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Genealogy

Newspaper article about ancestor's death? Can't find it :( Can anyone help please?

12 replies

researchandiscover · 28/02/2025 19:15

I understand that there's a newspaper article available somewhere about the circumstances of the death of an ancestor who I'm currently researching.
I can provide name, dates and location if anybody could possibly help me. He appears in another member's family tree on Ancestry and they have noted that there's an article available about his suicide. But it hasn't been attached and the other person hasn't responded to my message to enquire about it.
Any additional information would be gratefully received. I don't want to share my ancestor's details here but happy to share in private message with anybody who could possibly assist. Thank you.

OP posts:
BasilParsley · 28/02/2025 19:35

Are you UK based or elsewhere in the world? If you are UK based, I may be able to help

researchandiscover · 28/02/2025 19:49

BasilParsley · 28/02/2025 19:35

Are you UK based or elsewhere in the world? If you are UK based, I may be able to help

Thanks for responding. I'm based in the UK and so was the ancestor in question.

OP posts:
BasilParsley · 28/02/2025 20:46

researchandiscover · 28/02/2025 19:49

Thanks for responding. I'm based in the UK and so was the ancestor in question.

Send me a PM with as much info as you know e.g. full name, dob, dod etc. and I'll see what I can find for you in the morning... I have a subscription to various newspaper archives...

Rocknrollstar · 28/02/2025 20:48

British Library holds all the British newspapers so they should be able to help

theboffinsarecoming · 28/02/2025 20:51

It is possible that there was an inquest, and that may have been reported in the newspapers. One of my ancestors was murdered, and that inquest made The Times.

If it was likely that it would have been local news, then your county archive might have searchable scans of local papers for the period.

researchandiscover · 28/02/2025 21:00

BasilParsley · 28/02/2025 20:46

Send me a PM with as much info as you know e.g. full name, dob, dod etc. and I'll see what I can find for you in the morning... I have a subscription to various newspaper archives...

The PM facility if currently disabled :( Do you have an email address that I could send the information to please?

OP posts:
helleborus · 28/02/2025 21:20

Have you tried the newspaper archive?
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

BasilParsley · 28/02/2025 21:21

researchandiscover · 28/02/2025 21:00

The PM facility if currently disabled :( Do you have an email address that I could send the information to please?

Oh dear, I do of course have an email address but I'm not sure I want to give it here on a public forum for all to see!

Another2Cats · 28/02/2025 23:57

It is very likely that this newspaper article is available on Find My Past (FMP). My DH has linked a number of newspaper articles he found on FMP to records of people on Ancestry.

I would suggest either getting a short term subscription for FMP or going to your local library (they often have access to Ancestry and/or FMP). Or, if you wait until we can PM again, then there are a number of people who will be able to help.

I (or, to be quite frank, it's usually my DH that digs into this - he can get a bit obsessive at times) have often found newspaper articles there that have helped clear up which ancestor we are looking for. These can be a great help.

Just one example (this was an attempted suicide and not an actual suicide) so I'm sure that it's not the same case.

I was trying to trace one particular person and I came across a census record that said he was an innkeeper at a particular pub in Gloucester in the 1871 census.

I then found several newspaper articles referencing him. Or so I thought.

It turned out that he had an uncle with the same name who was the actual licensee and he was just managing the pub.

I found this out when a newspaper article recounted the story of the uncle trying to commit suicide and being described as "an elderly man". The person I was tracing was 27 years old then so he definitely wasn't "elderly" at the time.

From that we were able to work out who was who.

The newspaper article (attached below) was from the "Gloucestershire Chronicle" of 2nd Sept 1871 page 8 column 1

TRYING TO HANG HIMSELF - On Friday, Samuel Lee, boatman, and landlord of the Colliers' Arms, an elderly man, was charged with trying to hang himself.

His grandson, a boy, then told that Lee and his wife returned home on the previous night, and had a quarrel, and that Lee thereupon said he wouldn't come home any more, and went and tied himself by an old silk handkerchief to a beam six foot high.

The boy cut him down, and fetched an uncle, to whom Lee promised that he would act so no more. The uncle fetched Sergt. Piff from Westgate street at half past ten, and the sergeant went to the place at once and found man and wife very drunk.

Lee was asked on Friday what was his explanation? He answered that he had backed a bill for 200 l.[£] for a brother-in-law, and that the matter caused a quarrel between himself and his wife; she was spoken of as being then in bed; and the case was adjourned that she might attend.

Mr Griffin now said that he had had conversation with Lee since Friday, and that the man seemed penitent; and he did, in fact, make promise that would not again seek to act so rashly.

His wife also attended, and denied that she was drunk as alleged on Friday. But Sergt. Piff said he was certain she was drunk, and the magistrates severely commented upon her conduct.

Lee was bound over in the sum of 20 l.[£], and to find two sureties of 10 l.[£] each.

I believe that the "uncle" referred to in the article was actually the nephew of the older man who had tried to hang himself. So he was actually the first cousin once removed of the young grandson that rescued his grandfather.

Although I can quite understand why the grandson might have referred to him as his uncle.
.

I think that Find My Past will likely be your best bet for this.

Newspaper article about ancestor's death? Can't find it :( Can anyone help please?
Another2Cats · 28/02/2025 23:59

Oh, it says "Your images are currently under review. Please check back later."

Hopefully they will have sorted this out by tomorrow morning

GameofPhones · 01/03/2025 02:22

Ian at this address <[email protected]> offers to look up queries.

GameofPhones · 01/03/2025 08:40

GameofPhones · 01/03/2025 02:22

Ian at this address <[email protected]> offers to look up queries.

Forgot to add that Ian does not charge for looking up things on his database.

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