Malmesbury newspaper 1875 - obit look up request

[bowiewhist]

If someone has access to the local newspapers for autumn/winter 1875 (november?) and can see if there is an obituary listed for a 6 year old called Allen Hughes I would be grateful. I had a great great Uncle of this name born in late 1870 in Montgomeryshire who vanishes from all records and I have had to assume he died before the 1881 census - however there is no connection with Wiltshire so this is a wild card!
The spelling as Allen is correct although of course it may appear at Alan in an English county.
Many thanks for any light that might be shed.

[familydar]

Hi Bowiewhist

I have assumed (perhaps wrongly) that you have said Malmesbury because that is the death registration district.  Malmesbury district covers quite a wide area.  There are several newspapers to choose from which might cover the towns and villages falling within Malmesbury reg dist, amongst them:

N Wilts Herald
Swindon Advertiser
Wilts Chronicle
Wilts Independant

I plumped for the North Wilts Herald and thankfully it did publish what we now know as "family announcements", but despite searching Oct, Nov & Dec 1875 I couldn't find a HUGHES death mentioned.  I didn't check for inquests or news items.

Sorry I couldn't face checking any other publications, it's hard work winding through to the end of the reel on a manual film reader (and the one I had squeaked abominably!).  If you think he might be yours, perhaps the answer would be to obtain the death cert.  I presume you have checked burials in his "home" parish, people weren't always buried locally to where they died.

Have you ruled out emigration?

best wishes
Jane :-)

[bowiewhist]

Thanks Jane

I very much appreciate you giving that a go - I know what you mean about the readers and how irksome they can be. I think I was just being "tight" about sending off for a DC as I've had several over the years where the office hasn't paid any heed to my request (I had one case with all the right details and added that the person who died was 22 and they sent me a DC for someone 78!). But I think you are right and I must bite the bullet.
The family in question didn't emigrate - the young Hughes would have been my grandfather's brother and he appears on a census and then disappears but no one else ever left Wales so it's rather odd that the only comparable person I can find has a death registered so far away. I'm actually 80% sure it isn't going to be him but the cert would at least eliminate from my detective work.
Many thanks once again for looking and replying, Jane.
Shirley

[anpefa1]

hello shirley

might i ask why you are seeking a possible death in 1875 for someone who was born in the late 1870's?

there is a reference in 1881 to an allen hughes aged 6 (born1876) on familysearch.org giving the piece number 5515 folio 129 page 22.

apologies for making assumptions.

tony

[bowiewhist]

I'm perhaps being dim but I don't understand your message Tony. Allen was born in the second half of 1870 (the year not the decade) and so is recorded on the 1871 census but he isn't with the rest of the family on the 1881 census and I can't find him registered with anyone else's family as a visitor - hence why I've concluded he died between what was left of 1871 and 1881.

I think the 6 year old you mention is a relative too - the son of my grandfather's brother - who perhaps was named thus if the other child had died, a sort of tribute.
If I have misunderstood what you meant I apologise. If he is on the 1881 census he should show up as 10 years old.

[anpefa1]

hello again,

i see the light now (its me who was being dim) i did take it as being late decade as opposed to 3rd or 4th quarter 1870.

there is another allen hughes aged 10 on familysearch for 1881 but i assume (again) that you have checked that out.

as a matter of interest, on the 1881 census (the actual census as opposed to FindMyPast or ancestry versions) does it indicate number of children born and number still living?

tony 

[bowiewhist]

I don't know Tony - I don't think I realised that information was available except on the 1911 census. Were people also asked that Q on the 1881?
I will double check the 10 year old you've found in case I have overlooked something - you can never be too careful.
You are very kind to take the trouble to help.

Shirley

[dee-jay]

I had a feeling of déjà vu here with the surname HUGHES!  Many years ago I was searching for a Charles - only to discover the child was a daughter Charlotte!

Can you confirm parentage and to where they subsequently moved?  If Oswestry features, you may find that Allen became Ellen .... 

 

[bowiewhist]

Thanks for the tip - I'll try that. The family didn't move from the Llanrhaiadr/Llanslin area. Parents are Allen Hughes and Hannah Hughes and I can track them throughout along with the other children (they are my great grandparents). I haven't followed up on Tony's message re one being right date on 1881 census as I wasn't clear on what he meant by actual census and the extra info that might be on it - I haven't found a version other than 1911 that shows actual births v deaths of children etc.
Thanks for taking an interest DJ.