Possible Unregistered Death

[Felix]

Hi all

What would be the best routes for searching the death of a child that possibly wasn't properly registered during World War 2? The death was likely in the London area, Gloucestershire or Devon. Would it be best to contact likely cemeteries and ask them for assistance?

Any ideas gratefully received.

Thanks all

[cbcarolyn]

why do you think it was unregistered?

this is only a guess, and others here would confirm, I feel that by 1940s you couldn't bury someone without a certificate, but maybe things slipped through the net during the war.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

why do you think it was unregistered?

this is only a guess, and others here would confirm, I feel that by 1940s you couldn't bury someone without a certificate, but maybe things slipped through the net during the war.

Agree with Carolyn. I think it's more likely that the registration is proving difficult to find rather than no registration having taken place, unless something awful happened to the child and there were no remains to be identified. Have you looked to see if there was any announcement in a newspaper?
Perhaps the spelling of the surname was mangled at registration or indexing? You give three possible and very different areas for the death - did the family move around a lot? Was the child evacuated to an area away from home?

[Jill on the A272]

Are you able to tell us the child's name and any details of their name at birth so we can help with the search? Also if you know where the child went to school (if they were old enough to go) it can sometimes be possible to find out where children from that school were evacuated to by using a newspaper archive.

[Felix]

why do you think it was unregistered?

this is only a guess, and others here would confirm, I feel that by 1940s you couldn't bury someone without a certificate, but maybe things slipped through the net during the war.

We're thinking that it did possibly slip through the net only because after 8 years we still can't find any trace of it and have stood on our heads trying to find it.

I would think you are right and you couldn't bury someone without a certificate, but this one is a complete brick wall

[Felix]

Agree with Carolyn. I think it's more likely that the registration is proving difficult to find rather than no registration having taken place, unless something awful happened to the child and there were no remains to be identified. Have you looked to see if there was any announcement in a newspaper?
Perhaps the spelling of the surname was mangled at registration or indexing? You give three possible and very different areas for the death - did the family move around a lot? Was the child evacuated to an area away from home?

Yes, I have checked newspapers, but come up empty-handed thus far. Unless there was something in a smaller regional paper that hasn't made it online which is always possible. And yes, the name could well have been mangled, though into quite what I don't know, have tried so many possible variations and possible name mix-ups.

I think the child was most likely evacuated - born in London in an area that was in danger of bombing. The two other areas are where there was family who could have taken the child in rural areas.

thank you.

[Felix]

Are you able to tell us the child's name and any details of their name at birth so we can help with the search? Also if you know where the child went to school (if they were old enough to go) it can sometimes be possible to find out where children from that school were evacuated to by using a newspaper archive.

Not old enough for school during the war, no.

Sorry, but I'm unsure about discussing a person who could still be alive. What are the forum guidelines?

Thank you

[cbcarolyn]

Not old enough for school during the war, no.

Sorry, but I'm unsure about discussing a person who could still be alive. What are the forum guidelines?

Thank you

We don't put names of people that are alive on the forum, you could put the parents names on here (if they are no longer alive, and where they lived/married ) and from there the children could be traced, and if the death reg is found it can then be put on the forum. You can PM me the details (no expert - maybe another pair of eyes?)

Have you tried deceased on line, billion graves, find a grave etc?

[Felix]

We don't put names of people that are alive on the forum, you could put the parents names on here (if they are no longer alive, and where they lived/married ) and from there the children could be traced, and if the death reg is found it can then be put on the forum. You can PM me the details (no expert - maybe another pair of eyes?)

Have you tried deceased on line, billion graves, find a grave etc?

I have looked on find a grave etc - no luck yet though

Will pm you if I can - that would be brilliant - thank you

[AntonyM]

I would think you are right and you couldn't bury someone without a certificate, but this one is a complete brick wall

You could (and still can) bury someone before the death has been registered.

Why are you certain this person died, and isn't still alive somewhere ?

[Felix]

You could (and still can) bury someone before the death has been registered.

Why are you certain this person died, and isn't still alive somewhere ?

I'm not certain. All we have is a birth certificate and nothing later. I'm just trying to look at all possible scenarios.

[AntonyM]

Without any evidence of a death, I would work from the assumption that they lived beyond the war and could potentially still be alive today until I found something that indicated the contrary.

[Felix]

Without any evidence of a death, I would work from the assumption that they lived beyond the war and could potentially still be alive today until I found something that indicated the contrary.

I would love to find some evidence that she lived beyond the war. We have literally been looking for years. I'm in Australia so can't do anything except at a distance.

[kylejustin]

I would love to find some evidence that she lived beyond the war. We have literally been looking for years. I'm in Australia so can't do anything except at a distance.

Can i just clarify, is this someone your family remembers? Or you're trying to trace descendants of someone, so don't have personal knowledge of this person?

being in australia is a perfect reason for not being able to find someone....emmigration. A lot of people emmigrated after the war. It's possisble this person did too. Privacy laws are more restricted in the commonwealth than england, so no indexes until considered historical.

[Felix]

Can i just clarify, is this someone your family remembers? Or you're trying to trace descendants of someone, so don't have personal knowledge of this person?

being in australia is a perfect reason for not being able to find someone....emmigration. A lot of people emmigrated after the war. It's possisble this person did too. Privacy laws are more restricted in the commonwealth than england, so no indexes until considered historical.

A bit of both I suppose. We know she was born and when and where. We know all about her mother's life and her brother's - in the UK - and some things about her father's.

Actually, some emigration records in Australia are accessible - particularly if you work in genealogy as I do - and we've never found anything on them that was helpful. Could be missing something of course.

[AntonyM]

Did her mother/father ( or other members of the wider family - grandparents, uncles, aunts etc. ) leave wills ....she may get a mention ? And always check who registered the family deaths - she may turn up as the informant on a certificate (perhaps under a married name)

[Felix]

Did her mother/father ( or other members of the wider family - grandparents, uncles, aunts etc. ) leave wills ....she may get a mention ? And always check who registered the family deaths - she may turn up as the informant on a certificate (perhaps under a married name)

It's a good idea, yes. She's not mentioned in her mum or brother's wills. If she was to turn up, I suspect it would be on her dad's side of the family and he's a bit of an enigma and had no siblings of his own and no really close family - besides being orphaned young.

Thanks

[vera2013]

Have you tried looking for Civilian War Deaths 1939 - 1945 on Ancestry.

Vera

[Felix]

Have you tried looking for Civilian War Deaths 1939 - 1945 on Ancestry.

Vera

thank you