a Whitehead death, possibly, on Alderney.

[JanMay]

My friend's grt grandfather was discharged fron the Royal Artillery whilst serving on Alderney in 1870.
He appears as a widower living in Somerset in 1871 with 4 children, the youngest born in 1867 in Woolwich.
His wife, Catherine Whitehead died somewhere between 1867 and 1871 but where????
There is no record of her in the GRO BMD index for England and Wales so did she die on Alderney??

Can anybody please help my friend in her 8 year quest.

Thanks
Jan

[geneius]

Hello

Have you seen the Army record of gt grandfather WHITEHEAD? Maybe posting his forename may assist in the search for details of his wife's demise

[Kerrywood]

I think this may be Samuel WHITEHEAD, in South Petherton in 1871. Is that correct?
RG10/2412 folio 43 page 33.

I can see the baptisms of the children at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, in the 1860s (London parish registers database).

Has your friend's 8-year quest included a search of the overseas deaths indexes?

If you want to check the civil registration records for Alderney, there is information here (scroll down to Civil Registration).

Another option might be a search at Kew of the appropriate WO 10 muster books for the Royal Artillery, to track the husband's detailed movements between the birth of the last child in Woolwich and his discharge in 1870. Also, Catherine (if she travelled with him) might have been recorded on the married roll from about 1868. You (or your friend) would need to visit Kew, or engage a researcher.

[JanMay]

Thanks for reading my query and adding useful information which I will pass on to my friend.

I have seen the discharge papers and although they give his conduct and note he has served 7 years in Canada, give no real detail of his service.


I don't think she's accessed any overseas Death indexes because she was convinced, until she read the discharge papers he was in Woolwich because the record of childrens births gives their place of birth.

I see that the Alderney Death records between 1856 and 1907 are missing so they will not cover the period I want.

Many thanks to you both
Jan

[Kerrywood]

I see that the Alderney Death records between 1856 and 1907 are missing

According to the information on the GenUKI page linked above, these death records survive:

"Deaths from August 1850-1855, 1907 onwards. Hand-ruled book of declarations from October 1855 to December 1874."

The declarations may be better than nothing.