Ralph love,deserted his family, where and when did he die?

[tiggered]

searching for any info on my husband's grandfather Ralph Love b1874 Sunnybrow,Durham[parents George and Jane Love], he married Emma Sowerby b1870 in Lanchester,Durham in 1894  A dau Jane being born the same year. They then moved to Doncaster where Ethel 1896, Eveline 1899, And Edith 1901 were born.Ralph then deserted his wife and family - the 1901 census shows him living in Portsmouth Hampshire, working as a butcher and boarding with a widow Urrilla Hemsley and her two sons. From this point the trail fades but Emma had a son George in 1904, I wonder was there a reconciliation or who was the father? It was a subject that my mother in law would not talk about, but at some point, so the family gossip goes"an official from somewhere came to her door, to ask her to pay for her father's funeral" apparently the kids were astounded at their mother's choice of words and the matter never referred to again!
If anyone could help or advise on what should be my next step to find where he lived later and where he died I would be very grateful, Thanks !

[sillgen]

Hi
Welcome to rootschat.    One answer would be to search the death index and see if a suitable one shows up.  It is very time consuming but can be done.  The full ones are available online at www.ancestry.co.uk and other paying sites.    A partial index is on FreeBMD so it is always worth starting with that.  What occupation would he have followed?  Would he have fought in WW1?
You can probably cut down the date by thinking what age the kids might have been when they heard the "Official".
Urilla is an unusual name so it might be worth trying to trace her too.  A birth certificate for George might be useful.
Andrea

[ev]

hi

welcome to rootschat 

freebmd has a ralph love birth registered 4th quarter 1867 auckland durham
i note that sunnybrow is not too far away from bishop auckland on the map
and he seems to be on the 1871 census

ev

[tiggered]

hi, many thanks for the leads. Ralph was a coal miner and later worked alongside his dad as a butcherin Doncaster. Have searched the free BMD index but drew a blank, so will now trawl through the full Ancestry one- shows how new to this I am as I am already an Ancestry member, but was unaware that they had the full index! Unfortunately all the grandchildren of Ralph and Emma have now died, leaving me the last of that generation ,hence the brickwall.Will definitely check out George's birth certificate that should answer at least one of my questions.  Thanks again for your help, it is much appreciated   Tig

[tiggered]

Hi, thanks for your interest Ev, I believe the birth in 1867 you found is the correct one and I have got him on the 1871 and again on the 1891 census living with his parents. On the 1901 he's off to pastures new in Portsmouth, what an elusive man he's turning out to be .

[jorose]

I think that 'Urrilla' was Ursilla Douglass, married Richard Hemsley in 1871, living with her two sons as 'Ussilla Hemsley' in 1881, married but husband not around.  She was from Durham originally - coincidence, or maybe the family knew her somehow?

[tiggered]

many thanks jorose, Urrilla's maiden name is a brill contribution - I can now look for a conection 'tween Ralph and Urrilla, had innocently thought her two boys [similar age] might have been the reason ralph boarded there,but maybe not! One thing for sure he was a definite "fly by night"    regards