General Chat

Well, I just received my certificates through the post this morning, and I got just the result I was wanting with one of these certificates. For what seems like ages now, I've been trying to track down my great uncle, William Yates Cook. He was born in 1882 in Loftus in the north east of England but got married in 1916 in Wednesbury in the west midlands. He had been an analytical chemist but was promoted to that of Blast Furnace Manager. His job was of significant importance that he avoided call-up for WWI. He packed that job in and my dad remembered stories of him making journeys to France, in order to buy up scrap metal - leftovers from the war. However, the trail then went cold. After slogging through the indexes, the weekend before last, I eventually found his entry in the Death index and the certificate I received this morning, proved that I had found him again. He had died of bronchitis in 1956 in Southfields, Wandsworth. However, I got excited when I saw that the informant was his son - until now I haven't been able to ascertain any children. So, now I've got someone else to follow up and maybe, just maybe I can trace this line of the family to the present day. I owe my success this far, to the fact that William's mother's maiden name was Yates and that she chose his middle name to be Yates. I'm certain that he's the only William Y.Cook in the indexes. Just wanted to share my bit of success with you. Andy.

Congratulations. I lived in Southfields from the age of 4years. There was a local Chemist shop named Cook's in Brookwood Road in what is now known as 'The Grid'. Wonder if they were relatives? Wandsworth have a Local History Library based at Lavender Hill. You may be able to get further info from there. Good Luck Kathy Epsom, SRY

Thanks Kathy, I've also just this moment found his son in the birth index. Look as if he was born in the Wandsworth area, so it would appear that William moved to London not long after he got married. Oh well, you may know where Sutherland Grove is. That's where my great-uncle lived. I've just looked at the street map and it runs from the A3 down towards Southfields tube station. That's interesting about Cooks the chemists in Brookwood Road, which having looked at the map is within hailing distance of Sutherland Grove. Whereabouts is South Norwood in relation to Southfields? Andy.

Hi Andrew, Yes, I do know Sutherland Grove. At the bottom of Sutherland Grove turn left and the station is just a little further on, also on the left. The trains (tubes) run at the back of one side of Sutherland Grove. There was also a local boy's school based in Sutherland Grove-Wandsworth Boy's School. You may have heard of their choir. They even made records! Alas, it is no more. Bulldozed and replaced by a brand new school. There is info on the web regarding Wandsworth School though. South Norwood to me as a child was a train journey away. Catch the train at Claphem Junction and alight at South Norwood. Kathy

I too had a breakthrough a few weeks ago after many years being stuck. My 3xgreat grandfather retired from the army in India in 1818. No trace of him in this country had been found. One son and a daughter but nothing else. Son in Exton, Rutland in 1846. Daughter in Leamington, Warwickshire in 1838. I recently sent for the death cert of the wife of the son in Exton, Rutland. I very nearly didn't send for it as I had her death and age from a gravestone. The only one of the right age, name and date in the index was in Stamford, Lincs. I risked it, expecting it to be the wrong one. It wasn't. The cert said who her husband was and the informant was a brother in law I had never heard of. Checking the Stamford area on the IGI and the 1881 and 1891 census I found that 3xgreat grandfather had remarried and had a new family in Stamford. Former wife died in childbirth of another son and I have now found them on the 1841 and 1851 census. I am now waiting for his death cert, which is taking an excrutiating long time to arrive. Brick Wall down after almost 20 years. The motto is@ never give up Margaret