Family Treasure Trove .. :)

[Biker]

I was bored this afternoon (at home with a bad cold) and decided to go through my parents' papers.  They died many years ago, but somehow I've always felt a bit squeamish about sorting through them.

I've found:

Several 1850-1900 family photographs.
My father's WW2 enlistment and discharge papers.
My father's police records (he was a policeman, not in prison!)
My grandfather's military pension certificate (something like that, will have a good look when I settle down).
Several death certificates of older relatives.
Family letters of all sorts from around 1900-1950 by the looks of it.
My grandfather's second marriage certificate (didn't really know much about that).
My father's first marriage certificate and death certificate of his wife.

I thought I'd share my find with others who might understand what a find it is.

Aaaargh. Off to have a stiff drink and a pore over things ...

Jonathan

[casalguidi]

That's brilliant news Jonathan!

I can fully understand your apprehension about sorting through them but I really couldn't have kept my nose out.  Maybe that's a male/female thing?

Wishing you many wonderful hours piecing everything together.

Best wishes

Casalguidi

[Geoff of Devon]

Goes to show that a litle effort goes a long way.... in time that is! 

[peterpiper]

what a find!! lucky you
peter

[RJ_Paton]

The phrase "Jammy beggar" immediately pops into my head as I turn green with envy 

[JillJ]

Jonathan

You lucky so and so!   I bet your cold doesn't feel as bad now as it did before!   

Jill

[Biker]

I know it was a great piece of luck, and the documents I've found make more sense of some of the oral history and sparse documentation I had on a few individuals.

Now trying to piece it all together.

I do have a couple of questions since these new documents have taken me to new research.  So before I post 'officially' ...

1. is it likely I'll be able to find a marriage record for Belfast in about 1912ish? And to discover the children of that marriage before the husband died pre-1917? I've got the bride's name (and nee name)and bride's father's name.

2. Is it likely if in the 1940s a married woman had died of a 'backstreet' abortion this would be mentioned on the death cert?

any preliminary help appreciated.

thanks
Jonathan

[casalguidi]

Hi Jonathan

It's a long, long, story that has taken a lot of years to uncover but we have somebody who died in 1947 of "Acute Infective Hepatitis" according to the death certificate.  From what we can gather, she probably died the same or next day following admission to hospital.  There was no inquest.

Many years later, we "traced" an elderly cousin of this lady.  He said, the story in his family was that she had died as the result of an abortion/attempted abortion.

I'd also be VERY interested in any further replies to your posting.

Casalguidi

[Biker]

Interesting that casalguidi.

I also have found another female death cert.
Female aged 28 yrs, death 1914.
Cause of death is given as:
1. Concealed accidental hemorrhage
2. Syncope pres? (syncode I gather is fainting or periodic unconsciousness).

It strikes me as odd?  But perhaps I'm just reading things in where nothing is to be found ...

Jonathan