inundated with loads of suggestions leading to a good surplus of new evidence to search elsewhere. For those, and you know precisely who you all are, a huge thank you for all your help and sound advice, the feedback will be put to proper use effectively and should with a bit of luck put closure to this man who I always refer too - as the invisible man from nowhere.

Sheila - I admire your honesty and courage, likewise I also have the same file as you've just discovered on Blake. Although the thought never entered my head to chance tactic's and use Stanley instead of Seaton. Point taken, and very practical, and I thank you most sincerely for your kindness and generosity in this matter.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Does anybody know a primary source for the name Seaton Blake as opposed to the less specific S. Blake?

 

[X----- X-------]

Not sure how reliable the sources are Bob.

For all my efforts in searching I am patiently trying to wade through the various Census with Ancestry and comparing each case with the dependent families on the Relief Fund.

One an only report back later with the findings when they eventually arise, that's if they ever do pop out of the woodwork!

 

[X----- X-------]

For those who are lucky enough at owing a copy produced by the THS, the edition of the Titanic Relief Fund does have a link with this so-called name Seaton Blake. Detective work is the name of the game, and the end result has narrowed down to one likely candidate.

The last couple of weeks I've managed to close the gap and double-checked with all the Blake's listed on the Crew manifest. The only remaining candidate left came by a sheer stroke of luck, and no sooner I turned the page to my utter surprise, C55 under the surname of Blake appeared.

If we look on page 67 under Class "E", C55 is found under the name of Christian Johnson Co-habitant. This is the only link associated with Seaton Blake, the rest of the Blake families are in an orderly fashion as I have done a full investigation with each family concern, and subsequently I am satisfied with the pending results.

Precisely where does this Christina Johnson reside in Britain can be anybody guess as she could be registered in any town or city. She's going on my own "to-do-list" as I shall have to put her case file on the pill for my next visit to Southampton Archives with the intentions of thoroughly checking each page of the Electoral Rolls.

The case of Seaton Blake's place of birth continues like I overlooked a thank you message for Senan Molony. This ends the latest update.

 

[Bobby Whalen]

Sheila are you still looking Let me know if you are ???? Thank YOu