Genealogy Chat

Does anyone have any tips for how you might narrow down the number of possible deaths of an ancestor?

I have several returns where the year of death would match the age of the person (I'm certain of their date of birth). Searching the indexes (or indices depending on your persuasion) has produced a couple of possibles.

Without ordering all of the death certificates to find more details can anyone suggest any tips?

You could check if the reg district covers where you'd expect them to be. The Freebmd entry have links to those

Ancestry has the Probate Calender - they may have left an Estate worthy of Probate (Will) or Letters of Administration (no Will) which might rule one or two out

There could be a Death announcement in the British Newspaper Archive on this site

You could try looking at probate records to see if listed and if any of the 'possibles' name relatives you know of?

Are these deaths before end of 1969>>>> Date of birth is usually shown after that year, if it was known.

Perhaps you'd like to tell us the name of the person and what you know of them, as it might be easier to offer guidance when we have a fuller picture of the search.

Gwyn

Depending when/where they died there may be burial records in parish records collections.

As Gwyn says, if you give us details we could take a look (but if it's a John Smith I'll opt out!)

Nah - not that hard :)

It's a James Merriman. Born 1880/81 in Staffordshire.

I have a potential death date of 1942 (aged 62) and one of 1951 (aged 71).

There could be more but those are the only likely ones I found on FreeBMD.

I will take a look at the burials and probate (but there was no wealth so I doubt it)

FreeBMD only completed up to 1964 so if he lived beyond that he probably won't be on it but someone with access to FMP or GR Platinum could find him.

if he lived beyond 1964 he'd be 84 which I think is reasonably unlikely for someone born in 1880

My gt grandmother was born 1880 she died in 1967

I didn't say impossible. I just said unlikely (especially given there are two very reasonable possibilities).

There is one in 1950 in Cheadle district aged 72. Does he have a middle name?

Who were his parents?

When is he last known to be alive....eg. signed as a witness at a marriage

Hi Gwyn,

He was alive in the 1911 census. He was declared deceased on his Son's (James 1906) marriage certificate. However I know he was at a wedding in 1931 so this was definitely a lie.

So.............

And Joy - age 72 in 1950 doesn't fit. I suspect he would be in Birmingham, Warks, Staffs and no he doesn't have a middle name as far as I know

Don't forget that information on a death certificate eg age, is only as good as the informant's knowledge. They might have got the day and month right, but the year wrong.

If you aren't comfortable with Cheadle reg death, how about this Birmingham reg?

James Merriman
Birth Date: abt 1880
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1942
Age at Death: 62
Registration district: Birmingham
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 6d
Page: 545

yes - that's one of the possible 2.

Is there anyway I can get more info (D.O.B, relatives, place of birth, who registered the event etc) without ordering the certificate?

Not sure if this will help bearing in mind that the death might have been registered in the district where he died, not where he normally lived

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/birmingham.html
BIRMINGHAM REGISTRATION DISTRICT

Re-created : 1.10.1932 (out of Birmingham North and Birmingham South registration districts).
Sub-districts : Acocks Green, All Saints, Aston, Birmingham, Colmore, Deritend, Duddeston, Edgbaston, Erdington, Handsworth, Heath, Kings Norton, Ladywood, Lordswood, Newhall, Perry Barr, Raddlebarn, St. George, St. Martins, St. Marys, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Philip, St. Thomas, Selly Oak, Sorrento, Sprakbrook, Yardley
GRO volumes : XVI (1837–51), 6d (1852–1924), 6d (1932–46), 9C (1946–74), 32 (1974–92).
Registers currently held at : Birmingham.

If we are to assume that he was buried in one of the 'Birmingham' cemeteries, a look up by the council would cost £11.

http://goo.gl/8IyFO

Cemeteries listed here
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cemeteries

A certificate from GRO costs £9.25
:-0

You could research on the internet if there are closer cemeteries in or near the sub districts which are not listed on the Birmingham council site

I think a member someone (BrummieJan?) has said that there is Birmingham based on line FH group. If that can be confirmed, those users might be able to suggest other cheaper methods to identify your man.

FYI - a 1942 won't give place of birth or date of birth.

The details would be

Full name of the deceased
Cause of death
Place of death
Date of death
Age at death
Occupation of the deceased (if male)
Name and occupation of the husband (if female)
Name, address and relationship to the deceased of the person who reported the death

The details given would what was known by the informant