Ada Smith - died Thanet 1963 - further info?

[dtcoulson]

Hello people,

On the trail of Ada Smith, born Thanet Q4 1891 to Burton & Phoebe Smith.
Resident in Ramsgate during her youth.

Despite many alternatives, a few clues from my family folklore suggest she may be the Ada Smith who died in Thanet in 1963, unmarried and without descendants.

It seems to me that the only way for me to verify/disprove this would be to inspect the grave inscription. However I am not in the UK and furthermore don't know where in Thanet she may be buried. I would like some help in trying to determine where this lady is buried and from there trying to find someone who would be able to photograph the stone or put me in contact with a heritage society that might have the inscription on record.

Can anyone give me some advice on where/how to start?

Thanks
David C

[andycand]

Hi

There is an entry in the National Probate Calendar for an Ada Smith, a widow, of 65 All Saints Avenue, Margate who died 29th April 1963 at The General hospital. Margate.  Probate Birmingham 5th June to Alec Thomas Smith, civil servant.   Margate is in the Thanet Registration district and the age and date match the June Qtr death registration.

Andy

[rosie99]

Sometimes having the full date of birth helps as later deaths show this on the index rather than the age.  Have you tried searching for her on the 1839 register

Where are Burton & Phoebe buried

Rosie

[lizdb]

I think a death cert from that era would tell you if the person was a widow or not.

Not sure that looking for a grave inscription is the best way forward - someone dying in Thanet Registration District could have been buried in one of many different places, or indeed the body taken to a completely different area if that is where that persons family came from or the deceased died away from home. Also, even if buried, there may not be a headstone. And of course, cremation is a strong possibility.

Have you actually got the death cert? How do you know the death is not for the widow that andycan found the Probate index entry for?

[rosie99]

Hi
A tree on Ancestry says she married Percy D Hettenbach in 1912 though that marriage gives Ada G Smith G

[dtcoulson]

Thanks Andycand,
clearly this rules out the connection with my relative.

And thanks everybody for your comments and advice.
Looking at the inscription was always going to be a long shot.
Obviously no longer necessary in light of what Andycand has found.

I did look into the 1939 but found no Ada Smith living in Thanet.
There are a zillion people of this name across the UK and of course another zillion who married,
so the possibilities expand exponentially from there.

Ada is my grandmother's sister and is not a high priority in my family search.

Cheers people
-DC

[rosie99]

Hi
A tree on Ancestry says she married Percy D Hettenbach in 1912 though that marriage gives Ada G Smith G

I would discount this marriage as there was an Ada Gertrude Smith of the right age to marry Percy living in the area at the time.