Stuck! No probate record - anything more I can do?

[Famtreebuilder]

Yes it would go to the State but there would still have to be a record of it somewhere so I can only assume the man I'm researching left very little as I haven't found a probate/will of any kind for him.

I did hear back from the Crematorium though and they were able to confirm that the hospital worker named on the death certificate did arrange the cremation and it was the staff at the crematorium who scattered his ashes. They told me exactly where too so at least I can tell the family that.

[Jomot]

This document seems to detail the procedures within Birmingham when someone dies in hospital with no known next of kin.  It looks like the hospital bereavement team has to take responsibility - which ties in with your findings from the crematorium - so probably worth contacting them as your next step as they may have gathered more information after the death was registered.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ero/

Also if there was no probate then presumably he was in rented accommodation - possibly council owned - so the Housing Department may also have some records.

[Famtreebuilder]

Thanks for that interesting document Jomot - I will try to find the contact details for the bereavement team at Dudley Road Hospital although I think it has a different name now.

I still think it is possible it was a nursing home he was in as dementia is listed on his death certificate but it could well have been state-run considering he doesn't seem to have left anything.  Sadly I can't find any information about the address though.  It doesn't seem to exist now.  The street (Peel Street) does but not the name of the place (Carlton House).

I was hoping to try and find out how to access Birmingham newspapers for a potential death notice they may have placed looking for the family but according to that document they didn't routinely do this due to historically poor returns on it.  Still it is possible they did do it in this case.

Thanks again.