Genealogy Chat

Hi

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me find out what happened to my great-grandfather.

He was David Read, born 1875 in Carlisle. He married Elizabeth Hughes in 1895 in Carlisle and in 1901 is still living there with 3 children, though one child was born in Blyth and another in Birkenhead so they must have moved around a bit. My grandmother was born in 1903 and he is recorded as her father, not as deceased.

Elizabeth remarried in 1911, David does not appear in the 1911 census and my Aunt believes he died when my grandmother was about 4 but I can't find anything to confirm this. There are no obvious candidates in the death register.

Does anyone have any ideas about how I could pursue this? I can't get to Carlisle records office at the moment.

Many thanks

Did Elizabeth remarry in England or Scotland?

If it was in England, have you looked on the freebmd for England/Wales instead of only the Scottish records?

Elizabeth remarried in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I've looked in the English records, not the Scottish ones. I don't know that he ever went to Scotland but I could try there.

Thanks

Newcastle upon Tyne is rather a long way from Scotland, isn't it?

I'd suggested that becasue of the Carlisle connection - which isn't too far from the border.

Hope some one can be of better help.

There could be lots of spellings of Read, Reid, Ried, Reed, all with an "e" on the end, have you tried them all?

Margaret

What did Elizabeth remarry?

Margaret

I meant when, not what, and you already had it. 1911. Nope, I can find no David Read or variations as a death in that time period. Isn't it infuriating?

I wonder if the local cemetery might have details of a burial?

Margaret

Thanks for trying Margaret. I tried every spelling variation I could think of too.

Do you have any idea how I find out where the local cemetry was and whether records exist, assuming he died in Carlisle?

I think that is unlikely, though anything is possible with this family! First, Elizabeth is recorded as a widow at her marriage in 1911 and second, they weren't well off and my understanding is that at that time divorce was only really an option if you had money (though I'm no expert and may be wrong).

I'll try and find out more.

Thanks for the idea.