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Hello,

I'm not so sure of my Welsh geography I'm afraid, but I think this is in the general local area. 

In March 1931 my paternal grandfather, WILLIAM JOHN CORBETT had a sort of breakdown and murdered my grandmother ETHEL LOUISA (nee JONES) by cutting her throat with a razor.  He then went into the MARDY WOODS(?) and attempted to commit suicide before being found by the local constable, WILLIAM BOWEN. He went to the gallows for the crime in August of that year.  The address where the tragedy took place was:

48 CAER BRAGDY (off LAWRENCE STREET), Glamorgan.  I'm very curious to know if the house still stands. 

Also, my grandmother is apparantly buried at PENYRHEOL CEMETERY.   Although it's the opposite end of the world for me, my hope is that one day I'll be able to take my father's ashes (he died December 2004) and scatter them near where his mother was laid to rest.

I've written further details of the events on the Wales - General board and would love to know if I have any living relatives.

I would love to find relatives of my late father CHARLES ARCHIBALD CORBETT, b. 1918.

My father's birth was registered in Pontypridd, GLAMORGAN, Wales. Very little has been spoken of his family due to tragic circumstances, ending in murder and execution, that occurred in 1931.

As for my father's family, I have only found this information after his death as he wouldn't speak of it. There was a rumour and he had confirmed this to my mother. I looked into it further and have since received newspaper reports from the British Library:

His parents were WILLIAM JOHN CORBETT, a coal miner - hewer in Glamorgan, Wales and ETHEL LOUISA JONES. The address on my father's birth certificate was 3 SOUTH PANDY Rd, CAERPHILLY. I don't know their exact birth dates but am estimating it to be in the mid 1890s.

Ethel had an daughter at the time of their 1917 marriage. She was unaware that William was not her father until 1931.

Some time around late 1930 William lost his job and became mentally unstable with not being able to provide for his family. Apparantly he made a few suicide attempts.

In March 1931 an domestic dispute broke between William, Ethel and the oldest daughter. It escelated to the extreme where William had a razor to the daughter's throat and was certainly about to kill her. Ethel, who was pregnant, intervened and WIlliam cut her throat. He then went for the daughter. However, with a severed wind pipe and jugular, Ethel managed to throw herself onto William and pull him off her daughter before falling back, dead. The daughter was able to make her escape.

William was tried at SWANSEA and executed by hanging at CARDIFF PRISON in August 1931.

Ethel and WIllilam had 6 children, my father Charles, being the oldest. From newspaper clippings and Ethel's obituary I have found that the names of his siblings.  I also know 2 of his siblings names.

Witnesses at William's trial were DOROTHY WELL (neighbour) and JOHN VENN (friend). The arresting constable was WILLIAM BOWEN.

Ethel's funeral was attended by: EDGAR JONES (brother), HAROLD JONES (brother) MRS JOHN JONES (mother - who also appears in the court records as Mrs M JONES), BRINLEY CORBETT (brother in law and his wife), RICHARD CORBETT (b-i-law), LIONEL JONES (nephew) and a number of other relatives (nieces, aunts, etc) with names such as LAWRENCE, LYNES, GLEE, HOWELLS, WALTERS, MORGAN, DAVIES, NASH, WILLIAMS and WALL.

Sorry this is so long. I know it's a long shot but I have very little to go on other than the newspaper reports. I would love to find out if I have any close relatives still living. I believe one of his sisters lived in Canada and the other (Sally) died in Spain. They are the only ones I remember my father having any contact with at all.

MODERATOR COMMENT: Original post edited to protect identity of living people or their offspring.

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There are many ways to trace living relatives using publicly available telephone directories, "friends" websites (e.g. alumini sites, school sites etc), local newspapers.  There are also services provided in the UK by the Salvation Army to help trace close relatives.

Salvation Army Tracing Service

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