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Posted By: gadj1 Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 6:14pm
I've managed to trace my Grandfather to the Wirral, where he died in the Mill lane hospital and was buried in a public grave in Wallasey Cemetery, Rake Lane.

His name was Victor Garner and he died on the 1st Feb 1957.

On his death certificate was the address 38 Prescott Street Wallasey. I went to the address and spoke to a few neighbour's but they arrived in the area after his death.

I wondered if anyone could access the Electoral Roll at the Birkenhead Central Reference Library and find out who was registered at that address around that time. I know it's a long shot but would close that link in my family tree.

Thanks in advance

Ian
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 6:16pm
I can have a look in Wallasey library for you tomorrow if you want?

Was his grave marked? Not usual with a public grave but you never know.

PM me if you want me to look for you.
Posted By: gadj1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 6:38pm
That would be very good of you Helles, but only if it's no trouble.

The grave wasn't marked, it's in section 23c behind the Depot. It would be nice to have these public grave areas identified someway, there is no way anyone would know that there were burials there at the moment.

Thanks again Helles and I hope I can repay your kind offer sometime. If you ever need Cheshire information I do attend the Cheshire archives occasionally.

Ian
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 7:16pm
No trouble. Only up the road and I need to go there anyway. Let you know tomorrow.
Posted By: gadj1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 7:33pm
Thanks will look forward to it.
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 8:02pm
Quick note:- Prescot St, Wallasey is spelt with a single "t" on the end.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 8:04pm
Originally Posted by Helles
No trouble. Only up the road and I need to go there anyway. Let you know tomorrow.


If you are popping in there would ya take my books back!!??

Just kidding.

Earlston Library Reference has Electoral Books for the Wallasey and Birkenhead areas
Posted By: gadj1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 8:11pm
Thanks, I must be tired frown
Posted By: Capt_America Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 8:51pm
He would be in the 1911 census then. You can pay per view for individual records, that might be worth a try. My great grandad came to Wallasey from Llangedwyn and thats how we found record of him.
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 8:55pm
Originally Posted by PaulWirral
Originally Posted by Helles
No trouble. Only up the road and I need to go there anyway. Let you know tomorrow.


If you are popping in there would ya take my books back!!??

Just kidding.

Earlston Library Reference has Electoral Books for the Wallasey and Birkenhead areas


I know, hence the offer. smile
Posted By: gadj1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 4th Aug 2010 9:39pm
Thanks, I already had him on the 1911 Census living in Runcorn and know his whereabouts until the mid 40's, when he walked away from the family!
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 9:49am
PM sent.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 10:11am
Originally Posted by Helles
PM sent.


Tell us nosey lot what you found out!!
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 11:11am
Originally Posted by PaulWirral
Originally Posted by Helles
PM sent.


Tell us nosey lot what you found out!!


Nothing really. Just a lot of boring info of who lived in the house that year and a year either side. Didn't want to fill a page with meaningless stuff really.

I'm guessing that it was some kind of nursing home given the amount of people with different names that came and went. Had a look at the house today and it is quite small considering the amount of people in it at one time and that was just those of voting age.
Posted By: bert1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 11:28am
Just a thought, perhaps not a nursing home, maybe some sort of mission/refuge place that looked after people. The gentleman was buried in a public grave, perhaps he fell on hard times, am i right in saying a public grave was provided to such people.
Posted By: Helles Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 11:47am
Originally Posted by bert1
Just a thought, perhaps not a nursing home, maybe some sort of mission/refuge place that looked after people. The gentleman was buried in a public grave, perhaps he fell on hard times, am i right in saying a public grave was provided to such people.

Quite possible. I was just guessing. A nursing home would have cost I suppose unless the lady in question was robbing them after they died and had them buried as a pauper. (Damned to hell now for thinking that probably frown ) Did we have paupers in 1957? I know we were pretty poor then but could probably afford a funeral even if there would be no grave stone?

Might be worth further investigation now I am curious.

Just so say further that in the street directory of the time, each person was listed individually. Usually in them they only listed the head or who rented/owned the house. That could mean it was bedsits. Too small for individual flats I would have thought?
Posted By: bert1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 12:23pm
Had a Google

What is the difference between public and private graves?
A public grave (or common grave) is where the right to burial cannot be purchased and the grave remains in the total control of the Council. The Council decides who is to be buried in the grave and this might not be members of the same family. No memorial rights exist on public graves and so no headstone or other memorial can be erected. This form of burial requires only the payment of the interment fee, saving the cost of making the grave private. A private grave is where the Exclusive Right of Burial can be purchased for a period of 100 years or 50 years (25 years for the Cremated Remains Garden). The owner of the Right of Burial can decide who will be buried in the grave and memorials are permitted.


I think we did have paupers in 1957, as we do now, tramps , homeless, etc, anyone not to well off has to be buried or cremated and i think that's were social services would step in or the council and i can't see a funeral under those circumstances being anything but basic.
Posted By: gadj1 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 5th Aug 2010 11:26pm
I had the same thought about some sort of mission or lodging house, I did drive past the property yesterday and it looks small but spoke to a couple of neighbours and they say they're quite big inside.

Thanks to Helles for looking up the Electoral roll.

Posted By: Jess53 Re: Electoral roll lookup - 22nd Aug 2010 12:48pm
Hi if you have an idea of the differnet places he was living in this area, you can access electoral rolls going back quite a way! Have you tried posting on Ancestry or Rootsweb, Genes etc? May be worth giving a go, or even going through local old papers of the time, its funny the things that you can find!! Happy hunting!! Jess
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