Hit-and-run death, Essex

[v i c k y]

Perhaps a bit vague, this one, but please read on!

I don't know if I've any right to ask this, but a family member of mine was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the mid-to-late Sixties somewhere in Essex. He was about 20 at the time and I wondered if it was covered in the local press. I don't know where in Essex, so please forgive me for trying to locate a needle in a haystack, but I wondered if I've any chance of finding out about the story and his short life in general. Bless him, he was a bit of a tearaway in his youth by all accounts, an illegitimate child and I believe he wrote his life story (although I don't know if it was ever published or not). My grandfather, who I never knew and died when my mother was very young (and before the accident), was his foster parent. I know it's quite recent, and although he had no wife or children and all his immediate family have now passed on, I realise it's still a sensitive one. Any advice as to how I should go about tracing his life would be very gratefully received.

Thanks,
Vicky

[PaulineJ]

Look at the death indexes for the sixties, together with the name & age (which you know?) to get the area. Then ask which newspapers covered the geography.

Pauline

[v i c k y]

Hi Pauline,

I couldn't trace him at all when I looked recently. I don't know if he changed his name or something. I have no official record of him. I think one of my great aunts was his mother and my grandfather took him in and tried to bring him up as his own to spare his sister the shame of being an unmarried mother. When my grandfather died in the early Sixties, he moved in with another aunt. He was killed not long after, just as he was getting his life in order, poor thing. This is pretty much all I know from family conversation.

Anyway, I suspect it was Romford, so should I search for local newspapers in Romford?

BTW, apologies for the repeated post (Re: Hit-and-run death, Romford) - I got timed-out and didn't realise my first message had been added to the board.

[alley]

Hi vicky

You can contact the local paper at romford at

www.romfordrecorder.co.uk

hope this helps

regards

alan

[v i c k y]

Will do. Thanks very much.

[sarah]

Vicky,

I hope you manage to find out more, poor thing !!

Would you let us know how you go on, I would love to know more about this poor lad.

Sarah

[v i c k y]

Sure thing, will let you know if I hear anything. Thanks for caring.