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My Gt Grandmother

barrie

barrie

master brummie
I have hit a brick wall with my Gt Grandmother. She was born Sarah Browning 9 Jan 1864 in Birmingham, England. On the 2 Jun 1882 she married my Gt Grandfather

James John Wescott Oldfield in Birmingham England, on the marriage cert he is just shown as James.

Sarah and James had 4 children, the last being born in 1892. Sarah appears on several of the England census, the last one being 1901 where she is living as a lodger in

Birmingham, accompanied by 2 of her children (one had died aged 1 year) James was in the habit of vanishing off to America from time to time, he appears on the 1891

England census at his sister's house, with Sarah living in another road as a lodger, and showing herself as a widow!!! accompanied by 3 of the children.

James next appears in the workhouse records in Birmingham in 1913, and he died in the workhouse in 1924.

My problem is finding a death for Sarah. I have searched and searched for her under both surnames (Browning and Oldfield) There is a family story that Sarah

eventually commited suicide by drowning herself in the river in Rea Street in Birmingham, because James would not support her and the children.

Where do I go from here?
 
hello barrie

theres a death

sarah oldfield b. abt 1866 death 1922 jan-mar bham 6d 419

is this any good?
 
Shera said:
hello barrie

theres a death

sarah oldfield b. abt 1866 death 1922 jan-mar bham 6d 419

is this any good?
Click to expand...

My apologies Shera, I should have mentioned that death. James had a brother named William, he married a lady named Sarah Griffiths, and that is the lady on the death cert (I have that cert)

Fancy two brothers both marrying a girl named Sarah, you couldn't make it up could you.
 
Just a thought here...
Do you think that Sarah may have remarried and started a new life, that the drowning was just a story put out by the family? After all she had put herself down as a widow in 1891.
 
Pomgolian said:
Just a thought here...
Do you think that Sarah may have remarried and started a new life, that the drowning was just a story put out by the family? After all she had put herself down as a widow in 1891.
Click to expand...


i did have the same thought as you pom but couldnt find a marriage in the area or surrounding areas.
 
If she committed suicide in Birmingham there would have been an inquest and these from the 1880s are held in the Archives in the Central Library and are covered by the 75 year rule , so if it's before 1934 you should be able to see it. I don't know if they are indexed but you could ask. I have copies of two inquest for my family.

Mike in Droitwich
 
Mike Fisher said:
If she committed suicide in Birmingham there would have been an inquest and these from the 1880s are held in the Archives in the Central Library and are covered by the 75 year rule , so if it's before 1934 you should be able to see it. I don't know if they are indexed but you could ask. I have copies of two inquest for my family.

Mike in Droitwich
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike. I think perhaps a trip to Brum is called for. Do you know if they are on film or in a book?

Barrie.
 
I think inquest info is in one book they have compiled........best to ask!
 
barrie there is a tree on ancestry as i said named brealey but they dont have a wife at all for james john oldfield. it looks like their ancestor was his brother michael william oldfield. i dont suppose they can help you then.
 
Shera said:
barrie there is a tree on ancestry as i said named brealey but they dont have a wife at all for james john oldfield. it looks like their ancestor was his brother michael william oldfield. i dont suppose they can help you then.
Click to expand...

I'll have a look at it Shera. Thank you.

Barrie.
 
Shera said:
barrie there is a tree on ancestry as i said named brealey but they dont have a wife at all for james john oldfield. it looks like their ancestor was his brother michael william oldfield. i dont suppose they can help you then.
Click to expand...

Shera, I cannot see how to contact that person (BevArthur60) there does not seem to be a "contact this person" type of button. Do you have any idea what I do please?

Barrie.
 
i cant understand it barrie. ive been all around the site but cant see how to contact even though its supposed to be a public tree. never had that problem before :redface:
 
Shera said:
i cant understand it barrie. ive been all around the site but cant see how to contact even though its supposed to be a public tree. never had that problem before :redface:
Click to expand...

Do you think that Sarah refused to buy some lucky heather off a woman up the Black Patch, and had a curse put on her, and that's why everything connected with her goes to pot? :)

I can't understand that tree either, we should be able to contact the owner of a public tree. Later today I will contact Ancestry, but they are notorious about replying.

Barrie.
 
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