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Looks like Thomas' wife, Louisa, also died in a care home- just googled 33 Russell Hill, Purley (the address on the probate)

Bakmont House, Purley
Address: 33, Russell Hill
Postcode/City: CR8 2JB Purley
County: Greater London, England

"Assisted Living Homes For Old Age People With Luxury Lifestyle."

I have just sent an e-mail to someone who I 'think' may be a direct descendant of Thomas Henry Edward.

I will let you know if I hear anything from them.

Dea x

Ohhhh Bubbles !!!!!

Well, I did just have a lovely telephone conversation with an elderly lady who I thought was a daughter of Thomas Henry Edward but NOT SO, I am afraid.............

So, 'another one bites the dust' !!! :-(

Dea Xxx

Dea- at least you're not left wondering!

Can you just give her first name, so I know to cross her off my list please (if she's on it)

As she is still living I had better pm you the details I had followed.

Dea x

Ok thanks

Hello
I have been in contact by phone with Debbie, the manager of Holmgrove House. She is going to check all the records to see if any details can be found that far back. She hopes it will be today when she can get back to me.

Gerry

That's lovely Gerry - I hope she can help.

Dea x

Hello Everyone,

I am still waiting for a reply from the manager of the home in Purley. She starts work at 10am Like you all, she wants the book to go back to the family and will do everything to check records. I sent an email to the Church who gave me the Bibles. It seems that the Bible may have came from Purley in the first place. This is my email to the Church last night and the reply.

From: G
Sent: Tuesday 13 September 2016 21:00
To: Colin Hicks
Subject: Re: Response to your Freecycle Post "Large KJV Bibles"

Hello Colin

One of the Bibles you gave me had the name Thomas Henry Edward in it and was
given to him on his birthday. I joined Genes Reunited and asked for help
in tracing the family. A lot of people helped out in tracing him. The
information I have been given is he passed away on 7th May 1988. I
was given an address in Purley, which is a retirement home. I have been in
contact with them to see if they can help in finding a member of his family
so I can give them the book. They are checking all the records to see if
they can find any info on his family. I would like this Bible to go to the
family as it was a 5th birthday present in 1912 from his Grandma. I will
let you know the outcome


Gerry

Gerry

Interesting and well done in getting so far. Hopefully you manage to
complete the trail. I said that the Bible was left by our
ex-Minister. His previous church was Purley Baptist Church. He came to
Teddington from Purley in 1997. He may have acquired the Bible while living
in Purley.


Colin

Gerry- nice work. That's great news, and certainly would explain how the Bible ended up in Teddington.

Hello I have just been in contact with Purley Baptist Churce in the hope that perhaps they done the service and have records, they are keen to help and will get back to me. I have also been told that the Minister who went to Teddington with the Bible, is alive and now at another Church, I will contact him once I get the details, he is not local now, perhaps he can remember the family.. I am worried that if the book was given away by Sons or Daughters when he passed, they wont want it. Its not a nice thing to say, but perhaps they don't care, I would not have given it away. I hope that any Great Grand children, who would be adults now, and perhaps doing a tree, would love it

Gerry

OOooooo - this is SO exciting !! - Do let us know if you hear anything more.

Dea x

Hello

I have telephoned the Minister who is now at Newbury Baptist Church. He could not help. He said that the book was in a box in the loft of a Church house, marked lost property. Still waiting to hear from the manager of the home. Its been a couple of days now, so maybe she is having a bit of luck. Perhaps I should phone in the morning to see if they have any details yet.

Gerry

Hello
Debbie , the manager of the home contacted me this morning, she has been unable to get any info. . She has tried everything she could but no luck. There is one person who has been living at the home a very long time, she thinks that the person has been away, but is now back. She is going to ask if they know anything. I told her that I was waiting for Purley Church to get back to me. I said that if they have a message board, I will ask to put something on it. She has offered to do that for me and will help in anyway she can. I am going to find what papers cover the area and contact them, perhaps something was put in a paper when he passed. I have sent an email to [email protected]. I have told them the details, perhaps they may shed some light on where the service took place. If he was buried, I will try and see if any details are on the stone. So close yet so far.

I would like to say sorry to the following who sent a PM to me in the early days Elaine Byrne Ian Quinnell Sheila Oates Prickles. Perhaps due to the amount of security on my computer, I was unable to open and reply, I still can't..

I am not sure where to go from here, perhaps someone can come up with something else?

Gerry

Perhaps you could contact the assisted living home where his wife was living? She died a little later in 1994, so may be someone could remember if there were living children/ relatives?

I have phoned Bereavement Croydon, they have people of that name but none who passed away in 1988 in the area. The Teddington Minister emailed me last night asking for detaiIs, I sent a scan of the Bible, which it seems he did not get. this is his reply

( I have not received a scan of the Bible from you so I could not check that
it gives his date of birth as "12 Nov 1906". If it does, then we can be
confident that what follows relates to the right person.

I attach a transcript from the 1939 Register (taken household by household
in September 1939) which has Thomas Henry Edward Smith (b 12 Nov 1906)
living with his parents and sister at 59 Grunton Road, Upper Clapton (now
London E5 9JT). All four of them are also in the 1911 Census living at the
same address. They also appear at the same address in the 1930 and 1931
Electoral Register. His sister died on 10 Jan 1974 while living at the same
address and apparently unmarried. Her will (like Thomas Henry Edward Smith's
will) could be purchased online. Their wills might give clues to surviving
relatives.

Incidentally the listing of Thomas Henry Edward Smith's occupation in the
1939 Register as "Asst Manager Insurance Severity" is a mis-reading. The
last word should be "Society".

Does any of this match with what you have?

Colin )

This is the same info you have given me but the date is 1906, did they make mistakes like that.

Gerry

This is the one I posted on page 1 - the correct one, I believe !!!

Dea Xxx

Hello Dea
I did see what you had put and what Austin had said. I was just sending what the Minister had found as well, just the same info. I have had a bit of luck in the search. Austin said that perhaps I should follow the Sister as she passed away in 1994, a later date, this I did. The care home there now became the owner in 2005 and has no other details before then. I contacted Croydon crematorium again and spoke to someone who sent me the details of all the close cemeteries. I contacted Beckenham but had no luck. I then contacted Bandon Hill cemetery. They have told me that Thomas and his Sister are buried together and gave me a plot number. They are also sending a map by email so the plot can be found. They have asked me to write to them with all the details of the Bible and they will contact the grave owners and give them my details. I just have to hope that they are still around and want the book. Bandon Hill can’t give me the undertaker’s details, I can’t see why. I said that they might have their name on the stone anyway but I was told that they are no longer able to do that, but I presume back then they could. They also gave me the details of Deceased online https://www.deceasedonline.com/ A central database of Computerised cremation and burial records. She did say not all cemeteries are registered but many are. I will post the letter Saturday to Bandon Hill, they said I can’t email. They should get it Monday so perhaps I might hear in the week. What worries me is if the grave owners are not around, what can I then do. There might be other information on the grave stone that might help in finding a family member. The problem is I live to far away to get there and because of the work I do, don’t get much time. Is anyone close to Bandon Hill that could perhaps look for me if the grave owners are not around? Thank you all for the help you have given me. I will let you know what’s happened sometime next week .
Thank you all
Gerry

Thomas and wife Louisa burials are on deceased on line

Thomas Henry Edward Smith 12 May 1988 -- buried by Co-Op
Louisa Mary Smith 21 June 1994 --- buried by Co-Op

grave XM 395


I shall go and see if Agnes is there

Mavis

found sister I think

Agnes Louisa Smith 17 Jan 1974 Bandon Hill [Sutton] grave num
XF 286 buried by SSCS lived at 59 Gunton Road - Upper Clapton

Mavis