Arnott Herbert Smith Besford was born early in 1901, and his birth was registered at Mutford, the district that covered Lowestoft. His parents were Julia Maria Besford and Arnott Herbert Smith, a Lowestoft fisherman who was lost at sea in 1917, when a German submarine sank his trawler. Through his mother he was a great-grandson of John Brown Besford, the Great Yarmouth blacksmith.

Arnott’s wife was Alida Maria Erebout, who was born on 8th January 1902. Erebout is a Flemish surname, found in Belgium.

Four of their children were born in the Lowestoft area. Alida’s maiden name was written three different ways when their births were registered: Herebout, Erebout and Eerebout.

  • Albert Besford, born late in 1924, who married Rosina M. Nunn at Bury St Edmunds in 1947
  • Marcella Besford (later Bird), born in 1932. She married Stanley Bird in 1952, and died on 30th July 2024 at Harleston House, Lowestoft, aged 91.
  • Peter Besford (1936–2014), skipper of the Lowestoft trawler Suffolk Kinsman
  • David William Besford (1939–2011), who skippered trawlers out of Lowestoft for Colne Shipping

Arnott died in the summer of 1964, aged 63. His death was registered in Lothingland, the district that then covered Lowestoft. Alida died in 1985, and her death was registered in Waveney, the district that by then covered Lowestoft.

Unsolved mystery

Where did Arnott Besford and Alida Erebout marry?

We have not found a marriage of Arnott and Alida in England and Wales, under Erebout or any of the other spellings of her name. Erebout is a Flemish name, so they may have married in Belgium, where Alida may have been born. Please get in touch if you can help.

Records not yet confirmed

An online family tree built by other researchers gives two more children, Arnott Albertus Besford (1920–2000) and Florida Besford, who died in 2004. Neither birth is indexed in England and Wales. The same tree gives Albert’s death as 2007.

A marriage of Arnott A. Besford to Valda A. R. Whaley was registered in Lothingland in July to September 1940. No other Arnott Besford birth is indexed in England and Wales in these years, so this may be Arnott Albertus.