Author's Date of Death

Veggrower · Post by **Veggrower** » April 21st, 2019, 10:45 am

I've been trying to find the date of death of S. Leonard Bastin, who was writing in the earlier part of the 20th century. He was the author of several books of a botanical nature, including "How to Know the Ferns." I've tried all the usual sources, but with absolutely no luck. Does anyone have any information on this writer? I believe that he was British. Thanks

Garth

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » April 21st, 2019, 11:12 am

Someone at the Linnean Society will know.

https://www.linnean.org/

Post by **TriciaG** » April 21st, 2019, 4:12 pm

I don't know, but here's a wiki section with some resource suggestions: https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Copyright_and_Public_Domain#How_do_I_determine_when_an_author.2Ftranslator_died.3F

Veggrower · Post by **Veggrower** » April 22nd, 2019, 2:23 am

Thanks Kevin and Tricia for the suggestions. I'll try out those links.

Garth

k5hsj · Post by **k5hsj** » April 22nd, 2019, 6:59 pm

Hi Garth,

I was once an avid genealogist, so thought I'd see if I still had the chops.

I came up with a Samuel Leonard Bastin who was born in 1880 in Alton, Hampshire. Also found that Samuel Leonard Bastin, described as "journalist" was grantee of a will probated in the Bournemouth District in the period from 1933-1935. There was a Samuel L. Bastin who died at the age of 66 in March 1947 in the Christchurch district. I have no proof that the three entries refer to the same person, but I'd say that it's a reasonable guess. Hope this helps.

Winston

Cori · Post by **Cori** » April 23rd, 2019, 2:48 pm

Okay, just here to say 'wow'! Winston, I'd reckon you do indeed still have the chops.

Veggrower · Post by **Veggrower** » April 24th, 2019, 5:19 am

Hi Winston,

Many thanks for your great piece of research, and all that information. I'd just about given up on trying to find anything on this writer. The only thing I had found was that he'd lived in Bournemouth and Lyndhurst at various times. Your mention of Bournemouth, therefore, was very interesting. Christchurch is the adjoining town to Bournemouth, and Lyndhurst in the New Forest is not many miles distant, so I think that the Samuel Bastin that you uncovered is very probably this author. Not only that, but since he died over 70 years ago UK copyright law will enable me to record the piece I had in mind.

Thanks again for all your trouble.

Garth

k5hsj · Post by **k5hsj** » April 25th, 2019, 2:40 pm

No trouble, Garth--I enjoyed it. And, I scored a "wow" from Cori, who is pretty wow worthy herself!