Southwark death around 1854

[SouthwarkSusan]

Can anyone help me, I am trying to find out when and why my ggg-Grandfather Thomas Shearman Childs died in Southwark somewhere between 1853 and 1860.  I have searched and searched and still cannot find this information.  I have read that because of the huge number of deaths from cholera in Southwark around 1844 not all deaths were recorded, is this true ?

[Ermintrude46]

What info are you basing the timescale/area for this death on?  Have you ruled out these deaths in the areas around Southwark?  What was Thomas's occupation, could he have been further afield?

Deaths Sep 1850
Child  Thomas     St Olave Southwark  4 335

Deaths Jun 1851 
Childs  Thomas     Lambeth  4 224

Deaths Mar 1855
Childs  Thomas     Newington  1d 194

Ermy

[SouthwarkSusan]

Thanks for your reply Ermy.  I have obtained certificates for the deaths of the three Childs that you listed and none of them are my ggg-Grandfather.

I am basing the dates on the fact that he must have died between the birth of his last child (or before) and the date when his wife re-married in 1860 (stating that she was a widow).  The family lived in Southwark throughout the whole of the 1800's, appearing in successive census returns in the same street so I think it was unlikely that Thomas (who was a porter) moved around and died elsewhere.

I am really at a loss as to where to look next.

[Valda]

Hi

Deaths aren't always registered exactly in the names, places and ages you expect.

This recent post on the London and Middlesex board finally found the death that was being searched for, but it required accepting that historical records may not always been as bureacratically accurate as they need to be today.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,397123.0.html


If you are searching for a death between 1853-1860 then cholera deaths which may have occurred in an earlier period in Southwark aren't really relevant.
The four major cholera epidemics in London (all centred north of the Thames) were in 1831-1832, (6,536 people killed), 1848-1849 (14,137 killed) and 1853-1854 epicentre in the Westminster area around the Broad Street pump (10,738 killed), 1866 epicentre the east end (5,596 killed).


Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Hi

Is it this family?

1861 census RG9 328 folio 52
14 Eltham Street St George Southwark
James Benfield 31 Head Married Coal dealer Poplar Middlesex
Susan Benfield 35 Wife Married Blackfriars Surrey
Thomas Childs 16 Son Floor cloth printer's boy Blackfriars Surrey
Elizabeth Childs 14 Daughter Blackfriars Surrey
William Childs 12 Son Blackfriars Surrey 
Susan Childs 10 Daughter Blackfriars Surrey
Emma Childs 8 Daughter Blackfriars Surrey
Matilda Childs 5 Daughter Blackfriars Surrey 
Mary Benfield 10 Months Daughter Blackfriars Surrey 

Have you obtained a copy of Matilda's birth certificate (or her baptism if that is not found)? Does it state her father was still alive at the time of her birth/baptism? If her birth wasn't registered and the other children were, it may indicate the family was facing some sort of difficulties at the time.

If he was that would narrow down the possible window of his death between Matilda's birth and her mother's remarriage in the first quarter of 1860. Or if not between Matilda's birth and Emma's birth.

Thomas' death should be registered in the registration district it took place in. If he didn't die in Southwark near his home, his death might be registered by someone who did not know him well. Since he was a relatively young man if his death was by unnatural causes, in an accident for instance it would be registered by a Cororner after an inquest. Thomas could have been visiting friends or relatives. He could have died near his workplace which might be across the Thames, or be in an institution. All good reasons which might make his death registration so much harder to find particularly since the other quite a few Thomas Child/s death registrations around this period.

If he was buried locally the cemetery records to check first would probably be Nunhead which opened in 1840.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/BirthsDeathsMarriages/cemeteries/nunheadcemetery.html


Regards

Valda

[SouthwarkSusan]

Hi Valda

Yes this is the family.

Thank you so much for looking into this for me and all the useful information and leads.  I will definitely obtain a copy of Matilda's birth certificate (if the birth was registered) and then take it from there.  It looks as if I should go back and spend some more time in the Southwark Local Studies Library (haven't been there for some years since I moved to Leicestershire).

Re Nunhead cemetery - what a fascinating cemetery it is, I spent a couple of hours walking around there about three years ago.

Many thanks again

Southwark Susan