No, Charani, there was no will that I have been able to find through the normal searches, but the death of William Bloxam was briefly recorded in newspapers - irratingly given that the births of the 4 children were not. I have been able to trace the 4 children into later life, including marriages and descendants, and indeed have been in contact with living descendants of a couple of those children, who are equally baffled and who (unfortunately) have no relevant family documents apart from a wonderful old photo of William Bloxam taken in the 1860s. William clearly didn't hide any of the 4 children from the family that he had by the wife who died in 1836 - indeed a couple of the 4 children lived for a while with one of their half brothers (is that what the children by the earlier wife would have been?) and/or had them as witnesses to their marriage. I agree with your redacted (!) comments about Westminster Register Office. I am also awaiting the results of an enquiry with the GRO. I must also see if the LMA has any relevant records relating to St Georges Hospital and the death there of Elizabeth Watkins. Lawrence ---------------------------------------- > Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:39:49 +0100 > From: charani.b@gmail.com > To: middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MDX] Registration of deaths > > On 10/07/2014 08:02, Lawrence Pearse wrote: >> Thanks, Charani, for your very full answer which has cleared up a >> few issues. > > YW :) > >> In terms of searching, both for this death record and the four >> birth records, I have searched under both surnames (Watkins and >> Bloxam, and variants) and under just the forenames (looking for >> likely errors/misspellings of the surname). But I suspect that it >> is no coincidence that in all 5 cases there appears to be no >> registered record. Nor have I found any death/birth notices in on >> line newspapers. William Bloxam (the partner/father) was a man of >> substance (an ex-banker and later JP). He was also 45 years older >> than Elizabeth Watkins, and indeed in his early 70s when he >> fathered the last of the 4 children. Perhaps he had his own >> reasons for not having the births/death registered other than >> through baptism/burial - though as you say the burial ought to have >> required the production of a death certificate. > > Did William leave a will? If he did, he /may/ have mentioned the > children in that. > Did he have any older children from a previous relationship? > >> I must pay a visit to the Westminster Register Office to see what I >> can find in their local indices. > > Westminster is one of those that /can/ be awkward. You would need to > make an appointment to see their registers but I understand they > cannot legally refuse. > They can just be <blankety blank> difficult. Do try the GRO as well. > They can > be a lot more helpful. > >> Thanks again for your help. > > No problem :) > > -- > Charani (UK) > OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, > Greinton and Clutton, SOM > http://wsom-opc.org.uk > > . > ************************************** > Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* superfluous old messages in replies. Only include the one to which you are replying. > > *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie who, what, where, when, with SURNAMES in CAPITAL letters. > > List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com > > The archives can be found at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk > > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On 10/07/2014 11:06, Lawrence Pearse wrote: > No, Charani, there was no will that I have been able to find > through the normal searches, but the death of William Bloxam was > briefly recorded in newspapers - irratingly given that the births > of the 4 children were not. I have been able to trace the 4 > children into later life, including marriages and descendants, and > indeed have been in contact with living descendants of a couple of > those children, who are equally baffled and who (unfortunately) > have no relevant family documents apart from a wonderful old photo > of William Bloxam taken in the 1860s. William clearly didn't hide > any of the 4 children from the family that he had by the wife who > died in 1836 - indeed a couple of the 4 children lived for a while > with one of their half brothers (is that what the children by the > earlier wife would have been?) and/or had them as witnesses to > their marriage. The only secrets were from officialdom. Yes, the children from the first relationship would have been half siblings to those from the second. The photo is indeed a wonderful thing to have. > I agree with your redacted (!) comments about Westminster Register > Office. Islington is another bad one. > I am also awaiting the results of an enquiry with the GRO. > I must also see if the LMA has any relevant records relating to St > Georges Hospital and the death there of Elizabeth Watkins. Please let the list know your progress. It may help someone else, perhaps one of the many people who don't post for one reason or another. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, Greinton and Clutton, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk

On 10/07/2014 11:51 AM, Charani wrote: > >SNIP< > >> I agree with your redacted (!) comments about Westminster Register >> Office. > Islington is another bad one. One might have hoped, that with there recent move from Marylebone Town Hall, and their starring role in the TV series about the registration service, thing might have changed. However, https://www.westminster.gov.uk/locations-westminster-registration-records seemed to dim hopes (are they allowed to store off-site?). BUT https://www.westminster.gov.uk/order-copy-certificate raises hopes again... no restrictions on searching their own index (for the standard fee). See https://www.westminster.gov.uk/contact-westminster-register-office for contact details. Kind regards, John Henley.

--I have been reading the query above with interest, what year was the death please ? Interestingly my paternal GG grandmother died as Martha LEE in 1880 in Camberwell/ Peckham but we have not been able to find her burial place,,,,,, complicated as her real name was Martha Ellis but she and Spouse ALFRED ELLIS cionducted a business as Alexander Lee , boot and shoe makers. She died post delivery from blood loss but Dr attending her did not mention a baby.... Sad as she had 7 chn at the time. Would be lovely to know where her final resting place was Yvonne