General Chat

Parish registers for 1872 show that my 2 x great grandparents had a son, Thomas, aged 16 hours, buried on 21 November. By 1st December he was joined by his 4 years old sister, Ada. In August 1876, yet another child was buried, Herbert, aged 2 years and in early October, their mother, Sylvia Jane was herself dead after being in labour for 4 days with her last child. The baby survived. Gwyn

my grandmother was murdered in 1918, she had two children boys, my dad being the youngest 2years old in the month she went missing, and a brother aged 4 years. She had arangements to meet a Canadian Service Man stationed in England. This small part is from the inquest report that I managed to obtain: I FOUND THAT ON THE DAY OF HER DISAPPERENCE SHE HAD TRAVELLED BY TRAIN TO SUNNINGDALE IN BERKSHIRE TO MEET AN AMERICAN WHO WAS STATIONED IN THE UK WITH THE CANADIAN EXPERDITIONARY FORCE. (Louisa’s husband my grandfather was away serving in the war.) AND ON THAT DAY SUNDAY 18TH AUGUST 1918 WHEN SHE FAILED TO RETURN TO HER ROOMS, HIS MOTHER AND HER AUNT WENT TO HER ROOMS AND FOUND A LETTER ADDRESSED “ DEAR LOUIE”, ARRANGING A MEETING AT SUNNINGDALE TRAIN STATION FROM A SERVICEMAN IN THE CANADIAN ARMY NAMED VANCE. HER BODY WAS FOUND FIVE WEEKS LATER BY A FARM LABOURER WHO WAS CUTTING FERN; IT WAS IN A WOOD ON THE CHARTERS ESTATE. THE WOOD WAS ENCLOSED ON THE ROAD SIDE BY A WOODEN FENCE ON THE LAND SIDE IT WAS OPEN, THE BODY COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD, VANCE WAS QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE BUT SAID IN HIS STATEMENT “HE HAD ARRIVED LATE AT THE STATION AND THAT LOUISA WAS NOT THERE SO HE LEFT”. LOUISA WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM THE STATION—SHE HAD BEEN GAGGED WITH HER HANDKERCHIEF AND STRANGLED WITH HER OWN MACKINTOSH BELT, HER HANDBAG WAS MISSING. (Valuable items of jewellery were still with the body) THE POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE OUTHOUSE AJOINING THE “NAG’S HEAD” PUBLIC HOUSE (by Robert Donaldson MD) Pathologist at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. VANCE TOLD THE POLICE THAT AS SHE HAD FAILED TO MEET HIM ON THE DATE IN QUESTION AND THAT HE DID NOT TRY TO CORRESPOND OR MAKE ANY OTHER CONTACT WITH HER. I found that my Dad had been sent to live with his Grandparents (Fathers side) and his brother placed in a nursing home! Don't think my Dad heard from his brother as I know in my teens he was still looking for him............my dad passed away in his 50's in 1974 and never found his brother George. Carol

I remember reading awhile back in a magazine that infant mortality was very common in times past. It was not uncommon for people to lose a number of children. The magazine article went on to say that people in those times accepted that death was almost inevitable for at least some of their children. I can't believe that our ancestors accepted any such thing and that every child lost was an unbearable tragedy. My own paternal great grandparents lost 5 children over a number of years. My paternal grandfather (their son) was one of triplets and he was the only one to survive. His parents lost one triplet in the February, one in the September and a 14 year old son in the December of the same year. I have photo of the surviving family of two parents and 10 children and my great grandmother's eyes show her sadness. I can also see the pride in my great grandfather's eyes for his remaining brood. You can't tell me that the loss of their children didn't affect them. Susan

I have yes........... many things...............

All such sad tales. I haven't found anything much re my tree because I spend too much time on here! However, I know from being told by my late mum, that my father had a brother who died, she just said poor little Lal, and a cousin who is also doing our tree, heard a similar story. One of my dad's brothers died in his 40s of heart problems and his son, a cousin of mine, died young too, I was told he had a heart attack while driving and crashed the car and died. My own mother and her sister, my aunt, both had still born sons before I was born, and my own daughter was born prematurely and died aged 3 days, in 1974. Another cousin of mine on my mum's side had a daughter who took her own life at 22, while at uni, after being brainwashed by some religious group, she drank bleach and threw herself out of a window, and yet another cousin took her own life a couple of years ago, in her early 60s for no known reason. My father's father died relatively young too. I have just re-read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and am halfway through 'Tis by the same author, he told of the many infant deaths in his and other families in America and Ireland, it must have been almost unbearable.

Yes, like many people on this site the saddest are the baby's and young children. My gt grandmother had 16 children but only 8 made it to adulthood. My dads youngest brother died at 6 years old in 1957 in a drowning accident, its still too painful for the family to talk about it.There are just so many, in other branches of the family I keep asking myself how did these poor mothers cope without their babies,alot of them lost 2,3 or more. I couldn't imagine my life without mine. Even in these days, my cousin lost her 4 month old boy in 1994, another cousin had a stillborn in 2001 and my niece had a stillborn in 2002. Apparently in the area I live there are 2 stillbirths every week. I have 2 confirmed murder victims, killed in gangland executions, these are during my lifetime. Another unconfirmed, which is an old tale passed down the family is that one of our relations was a victim of Jack the Ripper, I haven't made any connection yet so until I do I won't be convinced. - Carol

In my tree I have two teenage boys who fell from the carts they were driving and were killed under the wheels, one being 'found dead on the road' Another teenager was killed by a railway engine in the yard where he was working. My wife's grandfather was knocked off his bike and killed by a car in 1928. And, although not related, the husband of the newly married daughter of our child's god-parents was killed, with two others, when two Tornado jets collided over the North Sea in 1990, weeks before he was due to take part in the flypast for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which happens to fall on my birthday.

my g,great grandparents married in in a place called knockando in aberdeenshire scotland in 1895, they had a daughter issabella born in 1897 also in knockado,they moved to liverpool sometime before 1901 to find a better life, in march 1901 they had another daughter annie, in 1905 my g,grandmother was taken in to toxteth park workhouse 9months pregnant and suffering from TB.she gave birth to a son ALBERT and died a wk later,ALBERTdied age two wks,in 1908 my g,grandfather died age 36,leaving his two daughters orphans, my grandmother issabella and her sister annie where put in the toxteth park workhouse,the same place that there mother and brother had died three years earlier, issabella gave birth at the age of 16 to my grandfather who was adopted soon after his birth in 1915, issabella disapears after that,and noone knows what happend to annie,ive been researching the family for 2yrs and can not find the two missing sisters

In my husbands tree, deaths of 5 children within a two week period, aged between 2 months and 9 years (all same family). Got two death certs and cause of death on both was measles. One of the children that did survive was husbands gt grandmother. Kath

Joan b. May 1921 d.July 1924 her inquest was on the day my grandfather, her cousin was born. The following is the write up from the local paper: CHILD'S FATAL SCALDS A verdict of 'accidental scalding' was returned at an inquest at Bargoed to-day on Joan , the daughter of James , of Park place, Gilfach, who died on Friday last from scalds received that day. Evidence was given by Mrs (mother's mother), the child's grandmother, who said that there was a bucket of hot water on the floor, and she placed the child on the sofa for safety. The little one, however, climbed down and knocked the bucket over, and was scalded. The child was delicate, and subject to fits, and died soon afterwards from fits. Joan's brother was just 6 months old when she died, but by the time he was 7 their mother has gone Awol and left their dad and her son, the hooked up with a guy down the street and had a family with him - we have no idea if she got a devorce and remarried ot if she 'lived in sin'. Joan's dad and bro went to live with my Great grandparent (Joan's paternal Uncle and Aunt), they live there for the rest of their lives, Joan's brother never married or had kids and never knew his half siblings or sister although the half siblings came asking questions when he died after inheritance that was not theirs because they thought they could claim his house and money - but he had left a will leaving everything to my Grandfather and great Aunts+Uncle and the house was their's anyway from there mum's will which provided a home for her nephew for life provided he never brought a woman there to live. more recently, Easter 2004 we found out my paternal Grandfather had a form of cancer, prognosis was not great but we were told they had a number of treatments and a last line drug that he could take for 3 years and then his death warent would have been signed and we would play the waiting game. He started on some drugs which gave him gout every month for about week at a time (sounds like a period doesn't it), then 22 Dec 2004 he died we had him Creamated on New Years Eve! we had such a bad Christmas that year plus we had 4 family birthdays between christmas and new year including my dad's.

Myt g grandmother had 3 children (2 girls, 1 boy) with her first husband, Her son died at the age of 2 years, her husband died 2 years later, She remarries and has another daughter in 1930, Then on 17 December 1931 she gives birth to another son, He died aged 6 days because he was born premature. The exactly a year later (17 Dec 1932) she had another son. Then again in 1934 she gave birth to a premature son. She was told that he would not make it and to prepare herself for his death. She spent the first six months of his life carrying him around on a pillow, determined that he would make it. Thankfully he did. She also burried her eldest daughter (my nan) who died at the age of 26 from TB. Then there is my g aunt. She married and had 2 children, For reasons I do not know when she split with her husband he would not let her have their eldest son, Then she remarried and had a daughter, She died aged 1 from an accident where she got Scalded to death. On the day her daughter was burried, She gave birth to a son, He died aged 2 months. Pat

My gt gt g/mother dies 12 days after giving birth her baby girl died 8wks later due to cows milk giving her TB. Also the number of paupers that are in my tree, Norah

Yes! All the tinsel's drooping.

a few stick in my mind------ G.Gran lost triplets also lost a son in WW1,and she buried her husband on her birthday! Also--G.G.Grandmother & Father died within days of each other [i found this out when i got the certs] and were buried on the same day in the same grave, she died first from liver cancer,he died 2 days later from epileptic seizures, i often wonder,was he so upset over her death that he kept having them? were they devoted to each other? when i got the certs ithought 'oh,how sad!'

My great-aunt gave birth to twin girls in 1915. She was unmarried and the father's name wasn't given, but the story was that her fiance was killed in WW1. The twins died within a month and great-aunt never married or had more children.

Hi, My great x 3 grandma sarah ellen had 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl to her first husband. The first boy died only 3months old in 1861. 9 years later in 1870 she lost the other two boys aged 5 and 7, they died within a month of each other and their burials are on the same page of the parish church. Two years in 1872 later her first husband also died aged only 36 of amputation of the thigh. sarah ellen remarries 4 years later in 1876 and in 1882, 2nd husband has her put in an asylum in sheffield. on reading the admitance records for her, she believed that the 2nd husband was trying to poison her but the doctors believed the 2nd husbands claims that she was losing her mind due to her previous sufferings. sarah ellen staying the asylum until 1888 when she died aged only 48. sarah ellen is in my thoughts quite often as my grandma knew nothing of her suffering and i dont know why, but i have a gut instinct in that her fears on the 2nd husband might just have been right. Claire

My great uncle Richard married his sweetheart Gladys in 1943. He died as a result of 'enemy action' - actually it was 'friendly fire' on Sunday 25th February 1945. May 1945 in the Birth's column of the local paper - Gladys announces that she has given birth to a still born daughter . Less than two years later, Gladys herself dies of TB. maggie

OH thinks the whole Tree is 'sad'!! He's jealous cos he has only twigs Hazel

Yeah Grandma's twin siblings that she remembers well!! they both died before they were 1 year old and Grandma remembers pushing them in their pram...... she was 11 when they were born!! ;o(

My first foray into family research .Was helping my SIL research OH dads side , he was in a Home in the early 1900 cos his Mum died & dad couldnt look after him. Found his Mum & Two sisters on the 1901, his dad was away from home on census night cos he was a commercial traveller. Puzzled cos there were two sisters listed,and Dad ,born July 1901, only remembered one. Lots of research later found that the youger sister born mar 1900 ,had died July 1901 two days before Dad was born in the same house in Harborne Birmingham. His Dad registered the death of his daughter aged 17months ,and three days later reg his only sons birth. Very sad especially after his Mum died ,Dad had no more contact with his family. Shirley