Help! I cant find Ellen Griffiths! (Ince.Wigan)

[JemmaL]

Hello

I have been looking for the final resting place of my great great grandma for the last six months without any luck.

Born Ellen Banks in 1887 in Skelmersdale she then moved with her parents to Ince in Wigan.

From what i can gather from Wigan World and St Marys early Parish Magazines, Ellen and her mother and father, Henry and Sophia Banks we active members of the church.

In 1908 Ellen Banks married William Ince Wilson, they had 4 children and sadly William died aged 31 in 1918.

Ellen then married James Lucas in 1920. Sadly James Lucas died in 1926.

Ellen married for the final time in 1928 to William Griffiths and they had a daughter in 1931.

Ellen died on 7 September 1950 at Billinge Hospital.

Sophia Banks died in 1928 and her burial is mentioned in the St Marys Ince Parish Magazine

Henry Banks died in 1938.

As they were members of St Mary's and this was their local church i assumed they would be buried in either Ince Cemetery or Wigan Lower Ince Cemetery. Looking on the Wigan World Website i cannot find any trace of them. I have contacted Wigan Heritage/History and they have searched all the grave/cremation records and cannot find any trace of any of them!

Surely they have to be somewhere and there should be a record of them?!

With Sophia Banks burial being listed in the St Mary's magazine i would have thought she would be buried there? 

There is a burial for James Lucas in the Parish Magazine and i have managed to find his grave.

I have spoken to Ellen's surviving daughter and she remembers her mum being buried in Wigan Cemetery 'furthest away from the gates'.

I really dont want to give up on this but im very stuck as to what to try next.

Any help or information would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Jemma

[CaroleW]

Hi

Using her daughters info - is it possible for you to visit the cemetary and look for the grave?  Does her daughter know whether there was a headstone?

If it's not possible to visit - as you have her actual date of death - have you contacted Wigan cemetary to see if they can give you the grave number

[JemmaL]

Hi CaroleW

Yes ive spent two cold days walking round the cemetery reading stones but no luck.

The cemeteries for all of Wigan have confirmed that they have no record of her :-(

Even graves without headstones are listed on the Wigan World site but nothing for Ellen.

I have also concentrated my search in the areas furthest from the gates with no luck.

I think im just going to have to accept that i wont find her.



Jemma

[dotty]

Have you tried Christ Church's graveyard?

Dotty

[dotty]

Do you think she may have been cremated and her ashes scattered?

Dotty

[Gibel]

If I understand correctly you have lost Sophia and Henry as well. If they came from Skelmersdale maybe they were taken back there?

You may have done this but was there anything in the local paper at the time of the deaths giving notice of the funeral and interrment after. They often give more information. There may even have been a write up of the funeral in the local paper.

Gibel

[CaroleW]

If they lived in Skelmersdale - have you tried either Southport or St Helens Cemetaries

[JemmaL]

The hertiage centre in Wigan have searched Hindley, Lower Ince, Ince Urban, Gidlow,Leigh and the following Churches Orrell St Lukes and Standish St Wilfred's and cannot find her.

I contacted the crem and they confirmed that the crematorium at Wigan did not open until 1955 and they have no record of her.

I havent checked Christ Church, is that the one on Ince Green Lane? Due to their connections with St Mary's and her daughter saying she was buried in Wigan Cemetery i just assumed she would be there.

Sophia Banks nee Chivers was born in Suffolk and Henry Banks was born in Longton. From what i can gather they travelled around quite a bit and didnt stay in Skelmersdale too long. They seemed to settle in Ince.

I havent tried the newspapers, im not sure where i would go to look at those from 1950 in Wigan. I will have a search online and see if i can see anthing re papers.

Thanks

Jemma

[dotty]

Yes it is in Ince Green Lane.
It would be the Wigan Observer  you want or I think there was  another weekly as well, they will have copies of the films at the History Shop.  The obit  normally will only state at which church the funeral will be held but it may just give you another lead

Dotty.