Blog request of the Library – Fogarty or Seymour.
Query 4 June 2020
Query from Albany, Western Australia. Two members of my family, Aunts Mabel Elsie Wheeler and Beatrice Nial are buried in Bexley. My Grandfather, William Fogarty, could be William Seymour also died in the area around 1948. The two aunts went to his funeral, they were living at 73 and 51 Rowley Avenue Sidcup at the time, we have heard this mentioned in family stories. Sorry this is as much information as I have, he was quite poor with Tuberculosis from WW1 and my family were not close in those days.
I was hoping you may point me in a direction that could provide information about my Grandfather as I cannot locate any information about his death on the GRO.gov.uk or Findmypast sites or the London Metropolitan Archives.
She asked with poor people did they bury them in certain areas in the graveyards and cemeteries?
Response 5th June 2020.
We assumed you contacted North West Kent Family History Society after
visiting our web site.
As you are aware, we are in lockdown and the Society Library is shut down. None of our research volunteers are in attendance and all the meetings of the Society are closed until further notice.
The volunteers do not have access to the Society's records and data until the UK Government change the regulations.
The society runs a research service and I have copied the research coordinator into this email so she has your details if you want us to carry out the research to find William Fogarty. You will need to complete the research form that is on our web site.
At present our volunteers may have some resources of their own that could help your query but only the research coordinator will know. So please forward the research form. There is a small charge, see our web site. You can pay through the online shop.
While visiting the web site have a look at the CDs available as these you can buy and they may give you the details you want. The sales team volunteers are still sending out disks, but they may be a little delayed from normal.
There are a number of sources that may help, not only the cemeteries but also workhouse records and of course the local newspapers. If you have checked any of these let us know so we do not duplicate research.
As he suffered from TB he may well have been in one of the hospitals
and asylums. Have you tried to find these records? The funeral may
have been in the local papers, have you checked them?
Can you confirm if you believe he lived under the alias William Seymour and if so where and when you have the details from or was it just a family myth/story. We assume you have checked the London Gazette to see if he changed his name by deed poll. I also assume you have done a time line of the two William's events and if so, can you let the research team have a copy.
Finally, you asked about poor people and their burials. If he was poor in the past, he would have been buried by the parish but as it's a modern death c1948 the local authority would have been involved. Yes, there are 'poor' areas in the cemeteries and he could have been buried in a grave with others. Not always a grave of his family members.
Hope that's of help but do get in touch with the research coordinator.
Response from Enquirer 5th June 2020.
Thank you ever so much for taking the time to detail your response.
You have provided us with an excellent pathway forward, which in the ensuring weeks will be the research paper to your office.
Once again thank you for your time and consideration.
We might find my Grandfather yet.