Forbes Benjamin Anderson

Forbes Benjamin Anderson was actually christened Benjamin Forbes Anderson! He switched the names round shortly after emigrating to perhaps clear up any ambiguities in relation to the name ‘Benjamin’ in the 1920s milieu he found himself in. He was named after his uncle in Dundee, but was born in Dunbar. As the youngest male (of 5) in the family he was eager to enlist during WW1: Duncan and Alex were in the Lothians and Border Yeomanry (RMQS & farrier sergeant respectively), Jim was a regular in the Scots Grays, Andy was an instrument tech in the RNAS (joined in the same trade later by Jim after he recovered from wounds). Meanwhile Ben went to Edinburgh as an apprentice watchmaker. He enlisted underage in a New Army Battalion of the Royal Scots and was badly wounded when that battalion was slaughtered on the first day of the Somme. After recovery, also reenlisting as a tech in the RNAS, and war’s end he returned to watchmaking in Edinburgh before making a run for S Africa and a new start. As far as is known he only kept in touch very episodically with his brother Andy who remained in Dunbar.

• Married at 4 times
• Divorced second wife in 1933.
• Has 4 children with 3rd wife before they marry, 2 of them they have before his divorce to his second wife so I assume he separated from second wife by around 1929.

  ---

• Death records reflect a date of birth being 4 April 1900 and being aged 63 years and 10 months old on death with a birth in Kinlochleven, Scotland but Scottish records show an 1897 birth.
• Benjamin Forbes Anderson's father was a watch maker master
• He is noted as being aged 3 in 1901 and his birth is registered in 1897 in Dunbar, Scotland.
• The mother has the surname of Dalziel which matches his first child's middle name.
• Baptism of children Ian Forbes and Duncan Charles Anderson have as sponsors James Anderson and Andrew Anderson that are siblings to Benjamin Forbes Anderson (see https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T7T-3V7M) . Then if we look at baptism of Robert Samuel Anderson we see another possible sibling as a witness / sponsor (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T7T-3VQD) - it appears to say Rev. A. Mc. Anderson.
  • found a Forbes Anderson with a birth registered in 1901 in Newington, Scotland.

    ---

• 1921 Marriage - "Scotland's People, St Giles Registration District, Civil Marriages" Search Result at Scotland's People
  • ANDERSON, BENJAMIN FORBES & THOMSON, ELIZABETH MAXWE ; 1921 ; 685/4 1084 ; St Giles

    ---

• 1925 Marriage - "South Africa, Transvaal, Civil Marriages, 1870-1930," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP34-JTCC : 6 July 2022), Forbes Anderson and Doris Milburn, Springs, Springs, Transvaal, South Africa; citing Marriage, Springs, Springs, Transvaal, South Africa, NARS "Civil registration (marriages - coloureds), Transvaal and Swaziland, 1898-1927." The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, Pretoria.

  ---

• 1925 Baptism of Child - Douglas Dalziel Anderson - "South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1801-2004", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6Z56-5W19 : 7 June 2021), Doris Anderson in entry for Douglas Dalziel Anderson, 1925.

  ---

• 1933 Divorce - National SA Archive, NAAIRS Search, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.za/node/6969491
• TAB (Transvaal) / REFERENCE 5/1933 / ILLIQUID CASE RESTITUTION OF CONJUGAL RIGHTS DORIS ANDERSON (BORN MILBURN) VERSUS FORBES BENJAMIN.

  ---

• 1941 Marriage - "South Africa, Civil Marriage Records, 1840-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZCM-YHHK : 28 June 2022), Forbes Benjamin Anderson, 1941.

  ---

• 1946 Divorce - DIVORCE VENA MYRTLE ANDERSON (BORN ROGERS) VERSUS FORBES BENJAMIN. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.za/node/7082553 ; NAAIRS
• Transvaal ; REFERENCE 1104/1946 ; ILLIQUID CASE DIVORCE VENA MYRTLE ANDERSON (BORN ROGERS) VERSUS FORBES BENJAMIN

  ---

• 1955 Marriage - "South Africa, Civil Marriage Records, 1840-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZCM-GXY6 : 28 June 2022), Forbes Benjamin Anderson, 1955.

  ---

• Estate File - South Africa, Transvaal, Estate files ; Estate Files, 5681-5933/64, 1964 ; Film # 101886507 ; Image 143 of 7980 ; Estate 5691 of 1964 ; http://www.nationalarchives.gov.za/node/5563034
  • Page 1 - Cover - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-N9PV-9
  • Page 2 - D/N - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-N9L5-J
  • Page 3 - Will - listing date of birth - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-N9LJ-F
  • Page 4 - Acceptance of Executor - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-N9P2-X

    ---

• Civil Death Notice - "South Africa, Civil Death Registration, 1955-1966", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6CT4-WL1S : 31 December 2020), Forbes Benjamin Anderson, 1964.

  ---

See also:

• FamilySearch Profile - https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G6F2-QJ2
• Geni Profile - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Anderson-69599
• MyHeritage - https://www.myheritage.com/names/jock_anderson#
• WikiTree Profile - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Anderson-69599
• Ancestry Public Trees - https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/benjamin-forbes-anderson...