Emma BOWERS burial look up please

[bernadette1964]

Would someone be kind enough to look for the burial of Emma Bowers died q2 1881, Steyning, Sussex.

I believe she was born 1852 in Southwark, London, Middx and married Frederick.

I just need confirmation that this is the same person.

If this burial record is found can I be cheeky and ask for a copy to be sent onto me for my records, please.

Thank you.

[Pam Downes]

Hi Bernadette,
I know you're new to the forum, but I don't know how new you are to family history, so forgive me if I now tell you something you already know.
When you find an entry on the GRO Index (possibly via FreeBMD, or one of the subscription sites) the apparent 'place' is actually the registration district in which the event took place. It can be confusing because very often the registration district has the same name as the main town in the district.
A registration district comprises various towns/villages/parishes. If you find an event on FreeBMD and click on the name of the district, you get a further link to a list of the places/parishes in that district. Alternatively start here.

These are the places in Steyning registration district, so there's a few parish registers to check. Plus there may be non-conformist burial grounds, and there would no doubt have been a couple of cemeteries to choose from as well. But as Emma was living in Preston a few months earlier at the time of the 1881 census, then she may well be buried in Preston.

When you ask for a copy, do you mean a photo-copy of the entry in the parish register, or do you mean a transcript? Transcripts are 'free' apart from someone giving their time, but photo-copies cost money. Incidentaly, the entry in the burial register won't tell you much - usually just the date of burial, name, age, abode, and the name of the clergyman.

If your location of 'London' is true, then can I recommend that you check out places such as the Society of Genealogists (SoG), London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), Westminster Archives, and the LDS London Family History Centre in Exhibition? SoG and the FHC have records from all over the world, as well as free online access to many sites. (Obviously LMA and Westminster Archives have records specific to their area.) It's amazing what you can access without having to travel to county record offices.
Pam

[Peter Goodey]

I just need confirmation that this is the same person.

The death certificate will normally state her age and that she is the wife/widow of Frederick Bowers (or not, as the case may be).

The burial record, even if you were bothered to search through an indeterminate number of parish burial registers, would only state her age.

My advice would be to get the death certificate.

[Pam Downes]

The perils of not checking out everything......
I was going to add to Peter's comment of

The death certificate will normally state her age and that she is the wife/widow of Frederick Bowers (or not, as the case may be).

by saying that as Emma was a servant in the 1881 census it would depend how well the informant of the death knew her as to whether the wife/widow bit was given, but when I looked at the actual census page instead of just the index it seems that Frederick is with her on the 1881 census, and therefore even if her employer was the informant the wife/widow bit should be given and should be correct.
Pam