Oh my goodness I've just come back in after going out round taking some pics for the places of worship project, and been to the DCLI Museum in Bodmin to see what they knew about my grandfather who was killed in WW1. It appears I know more than them
Back to business. I've got to do a spot of baby sitting in half an hour, but I will sort some bits and pieces out for you detectives when I get back - probably 8ish this evening if that's ok.
Oh my goodness - I never win anything usually I'm a bit excited now ;)
My first question I think is probably easy if you know where to look, but I don't.
My paternal grandfather is Reginald George BENNETT, and he was killed in action at Ypres in WW1 on 4th October 1917. He is one of the thousands who has no known grave, and is commerated at Tyn-Cot Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Belgium.
What I want to know is if death certificates were issued in these circumstances? If they were where can I get one from, and what references do I need to order one.
William SMITH born c1813 in Startforth, Yorkshire. I can find him from 1851 onwards as he had a daughter Christiana in 1848 born in Leeds, and she stands out like a sore thumb because of the christian name. Her mother was Jane Gordon ?
2 questions here
Can anybody find the family in 1841? I know he was a cabinet maker all his working life if that helps.
Can anybody find a marriage for him. According to census returns, wife Jane was born in Darlington, Co Durham. Their first child so far as I can tell was Eliza born in Leeds 1839.
I think it is going to be impossible to find a marriage between William Smith and Jane, until you know Jane´s maiden name.
You will need the birth certificate of one of the children first.
The death certificate for Reginald Bennett can be found on the overseas BMDs and ordered from the GRO in the same way as you order normal certificates, except on the first page you tick the box for an oversease cert!
This is the entry from the overseas register - it is blurry on the original but I´ll have another look to see if I can decipher it
Here's the next bit to be going on with. It involves William Smith's daughter Christiana.
She married John Philip Windsor PEEL in Leeds in 1874 - Leeds 9b 674, Sept quarter.
The couple had 3 children
William Cecil PEEL - 1876 in Stourbridge
Harriet Mable PEEL - Oct 1877 in Stourbridge
Emma Elizabeth PEEL - 1880 in Birmingham
Christiana died in Leeds in 1895. Apart from their wedding, I can find no trace of her husband. You would think with a handle like he's got, it would be easy :( No census, no obvious birth record anywhere. Maybe he worked oversees. I just don't know. I know he existed though as I have seen love poems that he wrote to his "Christie", and they were obviously head over heels in love with each other as she responded with some poems of her own. Just where is this man?
I just looked at your attachment Elaine for the death reg, and I agree with you as to what it says. Can you order that on line the same as ordinary certs for the England and Wales as it's not the same format as regards quarters etc?
I'm waiting for that wedding cert at the moment. I ordered it last week, so it might turn up during my week - well I can hope. As we speak, I know nothing more than his name.
I just looked at your attachment Elaine for the death reg, and I agree with you as to what it says. Can you order that on line the same as ordinary certs for the England and Wales as it's not the same format as regards quarters etc?
Yes you order from the GRO online. On the first page, where you normally tick whether you are ordering a birth, marriage or death certificate, you will see an option for an overseas certificate. Tick that - you will then find that the box to enter the reference is slightly different from the norm - so you just enter the year and reference all in the one box. (or the year box might be separate!)
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