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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Flintshire => Topic started by: DINGinWALES on Friday 29 July 16 16:19 BST (UK)
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Many years ago my mother told me a story about having a sister who died of diptheria as a child. I have recently found her birth in 1925 (May Davies). I have sent for her birth certificate from Mold Register Office. However, I cannot find her death. I don't know the year. I would have thought that being quite recent, a record would be relatively easy to find. I have looked in Flint and Denbigh burials, the GBD for England and Wales, North Wales GBD and Find My Past. Has anyone any suggestions as to where else I could look?
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Death registrations prior to 1969 do not show full birthyear only age. "As a child" can mean any age from infancy to early teens and is very much subject to interpretation.
Is your mum or any of her siblings still alive who may be able to give more information?
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Hi
The North Wales BMD is showing the death of a May Petra Davies in Mold in 1927 (MOLD/40/90)
She would be a bit young but worth checking.
Gadget
Added - a quick flick through to 1939 makes this the most likely.
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Just a thought - could she have been admitted to an isolation hospital outside their home county and died there? Her death would then be registered wherever she died
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Freebmd are showing the 1927 death as Mary P aged 3 - registered Holywell June qtr 1927 but there is no Flintshire birth for a Mary P Davies 1922-1925
EDIT - full GRO index shows name as Mary P
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It might be worth DING contacting the Mold Office.
I know most of the people who did the North Wales BMD indexing - they were very thorough with a double blind check.
Gadget
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Thanks for your replies. No family members left who would know the answer to this. My mum only mentioned it once when I was very young. I think she would have been nearer to 6 or 7 when she died (but I really don't know). The name Petra would be strange as all the others had only one name. I am going to pick the birth certificate up on Monday so I will ask in the Mold office (thanks for that suggestion). There was an isolation hospital in Wrexham (and perhaps Chester) which is why I looked at Denbigh burials but no luck. The family had little money (or time) for doctors so I suspect she would have died at home.
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I now have the birth certificate and spoke to a very helpful person in Mold office. She has suggested I ring and request a search for the death certificate. She was quite hopeful because the father's name was David Hazel.
I discovered May was born in St David's College, Mold Rural. Does anyone have any idea where this is/was?
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There is a Glenys May Davies who died at the Isolation Hospital Wrexham, Adode Ffynon y Berth, Llanarmon age 6 years. She was buried 15/November/1930 at Llanferres, Denbighshire.
Could this be who you are looking for?
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Many Thanks EllenMai,
It's possible ...but there is a Glenys M born in 1924, Holywell so I think it she might not be my aunt.
I know that St Davids College was a prison and then owned by Jesuits but I have no idea what the building was in 1924.
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It's likely that St David's College was a convent at the time;
"The gaol was used as a military detention barracks during the WW1 and occupied by the Jesuits as a
college for 18 years, and afterwards as a convent. It was sold by the direction of the Spanish Ecclesiastical authorities to a Liverpool Ship Owner (North Wales Guardian 1924)"
http://www.cpat.org.uk/resource/reports/cpat1226.pdf
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Thanks Trish. That's really interesting.
The birth certificate shows that the family were living there when she was born. Why they were there is a mystery. Her father had a job so it would seem unlikely that they needed to be taken in by the nuns for charity reasons. Also, my grandparents weren't RC. All very strange.
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I have recently found her birth in 1925 (May Davies)
Was it June qtr 1924?
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Part of the mystery solved. Mold Office rang (I have to say they are fantastic). They found her death certificate. She was May Petra and died in 1927 age 3 but not of diptheria. She had some form of TB. It seems Petra was added when she died. Grandfather's name was Peter and there were no sons in the family at that time so perhaps that's why they added it.
Thanks to everyone who helped on here.
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So pleased about the May Petra, DING. My nose told me it was highly likely :D
The returns are sent from the local offices to the central Registry. That's where many of the errors take place - in this case an 'r' was introduced.
Gadget
Added - the North Wales BMD were indexed from the local records. I did some areas in Denbighshire and Caernarfonshire many years ago.
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I wish I had your nose Gadget!