Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

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Sorry I have just seen that he was born in Manchester and not London although his family were from London.
Thanks.

I notice from the Probate that Lily died in Manchester, would you expect Alfred may have stayed in that area, where were they living when your mother remembers them?

I would investigate electoral rolls for the address Lily was living at when she died to check Alfred was still alive.

Jane presumably married after her mother had died so assuming you mother is her daughter show would have to be at least 5 ish to remember Alfred so gain check the electoral rolls for the address. Does your mother remember about how old she was when she last saw
Alfred?

I agree that you would expect to see a death entry for him.Perhaps you need to widen the search area for him. What happened to his sister? Maybe finding her would solve the mystery?

Many thanks for your responses.
As far as I know he stayed in Manchester as he had lived there all his life. It is possible he moved but there are no death records thatbcould be his for in when she was about .
How could I obtain the electoral roll for say 1947?
would it help to get a copy of the will?
Many thanks.

Do you have Lily's death certificate?

Death: KEEFE, Lily
Registration district: Manchester
Year of registration: 1947; Jun qtr
Age at death: 64
Volume no: 10E; Page no: 314

That could tell you if Alfred was still alive or not. The probate on her will would not necessarily have referred to her as other than the wife or spouse of Alfred Keefe. I doubt it would have said she was his widow if he was dead because the will was hers not Alfred's.

You will need the specific address. I have known local libraries to be very helpful when asking for their help with a look up if you can't get there, although sometimes they are a bit of a stickler, but you could offer the name and they are more likely to say yay or nay if they were living there.

Not much to add folks yet, Lancs BMD have the marriage in 1905 at St Aidan's Bradford cum Beswick Mancs Walter Brankish Roseby to Lily Goodwill.

Same church for their daughter Emily 13.10.1910 baptism. Sadly she may have died very soon afterwards.

Many thanks.
I will send off for Lilys death certificate.
I have also been in touch with Manchester Library. There are no records for 1947 unfortunately but they do have 1945 and 1950 so I will pay them a visit to see what I can find.
I have not got a lot of experience of using the records in the libraries. Are they likely to have other records that maynhelp me find out about Alf whilenImam there?
Many thanks

Been think about Alfred's disappearance....
Haven't found him in Outgoing Passenger Lists. There are only a couple of deaths in the frame in England and Wales. And none of them are a Keefe. What if whoever informed the Registrar of the death thought his name was O'Keefe? And got his YoB wrong?

Death: O'KEEFE, Alfred
Registration district: Preston, Lancashire
Year of registration: 1964; Dec qtr
Age at death: 69
Volume no: 10F; Page no: 282

And this one has a precise DoB.... so probably not him.
Death: O'KEEFE, Alfred
Registration district: Dewsbury, Yorkshire
Year of registration: 1979; Mar qtr
Date of Birth: 28 May 1897
Volume no: 4; Page no: 1567

That is an interesting suggestion. There is a birth for an Alfred OKeefe in J/A/s 1897 in Wigan which could be one of the above. However that could possible be the second Alfred OKeefe you mention?? However very little on Alfred OKeefe other than that and a possible 1911 census entry.
One thing that does make me wonder id that I know Galloways - a charity for blind people - operate from Preston and I seem to remember that they used to have a home for blind people. It may be that following Lilys death Alf went to live here? They not have had his correct name/ date of birth.
I would need to send off for the death cert to check I assume. But thank you - that is a very interesting possibility!

In her will Lily 1947 of 86 Blackthorn St Manchester wife of Alfred, left her 60 pound to Jane Roseby spinster

Would be worth contacting Galloway's to see if they hold any records of Alfred. They may be sticky about releasing anything they have but you never know.

http://www.galloways.org.uk/