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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: private78245 on Monday 27 August 18 12:45 BST (UK)
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where to start to find my godmother. I only know her as Miss Spackman. She lived at 4 to 14 Broadway,Earlsdon,Coventry in the 1940/50s. In her will she left me some war bonds.
The problem i have is without a first name how can i trace her death,will,etc.
Could i learn anything from my christening details?
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Maybe.
When (what year) did you receive the inheritance?
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where to start to find my godmother. I only know her as Miss Spackman. She lived at 4 to 14 Broadway,Earlsdon,Coventry in the 1940/50s. In her will she left me some war bonds.
The problem i have is without a first name how can i trace her death,will,etc.
Could i learn anything from my christening details?
As a starting point, as Pauline said, how old were you when you received the bonds? As there was a will you could then try looking on the Government Probate site around that date. Luckily it isn't a very common name.
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate
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There is this death in Coventry - too late?
Deaths Sep 1976
SPACKMAN BARBARA birth 21 Oct 1910
COVENTRY 33 325
She was living at 5 Page Road, Coventry when she died. (from probate site)
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Barbara Spackman is listed as a single lady in the 1939 Register living in Liverpool, same dob as the death that Groom found.
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Hi, I think that it must have been in the fifties. I was born 1941. my father who died 1961, unknown to me cashed the bonds and spent the money. I would guess that miss Spackman died in the mid fifties, so it seems that the will would be the best way to start? Any other ideas?
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Another way to check would be to get an electoral roll check of the address that you have for her. Pick say 1950 and ask the Coventry Archives if they could check the address for you.
Contact details:-
Email: historycentre@culturecoventry.com
Telephone: 024 7623 7583
You may have to pay a fee for the search but it should give you her first name.
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Hi,
Beatrice Maud Spackman - she was listed on FindMyPast as Packman but is definitely the same Spackman lady that was living in Earlsdon 8)
Liz
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If that is the right lady she would have been quite old for a godmother.
SPACKMAN, BEATRICE MAUDE WHEATLEY
GRO Reference: 1877 M Quarter in BRADFORD WILTS Volume 05A Page 141
She would be about 64 at the time of the poster's birth.
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You can get a copy of the will from this website: https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk - just remember to click on the tab for wills from 1858-1996
She was born 4 December 1876 in Turleigh (Turley), Wiltshire to Julius (a farmer) and Blanche - in a village neighbouring my ancestors :o
Liz
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Hi Liz, that is a great result. What is crazy about where she dies, Bournemouth, that is where i live!
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You could look at your baptism register entry. Was it C of E? Some later C of E baptism entries included the names of godparents. I've seen C of E baptism records with godparents names included from the 1940s. If it was an RC baptism they usually include the names of godparents.
Blue
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Has to be the right one, she is living at 8 Broadway, Coventry in 1939.
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If that is the right lady she would have been quite old for a godmother.
I think my last post went astray ... the lady I found was living at the address given in the op during the 1930/40s but I may be wrong ... agreed, rather old, but then the Duke of Edinburgh became a godfather the other day at the age of 97! ::) ;D
Liz
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What is crazy about where she dies, Bournemouth, that is where i live!
;D
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I have just thought - you say your father died in 1961 but also that he cashed in the Bonds - that wouldn't have been possible if she didn't die until 1963?
Looks like you may need to get the will to see what exactly you were left perhaps - or did she give them to you for a birthday or something?
Liz
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great result. thanks to all
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Looks like you may need to get the will to see what exactly you were left perhaps - or did she give them to you for a birthday or something?
Or as a christening present, held in trust for OP by his father?