Accidental death inquest in Windsor 1939

[queenswood 1]

Thank you! I think there is some confusion in this thread.
William George Varney was taken to King Edward 7th Hospital in Windsor following an accident and he died there on 1st september 1939-his address is shown as his address on the Isle of wight and his death cert was issued by the Coroner.

His wife died 6 years later at Pinewood house, larch Ave, Sunninghill, of various ailments and their daughter, Martha kate Varney was the informant and present at her mothers death in 1945, showing her address also as Pinewood House. Pinewood House was sold in 2007 for just under £2m so it was a substantial property, but William varney and his wife and children were all working class, so it seems very unlikely that their daughter owned Pine wood House- she was still a spinster when her widowed mother died there in 1945.

So my 2 questions are:

1) Why was William george Varney in Windsor in 1939 where he had an accident and subsequently died as a result- he was aged 71 and a retired Whitesmith, still living in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
2) Why was his widow in Pinewood House, Larch avenue Sunninghill with their spinster daughter Martha Kate in 1945 when she died of numerous ailments?

3) William and his wife Kate had 2 children- Bertram william Varney born Cowes 1892 and Martha Kate Varney born 1897 Cowes Isle of Wight.
Both children are at home on the IOW with william and his wife in 1911 but I cannot trace either sibling after 1911- until daughter Martha Kate turned up in 1945 with her very sick widowed mother.
I have wondered if Bertram emigrated at some point as I cannoy find anything on BMD for marriage/death/ WW1 records etc- and equally I cannot find a marriage or death of his sister Martha Kate after 1945 when their mother died.

So lots of mysteries really- but the slightest scrap of info may just be the chink in this brick wall.

Re Bertram Varnes on WW1 ancestry- i think this is a red herring as I think his marriage in the 1920s shows him with wrong initials to be our man.

Many thanks

Caroline

[Liz_in_Sussex]

Hi Caroline,

This might be a complete red herring but there is only one link I can think of between the places you mention in your posts and that is the Royal Household.

Osborn House at Cowes (although this was not used after Queen Victoria's death), Bagshot Park near Sunninghill and Windsor Castle.  The King Edward VII Hospital at Windsor was one of the first to treat diabetics which might be relevant and it also had a private ward.

It's this last fact which I think may be significant if the Royal Household is involved. 

My Great Grandfather was employed in the RH and was often at Osborn House, Windsor and Bagshot as well as abroad - we have various things that place him in these locations like telegrams, letters, diaries, etc.  In 1908 he became sick and was admitted to a private hospital which was paid for by the RH.  He came from a poor family but when he died in 1908 aged 38 he had amassed considerable wealth - if I did not have all the documentary evidence I would find it hard to believe!

As I say - probably a big red herring but it is all I can think of!  I hope you solve you mystery!

Liz

[lizdb]

Maybe thats why we cant find Martha Kate on England and Wales records after 1945 - perhpas she moved to Balmoral!

[Liz_in_Sussex]

  stranger things have happened - well in my tree anyway!

Liz

[lizdb]

Mine too!

Somewhere there is an address to contact for Royal household archives ........  but not surewhere now! It is on Rootschat somewhere, so a Search might pick it up.

[lizdb]

Here we are

http://www.royal.gov.uk/the%20royal%20collection%20and%20other%20collections/theroyalarchives/theroyalarchives.aspx

[queenswood 1]

This is all quite amazing as I do remember my late mother in law talking about a member of the family who worked at windsor Castle- but never for a moment considered it to be Martha Varney- it may still not be but I think it is worth me having  a look1 I will use the link you have sent me and see how I get on. Mother in Law came from the Langley and Clewer area and her maiden name was Piggott- she was in service but in Dorset- so I had discounted this snippet until now- will check this out!

Just to clarify- William George Varney died at Edward 7th Hospital Windsor in 1939 from pneumoinia following an accidental fall- there was a coroners inquest and his home address was given as his home in Cowes- so he could have been visiting Martha if she was in fact working at Windsor. The in 1945, I have Martha's widowed mother, passing away at Pinewood House, Larch ave Sunninghill- just 7 miles from Windsor- her address is shown now as Pinewood Hose- and her spinster daughter Martha has the same address- so it could have been that Martha had arranged for her widowed and very sick mother to be living with her in her final months. The Royals have always been very considerate employers- but I need to investigate this further- but it could certainly be a possibility now of resolving this very old brick wall!

Many many thanks- will update post if I find anything

Caroline


Caroline

[carol8353]

Have you considered an email to Berkshire Record Office to ask about Pinewood House?

http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/

[carol8353]

I cannot find out what happened to the spinster daughter Martha Kate Varney after her mother died in 1945- she was born 1897 and she also had a brother Bertram W Varney born 1892. Both Bertram and Martha are at home with their parents William and Kate on the Isle of Wight in 1911 but I cannot find anything about them beyond that Census- and the fact that Martha was with her mother at Pinewood House when she died in 1945. Any help really welcome!!
Caroline

See also http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=698388.msg5416709#msg5416709

I have since found that Bertram died whilst working on board a ship in 1913.

So it's just his sister Martha Kate to find now 

Carol