Can't Find A Death

[Del 80]

Hello Everyone, Looking for the death of Samuel Clarke, born about 1876 in Ireland, married 1896 in Ireland to Susannah McDowell. In 1901 Susannah is in Ardrossan with children Samuel A, and Hugh Joseph, also her mother Anne McDowell, but no sign of Samuel, [Susannah is given as married], in 1912 Susannah re-marries and is given as a widow, searched S.P. but can't find his death, any help appreciated , Regards Del.

[SarahND]

Hello Del,
What was Samuel's occupation? I take it he was not the Samuel Clarke, tailor, age 27 born in Ireland who on census night in 1901 was with his parents in Govan? I'm looking at a transcription so can't tell if he is married or not.

All the best,
Sarah

[Del 80]

Hi Sarah, Samuel is given as a Dock Labourer [deceased] on his son Hugh Joseph's marriage cert.in 1918, Regards Del.

[SarahND]

Hi again,
With such a common name it's hard to be sure when one has found the right man. As a dock labourer he may have got a job on a boat and moved around a bit. There are a couple of possible deaths in England, or he may have died in Ireland. I even checked a few who were traveling to the U.S. or Canada… but how to know if they are the right person?

Is the only indication you have of his age the age he gave on his marriage certificate? I have certainly seen a number of "little white lies" told in that situation! (In fact, I just had dinner the other night with an English couple and the husband admitted he put himself down as younger on the marriage cert since he was much older than his wife- so this is not a thing of the past!) If the age is off, then your Samuel could be the one death in Scotland between 1899 and 1912 born 1876 +/-5 years. That one is in 1905-- age 34 and in Ayr. You have probably already seen this one and it isn't him, but it's the only one I have found that is easily verifiable since it's in Scotland. In England you'd have to pay a fortune to look just in case it might be him.

Regards,
Sarah

[Del 80]

Hi Again, I now know that Samuel and Susannah parted company sometime in early 1900s, Susannah went on to have two daughters by unknown fathers, on their birth certs. it says , Mother Susannah McDowell wife of Samuel Clarke, she declares that he is not the father of this child, and further that she has neither seen or heard of him since they lived together seven , and eleven years ago respectivley. I wonder where he went ? Regards Del.

[SarahND]

Aha! That opens the field a bit, doesn't it? So, in fact, he might not have been dead by 1918 when his son married... he just went missing and they didn't know where he was. Too bad his name isn't more unusual-- it will be hard to identify him. Especially as you don't have an exact birth date (some death records give the exact birth date). Do you know his parents' names? That could be another way to find out if you find the right man if, indeed, the death informant knew any of this information.

This is a difficult one!
Regards,
Sarah

[Del 80]

Hello Sarah, I think his fathers name was Bernard Clarke, going through my notes [which were a mess before I became "organised"] I have written down 1865 for Samuel's birth year, although I cannot confirm this, someone found Samuel and Susannah's marriage in Ireland in 1896, I wonder if he returned to Ireland ? but I cannot find him on the 1911 Ireland census, I also can't find his two sons, Samuel A, and Hugh Joseph, either in Ireland or Scotland in 1911,they are not with their mother, who is still in Ardrossan, with her two daughters. You are right this is a tough one, Regards Del.

[speleobat2]

Del,

Do you have an exact date of birth for Hugh Joseph?

There is a death in Derbyshire,England for a Hugh Clarke, birthdate May 21, 1900 on Ancestry.

Carol

[speleobat2]

Scratch the above! There is also a family tree--The Clarke Family tree which has Hugh Joseph Clarke married first to Martha Calvert. Is this your Hugh? If so, he marries a second time and dies in Saltcoats, Ayrshire in 1972 and there are a bunch of living relatives so I'll let you persue this on Ancestry. Just search for his name and birthdate and the listing should come up.

Carol

[Del 80]

Hello Carol, I think the tree on Ancestry you refer to is the one I put on there, as I had scraps of paper strewn all over the place, Regards Del.