Advice please - tracing a death

[tabitha]

Hi, I have already posted a similar message to this on a county board but thought I'd try here too for some more general advice!

It's rumoured that my 2xG Grandfather died on a railway line.

George Wright was born in 1865/6 and was alive in 1901. In 1919 he is shown on his daughter's marriage cert as a miner.

My mum says he died before she was born in 1946.

I've checked 1837online between 1919 & 1949 and found loads of George Wrights!! To narrow them down I have looked at the districts. If this story is true the rail line would have been between Easington & Hartlepool (West Hartlepool) districts. This left 4 deaths allowing a +/- 10 year age difference for how old he should have been. (Unsurprisingly not one matched the correct age!)

My question is does any one have any suggestions of a different way to approach this before I start ordering certificates that are more than likely the wrong ones?

Unfortunately I'm at the wrong end of the country to spend a few hours/days/weeks in the appropriate records office!

Cheers
tabitha

[J.A.M.]

Try contacting the rail company. Most of the railway employees records would have been kept in a local office. My father worked on the line in Canada & some good information can be gotten from a co-operative personnel office.
Good hunting.
J.A.M.

[tabitha]

Thanks J.A.M.

Unfortunately he didn't work on the railways (I didn't make that very clear, sorry!) 

This was a regular walk he took along the rail line to get from one place to another!

Cheers
tabitha

[DebbieDee]

Hi tabitha,

The only thing I can think of is perhaps contacting a family history society in the area he would have been buried.  Quite often they produce local indexes of graves/cemeteries in the area.  Do you have any idea where he or his family were living at the time?  This is the route I am going down to find some deaths.  Shame you are too far away to look at newspapers as well. 

Debbie

[tabitha]

Hi Debbie,

I know where he should have been living!! Thanks for the suggestion I'll see if I can find a local society.

Cheers
tabitha

[celia]

Hi Tabitha

If you think you know where he was living when he died, i don't think you will need the actual address,.You could try emailing A local Library Reference room and inquire about papers they have. I am sure a death on a railway track if true would have been reported. A death year would help a lot though.Have a look on the net and see what Library's you can find in the area.

Celia

[Mobo]

 

I know how you feel Tabitha -

According to oral family history my gt. grandfather William John Morris, was killed in an explosion when he was 37 (making it 1903/4), and although I have his address on the 1901 Census, he was a Railway Platelayer, which meant he could have been working anywhere - if he was killed at work that is.  He definitely wasn't alive on his daughter's marriage certifcate in 1917.

I've searched from 1901 to 1917 and not found a suitable entry, I've also been in touch with the local history library, and looked at newspapers.  As a Platelayer, he was employed by Contractors, so the Railway couldn't help either.

I'm sorry I don't have suggestions, but I thought you might like to know you are not alone.

 

[tabitha]

Thanks for all of your help!

Mobo - it's nice to know someone else has a similar problem, it's so frustrating isn't it?

Cheers
tabitha

[Mobo]

 

AND HOW !!