Dear List, I am looking for information about Mary Eleanor THOMAS wife of Arthur Henry Thomas. Mary died 23/24 Aug 1969 and was buried 25 Aug 1969. Her death is registered in Colchester, Essex. Mary was born 21 Nov 1885 in Pontywuan, Monmouthshire. I think Arthur Henry died about 1959. Were obituaries normal for that time? I am trying to identify her descendants. Thanks Bruce Barrett Heath, Ohio

I don't think that obituaries, as they have in the USA and I presume Canada are at all common unless someone is a well known person, within the bounds of the local paper, so I wouldn't get one from my local paper, though my wife or son may choose to pay to put a notice in. Sometimes notices mention the family, but often not in a way that is of use in tracking them. But, often local papers will publish letters from people trying to trace relatives. I think that the only local in Colchester is the Gazzette http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/ Cheers Steve On 12/05/2011 18:25, Bruce P Barrett wrote: > Dear List, > > I am looking for information about Mary Eleanor THOMAS wife of Arthur Henry > Thomas. Mary died 23/24 Aug 1969 and was buried 25 Aug 1969. Her death > is registered in Colchester, Essex. Mary was born 21 Nov 1885 in > Pontywuan, Monmouthshire. I think Arthur Henry died about 1959. Were > obituaries normal for that time? > > I am trying to identify her descendants. > > Thanks > > Bruce Barrett > > Heath, Ohio > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Any problems, please contact the List Admin: [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Talking as a local... we have the daily Evening Gazette (already mentioned) and the weekly Essex County Standard, produced by the same company. The Standard (I don't take the Gazette) normally has two or three pages of paid-for death notices placed by the family/friends, plus anywhere between a couple and half a dozen obituaries written by editorial staff. I've never quite worked out what criteria are used to determine whether or not someone is "deserving" of an editorial obituary... you often see them for doctors and teachers but also for shopkeepers and pub owners. Bruce - if you do the groundwork (i.e., contact the Standard/Gazette to find out if they keep archives, and if these are accessible to the public) then - providing they are kept in the immediate Colchester area (Chelmsford would be too far) I'll be quite happy to go and have a look for you. Angelika Manningtree, Essex On 12/05/11 18:25, Bruce P Barrett wrote: > Dear List, > > I am looking for information about Mary Eleanor THOMAS wife of Arthur Henry > Thomas. Mary died 23/24 Aug 1969 and was buried 25 Aug 1969. Her death > is registered in Colchester, Essex. Mary was born 21 Nov 1885 in > Pontywuan, Monmouthshire. I think Arthur Henry died about 1959. Were > obituaries normal for that time? > > I am trying to identify her descendants. > > Thanks > > Bruce Barrett > > Heath, Ohio > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Any problems, please contact the List Admin: [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >