Genealogy Chat

Hello,

Im wondering if anyone could help me..
Ernest Carr died in 1940 aged 44 and his wife Jeanne Carr nee Rigby also died in 1940 aged 36.. I take it something must have happened but i was wondering if there is anyway i can find out other than purchasing the death certificate (as times are hard at the mo) im currently trying to find newspaper archives online.
if anyone could help it would be amazing .

many thanks

Nadine

I've had a look on newspaper archives on Findmypast for 1940 but I can't find anything on there.

I think you may have to buy the certificates to find out what happened. Did they die in the same quarter? Perhaps it was an accident or depenmding where they died something to do with the war.

EDIT - found this on the Commonwealth War Graves site:-

CARR, ERNEST

Rank: Civilian
Date of Death: 23/12/1940
Age: 44
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead

Reporting Authority
MANCHESTER, COUNTY BOROUGH

Additional Information:

of 549A Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Husband of Jeanne Carr. Died at 549A Wilbraham Road.

And this:-

CARR, JEANNE

Rank: Civilian
Date of Death: 23/12/1940
Age: 36
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead

Reporting Authority
MANCHESTER, COUNTY BOROUGH

Additional Information:
of 549A Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Wife of Ernest Carr. Died at 549A Wilbraham Road.

Looks as if they may have died in bombing. Have a look here:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Blitz

Kath. x

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/54/a3320254.shtml

"On the Sunday night before xmas 1940 the air raid sirens around 6.30pm gave the warning that an air raid was imminent. From memory the attack went on for about 10 - 11 hours.

Towards midnight the sky was lit up with flares; in the peach colour from the flares, the formations of German bombers could be seen flying over the area.

The attacking aircraft had no effective resistances from either night fighters or anti-aircraft guns.

We heard later that the Manchester city centre and the industrial area of Trafford Park had been badly damaged. If my memory serves me right the Shell oil storage tanks had been hit and lit up the night sky for miles around."

There are a number of sites about the bomb damage - just make an internet search for
'Manchester bombing 1940'

The 'Manchester Blitz' occured on the nights of 22 and 23 Dec 1940. Its highly likley that Ernest and Jeanne were casualties of this.

Thank you so much Kath! :)

On his death certificate he is down for 1940 oct-Nov-Dec and on hers she is down as 1941 Jan-Feb-Mar but there are a couple of trees on ancestry with her down as 23rd dec 1940... i''ve tried contacting them but no luck :( x

Thank you Detective!!

Found it! They both died on the 23rd december 1940 in bomb attack. thank you both for your help!

Deaths Dec 1940 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Carr Ernest 44 Manchester 8d 125
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deaths Mar 1941 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carr Jeanne 36 Manchester 8d 45

Her death was obviously registered later than his - that is why one is Dec. qtr. 1940 and the other March qtr. 1941.

Kath. x

Hmm- well, without making gorey suggestions, overall, the recovery and identification work must have taken quite a while. There is the possibility that she may have survived the initial attack, but died of wounds later.

Not sure what would have happened during WW2, but the Register office could probably have been closed for Christmas Day, or taken a while to get up and running again themselves....people getting to work through bomb damaged streets, or they/their families being casualties or injured

The dead in Manchester numbered 363; there were 455 seriously injured hospital cases and 728 people with less serious wounds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a2078282.shtml

Also lost a daughter:

Births Mar 1930
Carr Hazel B Rigby Manchester S. 8d 349

Deaths Mar 1941
Carr Hazel 11 Manchester 8d 371

Rose

And a son?

Births Sep 1931
Carr Billie Rigby Manchester S. 8d 295

Deaths Mar 1941
Carr William 9 Manchester 8d 46

Rose

CARR, WILLIAM

Rank:
Civilian
Date of Death:
23/12/1940
Age:
9
Regiment/Service:
Civilian War Dead

Reporting Authority
MANCHESTER, COUNTY BOROUGH
Additional Information:
of 549A Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Son of Ernest and Jeanne Carr. Died at 549A Wilbraham Road.

Rose

CARR, HAZEL

Rank:
Civilian
Date of Death:
24/12/1940
Age:
11
Regiment/Service:
Civilian War Dead

Reporting Authority
MANCHESTER, COUNTY BOROUGH
Additional Information:
of 549A Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Daughter of Ernest and Jeanne Carr. Injured 23 December 1940, at 549A Wilbraham Road; died at Withington Hospital, Nell Lane.

Rose

I see marriages for the 3 remaining children so they survived.

Rose

Thank you everyone for all your information!