Suicide of my 3x Great Grandfather Joseph Lumsden

[Conor Oldroyd]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to find any newspaper articles relating to my 3x Great grandfather Joseph Lumsden who committed suicide in Ayr on the 4th September 1913. All i know at present is that he poisoned himself. I have tried searching British Newspaper Archives for any further info, but unfortunately there are no local Ayr papers on their system for 1913. Does anyone know where else I can turn for some further info?

Thanks

Conor

[demented]

Hi Conor

You could try the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock. They may have something in their archives.

Regards Margaret

[Neil Hotson]

Sometimes suicides weren't reported in deference to the local family. The death cert probably mentions the inquest ? An inquest report may also not appear in the local newspaper.

[andrewalston]

One of my gg grandfathers committed suicide in 1915, and both the event and the inquest were reported in detail by the local newspaper.

Unless attitudes were very different in Scotland, I'd expect similar coverage in the Ayrshire press.

I would try the main library in Ayr, who probably have their local press on microfilm.

[hume]

Hi Conor,

There's a mention of Joseph's death in the Glasgow Herald the following day (September 5th, 1913):

TRAGIC INCIDENT AT AYR.

On the arrival at Ayr of the 8.40 a.m. train
from Glasgow yesterday a labourer named
Joseph Lumsden, aged 55, who resided at 26
Kyle Street, Ayr, was seen to stagger from one of
the compartments and fall. He was assisted to
a seat on the platform, when it was observed
that he was seriously ill. He was removed to
Ayr County Hospital, where he died not long
afterwards. Death was due to poisoning.

Hope this helps.

hume

[enileuqcaj]

hi joseph is my 2x great grandfather and there was an article in last septembers ayrshire post about his death as it was100 yr anniversary of it  regards jacqueline

[Plummiegirl]

Do not assume it was reported locally.

A distant cousin of mine, committed suicide in a hotel in Holborn, he was from Bristol and I found the report on the Coroners Inquest in a paper from York!!

You may be better just putting his name in the search box and not being too location specific.

Often in researching it can be a case of Less is More.

And remember, Murder, Suicide, Coroners Inquests and all Crime, were the meat and potatoes for most local (and some national) papers, right up to about the 1960s.

Good luck...