Ethel Margaret NICHOLSON 1917 - 1970 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, May 08, 2013, 00:02 (4212 days ago) @ woo79

Hi, welcome to the forum.

We'd love to help you but I must say I'm struggling to even place any of your ancestors within this area's records, maybe some more background detail will help us to help you ?. Please can you give any more details wrt their background, eg are they local people or not ?? I've searched a few websites including Glos Archives own BMD records without success at all.

Using the FreeBMD records which (ie official BMD Registrations across whole UK) I did find the following records that seem to fit the dates if not the area;

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
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Marriages Sep 1941 (>99%)
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NICHOLSON Henry Smith Coventry 6d 2395
Smith Ethel M Nicholson Coventry 6d 2395

Did Ethel and Henry(pet-name Harry) get married in Coventry do you know ?. On this site the Date = the Quarter in which registered, so this Marriage would have been during July,August or September 1941.

Searching your Ethel's birth based on Slowhands' earlier July 1917 date suggests Coventry was their original area - on FreeBMD I also find this birth, was her mother originally a Wellington do you know ?

Surname Given Name Mother District Volume Page Transcriber
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Births Sep 1917
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Smith Ethel M. Wellington Coventry 6d 1184 chaswh

Again = born July, Aug or September 1917.

From same FreeBMD site I find these Births which seem to backup the "theory" ?

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
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Births Dec 1941
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Nicholson Gillian A Smith Warwick 6d 1594

Births Dec 1942
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Nicholson Robert H Smith Warwick 6d 1458
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Births Dec 1946
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Nicholson Colin Smith Coventry 9c 1434 AnneM

Births Jun 1950
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Nicholson Brian Smith Coventry 9c 1126

all from http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.

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Re Burials at Yew Tree Brake Cemetary, as far as I'm aware this webpage has the contact details for all enquiries at the Council Office in Coleford, I do hope it's still valid.
http://www.fdean.gov.uk//nqcontent.cfm?a_id=6707&tt=graphic

The above webpage carries a search feature for both FoD Council Cemetaries. I do not know how accurate it's database is considered to be, I have had problems in the past when it's not found people I know are buried there..... Like many search engines "less is more", so just part names can give best results. I suspect in my case the search page "failed" at first because the website database itself contained errors eg incorrect spelling of a person's name when first entered into the site's database.
Either way, despite my carefully separately searching both Cemetaries for "Nicholson", then "Ethel", then "Henry" and also "Robert", then browsing thro each resulting list of hits, I'm sorry but I haven't been able to find any of your ancestors. However as said I know this site isn't perfect, hopefully if you try too you'll have more luck, or maybe if you contact the above webpage by phone or in writing they may be able to help further and with success.

Failing that as a last resort, I don't know whether you have visited Yew Tree Brake yourself ?. If not, it isn't a huge Cemetary and it's neatly laidout and well maintained, so altho it will take time it's possible to walk around all the graves within a few hours. It's a lovely place to spend a few hours on a Spring day with just the birdsong to accompany you.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/759985

You may also wish to try searching the local newspaper for any coverage of Ethel's Burial or Cremation, it might perhaps help if the above fails. This prior thread will help you
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=34751

Wishing you all the very best with your search for your Grandmother !

LATER UPDATE
Ah, I see Slowhands was also working at the same time I was typing mine, nice to see his updated post has confirmed my thoughts re the Coventry/Warwick connection.