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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Sussex => England => Sussex Lookup Requests => Topic started by: diane666 on Saturday 24 August 13 01:53 BST (UK)
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hi I am trying to find my grandfathers grave but so far no luck searched 36 grave yards in sussex and surrey desperate for help why if he died in 1948 swandean hospital and lived in hindhead can I find no burial record for him anywhere its as though he didn't exist his name HERBERT RODERIK KELWAY BAMBER died 19 02 1948 HELP thankyou
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Welcome to RootsChat :)
It's very possible that he was cremated therefore there wouldn't be a grave :(
Jane
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Hi Jane thankyou for reply I have looked on burial lists but how do I find cremation lists for surrey/sussex 1948 please
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I would think you would have to contact crematoriums within the area that he lived as I don't think there are any comprehensive lists for cremations. You know his date of death so shouldn't be too difficult. There might have been a notice in a local paper for his funeral arrangements, that's another avenue to explore.
Is there no living relative you could ask?
Jane
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Hi Jane believe me I have tried all cemeteries etc and no luck I have been on to council departments for surrey and sussex with no luck its as though he just vanished, the hospital where he died has been rebuilt so no records there I went to national archives at kew still nothing I just don't no where he is but I must find him somehow
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There's an awful lot about this family on the web so I would be surprised if there wasn't anything in a local paper about his passing. I've tried some online papers but with no luck. If he had been living at Hindhead at the time of his passing I would assume his funeral, be it burial or cremation, took place in that area. Have you tried Brookwood Cemetery? That seems an obvious one for that area. Have a look at the Surrey History Centre's site to see what they have in the way of newspapers for that time-frame as they might do a look-up for you.
Don't give up on it, I'm sure you'll find it :)
Jane
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yes there is a lot about my family but the one thing I cant find is my grandfather but I will try brookway cemetery thank you for that I am determined to find him but its not as easy as I thought I found his estranged wife Mary in Cambridge, while im searching im also trying to find Eliza kelway bamber his mother she died in 1933 lived in steyning and I cant find her either. it is abit disheartening sometimes especially as im trying to find them for my mother who is now 80 and never new where they were laid to rest. Diane
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I've also been looking for you today and found lots of references to him online.
Would this help you at all?
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=558&page=20
(I'm wondering if there may be any extra info in his hospital records.)
I also wonder if Bramshott Lodge Hostel isn't all it seems. Was that his last address? If so, why was he admitted to a hospital so far away? Do you have his death certificate and did he die from an illness which needed issolation because it looks as though Swandean Hospital may have been an issolation hospital in 1948.
I also may have found an entry in The London Gazette for 1947.......have you found that?
I was hoping to find a Will but had no luck. As he was a Naval Officer perhaps he wanted his ashes scattered at sea?
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Hi yes anything would help I have found some things about him. re death cert as follows death 19/02/1948 swandean hospital u.d cause PULMONARY TUBURCULOSIS I got his address from THE LONDON GAZETTE 8 JULY 1947 also 23may 1947 Bramshot lodge hostel hindhead surrey this was from court adjudications I think he may have been made bankrupt but not sure. Diane
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Yes, that does look a possibility.
If he died from TB he was probably in the isolation hospital and so he had no particular connection with the Worthing area and may not be buried there. However, there is a graveyard just down the road from Swandean Hospital...... have you tried contacting them. I think it's called Durrington Cemetary. The other thought is to contact any well established burial companies in Worthing as they could have some records. Or sometimes Family History Societies have little books with the records of individual burial companies.....I believe East Sussex have so maybe West Sussex have too.
Do you know where his second wife and any family were living in 1948. Perhaps he's buried near one of them.
Bramshott Lodge Hostel is an interesting address because of the Hostel part.......it seems to indicate that because of his financial situation he wasn't living in a property he owned and so perhaps his roots weren't really there either. If he had family elsewhere perhaps that could be another area to explore.
I found some online records for Brookwood and I could be wrong but he doesn't seem to be there. Like Jane, that was my first thought and could still be worth you investigating.
The link I put to TNA and the hospital records was because I wondered if his records may include information as to which burial company his body was sent.
Then there is always the thought that as a Naval man he would have probably liked to be scattered at sea.
Good luck......there's still many avenues for you. :)
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Thanks I sent a email to swandean hospital in the hope they may still have some archive information I thought it was worth a try, I will look into the cemetery down the road from swandean, his estranged wife died in 1966 drugs overdose he isn't buried with her they split up when my mother was very young she went on to have 6 more children who I have found all bar one Dorothy born 1935, I was hoping he may have been buried with his mother ELIZA KELWAY BAMBER she died 1933 steyning sussex but guess what I cannot find her grave either.
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I've never managed to find where my ancestors are buried either but I think in the main they were a poor lot and so may not have marked graves.
An email to Swandean may produce some results so it is a step in the right direction.
However, with difficulty ::) I navigated the website for West Sussex Records Office, since TNA say they have some Swandean Hospital records there....
and what I found was:-
Catalogue no Ada MSS 29224
Title: Register of patients admitted to Swandean Isolation Hospital from areas outside the Borough of Worthing. July 1938-June 1948.
Description: This register records the name and address of the patient, authority from whom transferred, disease, date of admittance, date of discharge.
This information can only be consulted with the permission of the County Archivist and is not available to the public for 100 years.
I would have thought that if you email or telephone them they may be able to pass the information on to you as you are a direct descendant.
I do hope you have success. At least then you may know what happened to his body and then you can work out what to do next.
There is also information in The London Gazette about the solicitors acting for Eliza Kelway Bamber, after her death. It looks as though you could get her Will if you're interested.
Good luck and do tell us how you get on :)
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Hi and thank you for all your hard work that's amazing I will contact them on Tuesday and also look up London gazette I will keep you posted on results. THANK YOU Diane
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You're welcome :)
Also forgot to say that on Ancestry the probate record is available for Eliza and the amount is quite high for those days I would have thought, so her Will may be interesting.
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This might give a clue about Bramshott Lodge - London Gazette 1954, a liquidation
Name of Company: The HOSTELS COMPANY Limited.
Nature of Business: HOSTEL FOR RECEPTION AND ACCOMMODATION OF PERSONS OF THE BUSINESS OR PROFESSIONAL CLASSES AND OF LIMITED MEANS.
Address of Registered Office: Bramshott Lodge, Hindhead.
HR K-B had been declared bankrupt in 1947, so was receiving some kind of support from this organisation
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i an also see references to King George's Sanatorium for Sailors, Bramshott Place. Liphook. Hants
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Hampshire lass and Mabel thank you so much for info your amazing I feel inspired to carry on now will keep you posted xx
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I have found my grandfathers grave today he is buried at wood vale cemetery nr Worthing which is owned and run not by local council but the funeral directors. thank you to everyone who helped me find him.
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That's really wonderful diane :) You must feel very happy.
Thank you for letting us know.
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Thankyou I couldn't have done it without all the good advice from the group ;D it meant a lot to me, all I need now is to find my great grand parents