Clara's death - help UPDATE #626

[margaretmarch]

Thanks Margaret I needed someone to tell me what to do!!!!! I must have thoroughly checked it and I think its now my mind playing tricks as I can't find the certificate. Any last ones you think would be worth a try? I have been looking but nothing stands out by my English geography is appallling so if anyone sees anything else let me know

Steven

Will have another look but not possible now until Monday as out for lunch tomorrow and no doubt be worse for wear afterwards LOL!

Happy Christmas
Margaret

[stevie2006]

Same to you Margaret and all the members of FTF. Two hours to build a 5 year old's wooden kitchen and I am bushed!!!!!!!!

Steven

[Guest]

yes but bet you enjoy playing with it ??? merry xmas shame you cant celebrate having Clara's Cert, maybe next year:xmas_smile:

[stevie2006]

Just one last idea to throw into the mix. If Clara was living with Ethel and Arthur McKanna then I thought maybe there was a death for Clara McKanna ie the person who registered the death got the surname wrong. However there are none. Then I thought maybe it was Isabel who registered the death and I looked for deaths for a Clara Rolfe but then realised a possible mistake - Isabel didn't marry Eric Rolfe until 1947 a year after Isabel's first husband died (Solomon in 1946) so maybe the death was registered under a Clara Smith? The only downside is that there are a few. I had a look but does anyone think that might be a possibility? No Wards, Pettits, Rolfe's or McKanna's so maybe it could be a Smith

Any thoughts or is that too much wishful thinking?

Steven

[margaretmarch]

Well I think you have to go with any ideas really because there is obviously a problem with this one. As we have said before Clara could easily have married and died under that new name but since we can't find any evidence of that we can only assume that she called herself by another name and checking those names that you know is a good places to start.

I suppose the only issue I would have is that it is more likely someone keeps their usual first name and we have looked for Clara ? deaths in Ilford around the time you think it occurred, so any under Smith would have come up then and been discussed.

These Clara Smith deaths you are now referring to - where are they and for what period?

Margaret

[margaretmarch]

Funny thing - just did a search on deaths for Ilford 1945 -1950 and there are 5 just listed as 'female', a similar number just listed as 'male'.

So what does that mean? Mostly infants I would guess but could any of them be Clara. Might be worth asking the local records office what those entries might show and I think the best you could expect would an address and age that is near what you are looking for.

The other search I have just done is for Clara ? Ilford 1945 +/- 5 years and quite a few come up that we haven't looked at before because we were looking for her year of birth to be more or less exact - but again where do you stop?

Margaret

[herky]

I would also remember that ages can be way out - I have a great grand aunt who died in an institution and her age was more than 10 years out on her death.
Whether this was due to wrong information of a clerical error I have no idea but I failed to find her for many years until I broadened my search and up she popped.

[margaretmarch]

I would also remember that ages can be way out - I have a great grand aunt who died in an institution and her age was more than 10 years out on her death.
Whether this was due to wrong information of a clerical error I have no idea but I failed to find her for many years until I broadened my search and up she popped.

I agree and in this case there seems to be and issue with the name!
Margaret

[kylejustin]

usually my rellies a few years out, the only serious problems i have are when i trace irish people, they frequently have no idea how old they are, even if they are giving the info themselves. my ancestors have been 15 years out on the following census haha.

[herky]

I agree and in this case there seems to be and issue with the name!
Margaret

Oh yes - makes it really difficult - I couldn't find my great granny's birth for years until SP allowed a search on first name only (she was telling porkies about her father's name all her life!).

Good luck to all who are looking for Clara - (not a name with many variations, the only one that I can think that could be done in error is Clare).

[Chrissie Smiff]

In case she remarried I decided to try and check as many possible marriages as possible. I started with Clara L (Llian/Lillian/Lily etc) Ward as there are less to check than just Clara. In case anyone else is doing the same I have so far discounted the two before 1911 as they turned out to be too young. After 1911 they become just Clara L but they are mostly in unlikely areas. The only other two are in 1933 in Gravesend and Hitchin. Next to check will be Clara Ward marriages but I think I'll have to stick to Essex for those or I shall still be doing them this time next boxing day

I have also been trying to find a likely marriage for the death of Clara L Heath in Ilford in 1942 born c1868. Have we checked this one before? I haven't finished looking yet but haven't found the most likely marriage for her yet.

Only telling you all this in case I am repeating something that has already been done. So please stop me if it has
p.s. Or if you think it is a pointless exercise for some reason.

[margaretmarch]

Chrissie - I don't think we have checked Clara L Heath as it was not part of the first round of deaths which only related to 1869 births.

I have seen the one you are referring to when I did my last search on Clara ? deaths 1945 -1950 Ilford and I did think it looked a possible.

Shall I join the search or have you found her?

Margaret

[margaretmarch]

Nothing on the 1911 for Clara L Heath b1868.

Only 9 Clara Heath entries in 1911 and none in Essex.

Margaret

[Chrissie Smiff]

Yes please do Margaret I haven't found anything yet.

[margaretmarch]

Well I've looked through all the census for Clara L Heath b1868 and nothing is showing up so I think that's promising for 'our' Clara who seems prone to simply assuming a surname.

I've now stated looking for James Heath in case he was the one with her in 1911.

Margaret

[stevie2006]

Thanks Margaret and thanks Chrissie SO appreciative of your help

Chrissie I haven't came across the name Clara Heath before and age and area of death look promising - I will have a look too. I know that Clara took in lodgers and maybe James was a lodger they then became close and maybe didn't marry but she took his name?

Steven

[margaretmarch]

Thanks Margaret and thanks Chrissie SO appreciative of your help

Chrissie I haven't came across the name Clara Heath before and age and area of death look promising - I will have a look too. I know that Clara took in lodgers and maybe James was a lodger they then became close and maybe didn't marry but she took his name?

Steven

I think that is a distinct possibility but we don't know if it was James or not that had the surname Ward or Heath or whatever. I have been trying to get an age for James but can't seem to find the 1911 entry for them now.
Do you have the ref please for that?
Margaret

[Guest]

Margaret its
RG14 PN9409 RG78PN506 RD188 SD2 ED36 SN92
James Ward abt 1881 Labourer at Docks Stratford Essex

[margaretmarch]

Thanks Val.

I notice Clara has knocked 4/5 years off her age in 1911 - might she have kept this up throughout her life?

Margaret

[stevie2006]

Certainly a possibility Margaret - if James was her husband and she was perhaps knocking a few years off her age then maybe that continued until she died

Steven