Obituary in a "high-brow' newspaper

[Colin Rowledge]

A distant [3rd cousin twice removed] died December 23, 1972 and this notice was published December 24.

This paper does not seem consistent with my usual lot and I wonder why he was mentioned. Was there a special group of people who warranted such a notice? The newspaper was "The Times"

Colin

[lesleys]

The Times has always been a traditional paper to place such notices - with the greatest chance of reaching most people who might be interested in the demise of the deceased. We put my father's death in there with a view to letting any of his former work or army colleagues know and also because he had moved home in the last few years of his life, even though we did not subscribe to the paper ourselves.

[malcolm99]

It depends what you mean by 'obituary'. To get an obituary in the Times the person would have had to be very well known at a national level, albeit just socially or in a speciaised field of work or achievement. A 'notice' of a death was just a paid-for 'advert' which anyone could get inserted in the paper.

One problem though, Colin, is that The Times wasn't published on 24.12.72 as it was a Sunday.

[Colin Rowledge]

It depends what you mean by 'obituary'. To get an obituary in the Times the person would have had to be very well known at a national level, albeit just socially or in a speciaised field of work or achievement. A 'notice' of a death was just a paid-for 'advert' which anyone could get inserted in the paper.

One problem though, Colin, is that The Times wasn't published on 24.12.72 as it was a Sunday.

A couple of corrections to my original post:

1] The date of death was 23-12-1982 and was published the following day.

2] It was a death notice not an obituary - so presumably the information was very basic in content.

Thank you for explaining the difference.

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

A couple of corrections to my original post:

1] The date of death was 23-12-1982 and was published the following day.

2] It was a death notice not an obituary - so presumably the information was very basic in content.

Thank you for explaining the difference.

Colin

I cannot seem to find The Times archives in an on-line search. If someone can find it and tell me what was in that death notice I would be obliged. His name was James Widden.

Thank you

[malcolm99]

Unfortunately, that issue is not available on The Times Archive website. His will is mentioned in the issue for 16th May 1983 - £216,843!

[Colin Rowledge]

Unfortunately, that issue is not available on The Times Archive website. His will is mentioned in the issue for 16th May 1983 - £216,843!

That seems a lot of money to me. Wonder how he got it - won the 'pools' or inherited from mummy?

His father died June 20 1928 - a Master butcher -estate value almost 5,000GBP
His mother died 1974 - she never remarried
He was an only child - married 1940 - had 1 child - spouse died 1995

No idea what happened to the son but he would appear to have been well taken care of, if still living in 1995

[malcolm99]

That seems a lot of money to me. Wonder how he got it - won the 'pools' or inherited from mummy?

His father died June 20 1928 - a Master butcher -estate value almost 5,000GBP
His mother died 1974 - she never remarried
He was an only child - married 1940 - had 1 child - spouse died 1995

No idea what happened to the son but he would appear to have been well taken care of, if still living in 1995

Under "Latest Wills" in The Times of 18th March 1996 there is this entry:

Mrs May Widden, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire..........£628,187

Any relation?

[Colin Rowledge]

Under "Latest Wills" in The Times of 18th March 1996 there is this entry:

Mrs May Widden, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire..........£628,187

Any relation?

Not sure. As the son born 1942 may still be alive and this lady could be his widow, I can't name names!!

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

Too Late to edit. - so ignore post#9

The widow of James was Evelyn May Widden - formerly Handisyde. She died in the Apr. -Jun. q. 1995 in Dacorum Hertfordshire.

If this is the same lady as was the wife of James who died in 1982, the she more than doubled her money. Their son if alive was cetrainly well off!!