Cottonera hospital malta

[postylady]

Hi Trevor

Thanks for the offer, but I already have the service records of William Smith 829 master gunner, He ended up being a publican in nottingham and being married another twice, 1st and 2nd wives died, and then went on to marry his 2nd wives younger sister (presumably as a mother figure for her sisters children), He died in 1904.

The reason I'm looking into the death of his 1st wife, is that someone told me she died by being set on fire whilst trying to get the fire in the family home lit and that William ran through to help, but I haven't found any records substantiating this. There must be some somewhere? I'm just after putting a bit of flesh on the bones whilst I'm at the proverbial brick wall.

Thanks again and all the best for 2011

Regards

Posty

[postylady]

Hi Luzzu

That was interesting, so thanks once again for the information so far.

Regards

Posty

[t mo]

hi postylady
ok thats fine my regards and happy new year to you and yours
trevor

[postylady]

Hi Luzzu

Just to clarify, when you said about records being hard to come by in Malta, did you mean medical or any records?  Reason I'm asking is, I have tried looking on kindredtrails website, but when I click on something of interest it seems to send me on an american trail.  Was wondering if you could find out about any burial records and church ground she was buried, if possible. Never know, might travel to Malta one day, might be worth a look if anything can be found out.

Thanks for any help

Posty

[Luzzu]

Hi.

It seems to be any records  .  Earlier in the year I was trying to get birth certificates from the public registry and you are not allowed to search through the indexes but I found out the year of birth so I went to see them and they wouldn't even type anything into the computer without an EXACT date.  I am sure it would have been easy to find as it wasn't a common name. What made it even worse was that the woman wasn't doing anything so she wasn't busy. They said I had to go to the Church and get a baptism certificate and then go back with the date of birth.  They were so unhelpful.  Never tried researching a grave at the cemetery but I do know taking photographs of graves isn't allowed.  There doesn't seem to be the same interest in family history here as in the UK.

Luzzu

[postylady]

Hi Again Luzzu

Awww it must be so difficult in Malta to even try doing the family tree then.  I'm pleased you told me about the taking photo's of the graves being banned. I would never have known that. This might sound like a stupid question but are there many cemetries in Malta and are there any that were solely for the use of anyone that served, or was related to anyone serving in the forces from the uk?

I'm going to have to keep digging, until I find out where she is and what happened to her.

thanks for everything so far

Posty

[Luzzu]

Hi,

I have some news for you.  I won't say good because its sad but it does tell you what you want to know.

The main cemetery in Malta is the Addolorata Cemetery.  It is mainly for civilians and still in use today.  There are some military burials in there too.  There is also Ta Braxia and a few military cemeteries.  There are indexes for the various military cemeteries on:-

http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/index.htm

I think the cemetery you need to look at is Rinella Military Cemetery as there is the following burial listed.  I think the cemetery is empty now as it seems that the remains were transferred to Kalkara Naval Cemetery in the 1970's and reinterred in a mass grave.

Mrs SMITH, the wife of Master Gunner Smith. They occupied quarters at the Lighthouse, Delimara. On Saturday, 18th, she was lighting a fire and poured benzin on it. There was an explosion and her clothes were immediately ablaze. Her husband rushed into the room and managed to extinguish the flames. She was taken to Cottonera Hospital where she died Tuesday, 21st, from the effects of shock. She left a husband and five young children.

So it seems that what you have been told is accurate and I am really sorry but I don't think her grave is there anymore  .

I am not sure what is on the site of Rinella Military Cemetery now or if it is still the derelict cemetery.  I will ask around and try to find out.

With regard to doing a Maltese family tree, I am glad I don't have to as when I have tried to access records it has been to try and help other people.  My roots are in mainly in Manchester and Lancashire.

Luzzu 

[Luzzu]

Hi again,

Just found this entry on the Malta Family History website:-

SMITH, William, 38 years, widower, Master Gunner, Royal Artillery, married 24th December 1888 to BARBER, Mary Frances, 27 years, spinster.

It is on the Index of Marriages recorded by Army Chaplins 1824-1900 on the Index of Deaths recorded by Army Chaplins 1800-1900 there is a Mary Ann Smith who died in 1888 but I don't know if this was the first name of the lady you are looking for.  The entry doesn't give any more information other than the name and date though.

http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/index.htm

Also I wondered if you knew that it wasn't lawful for a man to marry the sister of his deceased wife until after 1907:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deceased_Wife's_Sister's_Marriage_Act_1907

Hope this helps.

Luzzu

[postylady]

Aww

Thank you so much for all this, I have tried looking on that lineone site that you were on and couldn't find it, have been trying to find my way round it for months...

How sad , yes this is the lady I was looking for. Her maiden name was Mary Ann Hetty.  They were married in 1879 when she was 21, not sure what year they went to Malta, but they had 4 children whilst they were there, oh I just noticed, 3 of those were born after Mary's death?? Obviously his 2nd wife (Mary Francis Barber) and his children. I'm confused now. What happened to the other children she left behind?? I'm taking this info off the 1901 census, maybe the other children stayed in Malta?

i was aware that there was a law about marrying deceased spouses siblings, but thought this was mainly aimed against women. He and Mary Francis were married Dec 1888 in Valletta, she died during childbirth with multiple convulsions in 1902 then he marreid her sister in 1903. So he didn't leave much time inbetween any of the deaths. He then died in 1904, so I'm thinking he needed a mother for his young children. His youngest being born 1899.  I haven't found anything yet to say wether the child survived after Mary Francis died.

Sorry about the essay