Lookup request: "Chicester Observer" newspaper, Nov 1920; held at WSRO

[acauston]

Hello: 
I know this is a real stretch, but I'll ask away with apologies in advance if this request is OTT.
Does anyone subscribed to this forum make visits to the West Sussex Record Office (WSRO) at Chichester? and might be willing to do a lookup in the "Chichester Observer" newspaper?
I am hoping that a news article was published about an inquest held on Samuel Lamport (our very, very elusive great-grandfather) between 22 - 26 November 1920.  Samuel resided at Hill Pit Farm Cottage, Codmore Hill, Pulborough.  However, he died at Targrove Quarry in Fittleworth Registration District.
If anyone knows another way of obtaining this, please do let me know.
Thanks for your patience and any suggestions/pointers provided,
Alison Causton
Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

[carol8353]

Hi there,

I hope that someone replies to your Chichester look up,but incase they don't 
Try the British Newspaper library in North West London
http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspapers.html

Not sure if they will do look ups (even for a fee)- but no harm asking   

Good luck

Carol

[acauston]

Hi, Carol:
Thanks for your reply.  I'm very familiar with the British Library's newspaper holdings; I've purchased a few films to transcribe to www.irelandoldnews.com (see Counties Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh, Tyrone), with proper permission of course.  And no, the BL doesn't do lookups.
I do know that for £25/hour (minimum charge), I could pay for this lookup to be done at the West Sussex Record Office.  Of course, I was hoping to avoid that.  Ordinarily, and it was my practice when we were living in southern Ontario, I would offer a lookup exchange, but we now live remotely from any source records in Nova Scotia.  Best I could offer is a jar or two of a really, really good (freshly made) blackcurrant & raspberry jam.
Cheers,
Alison

[janan]

Hi Alison,
I can do that for you - but probably won't be until second week in Sept. I don't have Sussex ancestors so it will be a good excuse to go rummaging in the RO, which I love.
Cheers Jan 

[acauston]

Thank you, Jan!  Wish I could join you for the rummage.  It's only four hours by air from here to Heathrow ... oddly enough, that's how long it would take to drive to the nearest Family History Centre .
But I do wish you had your own research interest in that office.  Seems like such an effort otherwise.  Write me privately and tell me where to send the jam. Seriously.
Cheers,
Alison
p.s. There is, of course, a Really Good Reason for my wanting to chase this article down.  I am hoping that a news article on the inquest will help us to corroborate whether this is genuinely our great-grandfather. We don't know for sure where or when he died because he was estranged from his wife (whom Dad knew until she died in the 1950s) for nearly thirty years.  Now *that's* a story straight out of Peyton Place or Coronation Street .
p.p.s.  I did purchase the death registration, and I have checked the records as much as I can --BMD indices and censuses-- for other individuals named Samuel Lamport of a similar age.  I am reasonably certain this is our man.

[suey]

Hi Alison and Jan

There are other local newspapers, the West Sussex Gazette and County Times both cover the Pulborough/Fittleworth areas - nowadays there are different editions for different parts of the County but back in the 20's I should think there was possibly only one edition...the Gazette Offices are still in Chichester, so unless you know for sure it's in the Observer have a look at those as well.

[janan]

Good point Suey. Will see what RO can come up with and  check library as well, as got a feeling they may have an archive of local papers.
Cheers Jan