Old Newspaper site

Post by **germaine cowell** » 30 Apr 2009 15:27

Hi Lil
It is amazing what you can find in the papers I bet once you get used to it you will be on it for ages.
I have found loads of tit bits really interesting.
Shame that William Mack was never naughty enough to get his name in the papers.
Germaine
x

Post by **seasider66** » 30 Apr 2009 18:30

I haven't come across any 'naughty' ancestors either...not yet anyway

However, I believe my gt.grandfather commited suicide and I would love to know if that was reported in the Liverpool paper of the time....after 1910 and before 1917. These dates are deduced from the fact that his last baby was born 1910 and my grandparents were married 1917 and he is shown as deceased on their marriage cert.
I may spend some time trying to find out which newspaper was circulating in Liverpool at that time and see if I can find anything

The fact that his name was John Smith won't make it easy

Why our ancestors had to be so good at hiding I really don't know

Lil

Post by **germaine cowell** » 01 May 2009 08:38

Oh dear John Smith Lil

he will be a hard one to follow.
I hope you find something.
Another good site is
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/
I have found a couple of bankrupts also details of people that left wills.
Was very helpful as I was able to get one will and disregard one William I had been looking at. Shame they had loads of money

Germaine
x

Post by **Tina** » 01 May 2009 10:44

Hi Lil
Have you looked in 1911 census for the last baby born 1910?
If not, send details and we will have a squizz.
I'm sorry to read John took his own life.
The old newspapers Mercury site finishes in 1901 I think, but the gang will correct me.
There's a worldwide movement testing goverments to abolish the word committed on death certs for suicides.
Let's hope they succeed!

Warmies
Tina

Post by **seasider66** » 01 May 2009 21:31

Hi Germaine and Tina,

Thank you both for your help and suggestions.

John Smith has been a major problem ever since I discovered he was my gt.grandfather

I did manage to discover his wife and then found his family, three sons and three daughters on 1901 census...which surprised my last remaining uncle on this side of the family. He had no idea there were any sons at all

He then asked someone who knew the three brothers, and she told him that one of the brothers had been placed in Lancaster Moor mental hospital (lunatic asylum in those days) suffering from 'melancholia'

From that I was able to track down his medical records and the record office sent me photocopies of everything they had for the small fee of £20. It was from those records that I discovered John Smith had taken his own life

I think the phrase 'committed suicide' is horrible, and I also hope they campaign to get it changed will succeed. I suppose it dates back to when suicide was a crime. I did check the 1911 census, that's how I found out there had been a 7th child, much to my surprise

If the Mercury finished in 1901 was it succeeded by the Liverpool Echo or something else?
John Smith has a lot to answer for, not least the state of my health from trying to find him

Lil

Post by **jan44** » 01 May 2009 22:20

Hi Lil,

Here is a leaflet from Liverpool Records Office site, about 19th century newspapers in Liverpool.

http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Images/tcm21-146180.pdf

Jan

Post by **seasider66** » 01 May 2009 23:02

Hi Jan
Thank you so much for this leaflet, which I've printed off for future reference

I can see there are several newspapers from the 19th/20th century, so I think next time I go to Liverpool I'll ask for some help at the Record Office and see if I can find anything. I could be gone some time

Lil