Hi Andrew, Maddie kindly alerted me to your plight. I have just looked through the microfiche at Watford Library -for The West Herts and Watford Observer from Friday 15th of Sept to the end of the month. I looked out for any feature stories re the accident and also at the death notices. Sorry to say I didn't find anything. I will check next week if the library also holds the observer online, just to double check if I missed anything. Have you tried herts names on line, as another roots chatter (Jtas) managed to find a death notice for one of my ancestors. Good luck with finding any other links in the meantime.
Thank you very much for passing my forum onto a friend Maddie, and thank your very much for having a look for me bgoodman!
it is very much appreciated.
Ray, at first it was a rumour (by one of the sons, because I didn't know him personally) so I took the information he had and ordered a certificate, He did in fact die like he said he died, below is what is mentioned on his death certificate word by word.
Name; Raymond G Purcell
Living at; 64 Woodstock Road, Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands, England.
Place of death and cause of death; Peace Memorial Hospital, Watford, Hertfordshire, England Died of Shock, and haemorrhage resulting from a lacerated liver and fractured ribs the deceased having the 14th September 1950 been crushed by falling steel plates at the clone valley sewerage works, Maple Cross Hertfordshire, England. P.M; Accidental.
Occupation; Engineer
Informant; R.M. Godman, Deputy coroner for the Watford district. Inquest held 19th September 1950
He was known by many last names, including Smith/Temple-Smith/Temple-Purcell/Purcell
The reason for this is because his real fathers name was called Smith, He was registered again at birth with Temple-Smith (his dads middle name and put it with his last name to make temple-smith). about 1914..1918 time he's real father went away.. not sure how or when or even where, but a man that was living with them as a boarder was actually to be considered as their real father, Raymond was to young to understand so he thought that this new person was his real father, so his mother changed his name from Temple-Smith to "Purcell", later on in life his eldest brother told him, so he again changed his name from "Purcell" to Temple-Purcell, out of respect for his real fathers name, and his steph father.
By the time in 1936 (aged 27) he was using Purcell as his last name, This is proven by his marriage certificate. It also says on his marriage certificate that Raymonds father was called Richard H Purcell. In the witness box it says his mothers name. When he had my grandfather he gave the name Purcell which was in 1936, but when his second eldest child was born in 1938 he gave the last name Temple-Purcell to all his other children.
So in theory he mainly used the name "Purcell" but only sometimes used a different name. I know its very confusing but hopefully I have explained it good enough to understand.
Kind Regards
Andrew
