Eastbourne vital records--and boarding houses

[lorna llan]

I've just received a copy of a death record from GRO for Elsie Josephine Erselius of Eastbourne who died in 1951. The format of the record I've been sent has no place for maiden name. If I wrote to Eastbourne register office directly, could I get a copy of the original cert, which would give a maiden name?  Was this asked for in 1951?

The reason I need to know is that I can't find a marriage record for Elsie and her husband....possibly they married abroad....

The husband, Thomas Charles Erselius, was the proprietor of a boarding house at 5 Elms Avenue, Eastbourne. Is he found in any directories between 1930 and 1980? Grateful for any help with this.

[sillgen]

I don't think you will get any further information by writing.   It is such an unusual name that it should be easy to find a marriage and there is a later one in Eastbourne.  Did he marry again?  I am assuming he is the one who dies in 1981 and was born 1897?
If I have the right person his war records show his mother as next of kin so he did not marry young.  He had flat feet and varicose veins!  However that may not be your man as there are a surprising number of BMDs with that surname.
It is also an easy name to mistranscribe.
Electoral roll records may help to show when Elsie was first with him if he lived in Eastbourne for a long time.  Did they have children?   Who registered the death?
Regards
Andrea

[lorna llan]

Well, this man T C Erselius had something going for him--Elsie Josephine is the most recent partner or wife I have found . She was number 3 of 4, and he registered her death as widower. He had no children, except from wife no 1, who never did know he lived in Eastbourne.  His last wife, Winifred, was the one who registered his death.

Do you know if there are any Kelly's Directories available for lookups for this part of Sussex? I think old electoral rolls are hard to access.

[sillgen]

I am not aware of an online source for Kellys at this time - assuming you have looked at the Historical Directories site and failed to find it.
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/
Lewes Record Office certainly has copies so it might be worth contacting them.    They will have the electoral rolls too.
There is a local Eastbourne Family History Group too.
Andrea

[Jay9]

Hi

Kelly's Directory Information

1939 not listed under residents, 5 Elms Avenue - Wilson Arth. Humphery

1948/49 Listed under private residents,
Erselius Chas. Avenue Ho. 5 Elms Avenue.

also listed in Street Dirctory part exactly as follows,

5 Elms Avenue - Avenue House  Boarding  Establishment
                          (Jose Charles, Propr.) Phone 3428
5 Elms Avenue - Erselious Chas. (Avenue Ho)

The next Directory I have is 1957 and I cannot find T. C. Erselius,
5 Elms Avenue still has Jose Charles as entry next to it, as does 1959,1961,1963.

It could be possible he had a room at Avenue Hotel, 5 Elms Avenue and does not show up in the directories after 1948/49. My husbands parents names are not shown in directories around this time as they lived lodging houses and their place of work.

Jan

[lorna llan]

This is a great help, thank you.
I think all the entries you have found might be Thomas Charles Erselius. He used various first names and combinations thereof and is described as a boarding house proprietor in the death record of Elsie in 1951, living at 5 Elms Avenue, and again as a boarding house proprietor when he died in 1981.
I think "Jose Charles" might well be the same person.
Do the directories of 1948 list any persons called Elsie living at Avenue House?    I know that's a long shot.                      

[sillgen]

You don't think that Jose Charles might be Elsie?  That was my first thought. 
Andrea

[Jay9]

Hi

No other name for Avenue House in 1948/49, the directories tend to list just head of household, was he still at Ems Avenue when he died in 1981.

The way the entries were done surname first, would make it Charles Jose so I do not think it would be Elsie, looking at other entries for females, surname first usually followed by Miss or Mrs then initials.

Jan

[sillgen]

I was just thinking her second name was Josephine so maybe known as Josie?
Andrea