Did Mary Jane commit suicide?

[stonechat]

Some years ago when I was first gathering information regarding family history, my grandmother told my father that her Aunt Mary Jane Clarke Hung herself.

She was born Mar 1852 in Oundle, Northants to Staffurth Clark and Sophia nee Wyman.

Staffurth was a watchmaker.

Mary Jane was at home in 1861 and 1871, the latter gives her as a dressmaker..
She is not to be seen in 1881.
She is definitely alive in 1888 - I havea letter written to her sister my gt grandmother, implying that she feels other members of the family are treating her bacly. She talks of taking rooms with Mrs Fortescue in Malvern.

There is a possible sighting in 1891 in Tonbridge as a houskeeper. - Birth date two yrears out. Nothing after this.
Seaching for a death has drawn a blank. Times online archive has found nothing.
The watchmakers was there until 1955 or so

Any ideas - anyone fnd anything
(I have eliminated a Mary Jane Clarke working with Uncle Charles Percival in Kettering as a red herring and unrelated)

Bob

[tazzie]

Hi Stonechat

 1881 = M.J.Clarke b oundle 1852
  Living at Osborn House
                St John Baptist
                Kent England.

       M.J. Clarke 29 u Wardrobe keeper.

 It appears she was employed at a private school in Margate. It has all the right dates so would appaer to be your Mary Jane.

            Tazzie

[stonechat]

I should've tried the initals and sed Clark isntead of Clarke!!

So She is in Kent in 1881, Back i Oundle in 1888, and if the 1891 record is correct, in Oundle in 1891.

The street of this record in 1891 has houses owned by Tonbridge School (I know due to family connection), so this may have been a school as employer again.

How might I find more?

|Bob

[tazzie]

Bob

 Might be worth a try in something like Kellys directory or the post office directory .It would give details on the address. Sometimes even google the address and you can find other establishments in the same road and maybe some old photos.

                 Tazzie

[stonechat]

I knpow the address, I have been to this road. There are buildings where boarding pupils stay.

What I am really chasing is a death record or details of a suicide or inquest

Bob

[Suttonrog]

Hi,

Have you thought that she may have got married?

There is a marriage of a Mary Jane Clarke married June 1891 in Northants.

Good hunting

[Arranroots]

Hi Bob

There is also at least one possibility on the 1901 census.

RG13/124/95/3

Mary J CLARKE matron U 44 - housekeeper - Northants Oundle

In a school at 97 Finchley Road, Hampstead.

The age is a little "out", but it fits with the theme of working in schools.

What do you think?

kind regards, Arranroots 

[stonechat]

Yes I did ythink she might have married - never found a likely one though

Bob

[Arranroots]

Well you certainly have a lot more information to work on Bob.

I hope you solve your mystery.  You could try looking for newspaper accounts in the areas you believe she lived in, as such a thing is likely to have caused a story to have been written.  You could also look out for deaths, but with a name like CLARKE it will be hard to be sure you have the correct one and buying certs could get costly!

Best of luck!

Arranroots