General Chat

My wife's best friend Joan Collins and her boy friend Stuart Bell

(or it may have been Stewart) were likked out right in a motor

motor cycle accident 5/8/1965. Joan Collins died in General Hospital

Newcastle. Mr Bell died at the scene of the accident at Rosehill, Wallsend.

The motor bike hit a lorry. Joan Collins is buried in a graveyard at Gosforth

Newcastle. My wife was having me try to find Joan's grave online, without success.

Also any reference in the papers regarding the incident (again unsuccessful)

They were as close as sisters. CAN ANY ONE HELP< PLEASE

Have you tried deceased online website

Other than that the parks and cemeteries dept of the local council should have the burial records

Give them the details from the death certificate

This looks like them, if so you have the wrong year

Name: Joan Collins
Death Age: 16
Birth Date: abt 1948
Registration Date: Jul/Sept 1964

Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Newcastle upon Tyne
Inferred County: Northumberland
Volume: 1b
Page: 69

Name: Stewart C Bell
Death Age: 19
Birth Date: abt 1945
Registration Date: Jul/Sept 1964

Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Tynemouth
Inferred County: Northumberland
Volume: 1b
Page: 432

David.. The year of the accident appears to be 1964 according to the Deaths Registered (Free BMD)
Joan Collins aged 16yrs Registered Sept.1964 Ncle.
Stewart C Bell aged 19yrs Registered Sept.1964 Tynemouth.

A record of the accident will no doubt have been in The Wallsend News and Journal/Evening Chronicle.

I thank you Shirley and Pat for your prompt reply.

I was only using the dates and other detail my wife gave me.

She still mourns the tragic loss of her close friend

Thank you both <3 <3

Info on the bike driver

''Stewart Clarence Bell aged 19 and his girlfriend Joan Collins aged 16 both died after the motor-cycle they were riding was in collision with a lorry on the Coast Road at Wallsend. NBL. Obituary published "Evening Chronicle" 07/08/1964 Bell. Newcastle. 45 Binswood Avenue, suddenly on Aug 5 aged 19 years , Stewart dearly loved son of Stewart and Lottie (nee Drinkald). Cremation at West Road, Newcastle on Tuesday at 2 pm, leaving residence at 1; 40 pm; Friends please meet at Crematorium.''

Joan Collins was buried at a graveyard in Gosforth, Newcastle.

You may have to contact Newcastle bereavement Services, giving date of death, age at death etc. If she was raised as RC, that may also be relevant. It might help if your wife can remember her address or street name. They may make a charge.

mailto:[email protected]

If they can’t find her, look for the nearest church to her home & contact them.

Ann Collins is the elder sister of Joan Collins and is the

Aunt of Alan Shearer (retired footballer)

He bought a tomb stone marker for Joan's grave.

My wife was not at the funeral, but was at the Church service.

There can't be too any graveyards in Gosforth, David, if you're sure that is her burial place.

This is what I'd do.

As, in the scheme of things, these are fairly recent deaths, you may find that the Burial Registers are still held in the parish centre so the incumbents would be the first ones to ask. Their numbers will be in the phone directory so I'd give them a call to ascertain whether they held the registers for that year.

Once filled, the Registers ought to be with the records office of the local authority - City Offices (top of town, about opposite Uni of Northumbria). This, of course, depends on the date they were filled. If it's fairly recent, the incumbent may not have got around to it or if he/she is new to the parish they may have been sent inadvertently to the diocesan office. Be guided by the cleric in charge.

I have found that at times the burial registers are sometimes with the cemetery keeper - twice, I've come across that when the keeper has been working in the cemetery. Twice, I've approached the cemetery keeper when the registers appear to have gone walkabout, only to find that he has them at home when he has had them out rather than leave them overnight at the old chapel of rest where he stores items. He gave me his number telling me to ring him and either give him a date when I can be at the cemetery or promising me he will look for the entries I was after.

So, incumbent first and he/she will advise you.

If there is an interregnum you may have to ask the parish secretary or, failing that, the parish treasurer.

Good luck.

David, I forgot to say .... if you have not already visited, the N'cle and Durham Family History Society Centre, above Barclays Bank in Newcastle - not far from Eldon Square, is worth a visit.

They hold a wealth of detail and records and are very helpful indeed.

That is where I learned about out pensioners (thanks to a long-gone incumbent's detailed entry in a burial register). It made me seek out what an out pensioner is,

It was a short stroll online (metaphorically) to leading me to Fleet Marriages - one in my family.

A lot to glean from family history centres, I believe.

Thank you Joy and others. I found my maternal GM funeral receipt after the

passing of my Mother. The receipt was itemised listing emblming, coffin, hearse,

and following car and insertion of the death in the local newspaper.

It even listed the grave number H184. I went to visit GM's grave, and frankly

couldn't find it due to the neglect of the area !! Since 1945 there may be other graves

on top of her, similarly neglected. No marker, and I must have been standing

only six feet from her. :-(

Det, Joy and others THANK YOU

I intend to e-mail the Civic Centre and Evenig Chronicle. If the incident made

the newspaper I'd expect them to send me a copy.