Genealogy Chat

I am trying to help a friend out. She has recently found out she has an Uncle she never knew about, as far as she knows he committed suicide and the family destroyed all photos of him, and never ever talk about him. I have found his birth and death registrations for her, so she now knows he was born in 1942, Brian K Gillett, and he died age 22 in Croyden, 1st quarter 1964. Is there anyway to find out any more details of his death. Is it likely the local press would of reported his death and would archives go back that far?

Many thanks in advance

Vicki

His death and any subsequent inquest would most likely have been reported in the local newspapers at the time.

You should find back copies of local newspapers on microfilm in the nearest reference library to the place where he lived or died. If you don't live close by some libraries will check for you if you have a date of death.

Kath. x

Thas fantastic thank you for the help, I will let my friend know and we will see where we get, she finds it all very mysterious.

You would be best getting the death certificate first so that you have an exact date of death. It will also tell you the cause of death (i.e. whether or not he actually did commit suicide). If there was an inquest then the coroner will be the informant on the death certificate and not a family member.

Kath. x

Could be wrong, but I thought you needed an exact date of death to order a certificate if the event in the last 50 years .

Rose

thanks, would an inquest make the papers? I contacted Croydon library and they do hold microfilm for 2 newspapers from that period but my friend is in Cambridge and i'm further north so either me or her would have to plan a trip down to take a look so want to find out as much as possible before doing that. I have a reference no so we should be able to get the death certificate. Thanks again

I think Rose is probably right about needing the exact date of death if the death occurred less than 50 years ago. I know that rule applies to birth certificates and it may be the same for deaths.

However since you know the qtr. and year It shouldn't be too difficult to go through three months of newspaper articles. If you email the library and tell them you are not able to visit yourself they MAY just be willing to search for you - it depends on how busy they are and how obliging!! The librarian at Hastings library gave me loads of help a few years ago and must have spent the whole of one Saturday researching for me - at no cost at all. I'll be eternally grateful to him.

Kath. x

HI
Sorry its taken a while to come back to this post, I passed all the info onto my friend who has been in touch with the library and is hoping to get some help from them.

Many thanks