Just FOUR days to find the owner of this ring!

[peter]

Here's a challenge for forum members - this morning I spotted this gold wedding ring being auctioned at the Bumblebee Auctions website (which the UK police use to dispose of unclaimed lost property).

The inscription "EAO-HJJ May 6th 1924" obviously refers to the date of the wedding and the initials of the happy couple - so I searched the GRO Marriage indexes at Findmypast (isn't it amazing what they allow you to do with wild cards?), coming up with just one match:

First name(s) ETHEL A
Last name OLIVER
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1924
Spouse HERBERT J JACKSON
District KEYNSHAM
County Somerset
Volume 5C
Page 1379

Since the ring is being sold by Avon and Somerset Police this is almost certainly the right marriage.

I next searched for children, finding two probable sons:

First name(s) COLIN G
Last name JACKSON
Birth year 1925
Birth quarter 1
Mother's last name OLIVER
District FROME
County Somerset
Volume 5C
Page 527

First name(s) MICHAEL J
Last name JACKSON
Birth year 1928
Birth quarter 3
Mother's last name OLIVER
District FROME
County Somerset
Volume 5C
Page 507

I found probable death and probate entries for the mother and father, who died in 1950 and 1965 respectively (they were living at Whitehole Farm, Coleford, Somerset). If these are the right death entries then they were both born c1892.

The surviving husband was the executor of the mother's estate, but his executor was Lloyds Bank.

I think I've also found death and probate entries for the two sons:

First name(s) COLIN GEOFFREY
Last name JACKSON
Birth date 31/1/1925
Death quarter 1
Death year 1998
District BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET
District number 3001C
Register number C57C
Entry number 255
Date of registration mm/yy 0298

Probate shows date of death 7/2/1998

First name(s) MICHAEL JAMES
Last name JACKSON
Gender Male
Birth date 5/8/1928
Death quarter 1
Death year 2002
District BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET
District number 3001A
Register number A3D
Entry number 038
Date of registration mm/yy 0202

Probate shows date of death 16/2/2002

These later probate records don't give details of the executors (I could order the wills, but they would cost £10 each and the auction would be over long before I get them).

Unfortunately Michael seems to have died too soon to be recorded in the 2002 Electoral Register, otherwise the other occupants might provide some leads.

Google searches haven't provided any leads, and nobody seems to have this family at Genes Reunited, or in a public Ancestry tree.

Does anyone have any ideas how we can track the family down before the auction ends?

 

[MaggieL]

Can you access telephone directories for 2002? It's possible that a family member has the same phone number. Good luck

 

[NinaE]

A Colin G Jackson married a Doreen A Lidgard at All Hallows with St Simon in Leeds in 1946. Given it is just after the end of the war, Colin could have been anywhere? There is a child Barbara C in Leeds RD in 1951 according to FreeBMD, although UKBMD suggests she is Barbara J in 1950.

 

[Joseph42]

How about calling local funeral directors, especially the Coop which is the biggest. Or an obit. in the Bath Chronicle or other local newspaper for the 2 sons.

 

[HeatherR]

Could the Registrars help? They might be able to tell you over the phone who registered the deaths of Colin and Michael and give you their addresses.

I do hope you reunite the ring with it's rightful owners

 

[PeterJH]

There is a marriage of a Michael J JACKSON in Bath to Elizabeth S FISHER March 1/4 1956. There are also births in the Kingswood area
- Ian M March 1/4 1959
- Patricia E June 1/4 1961
plus a birth in the Bristol area
- Andrew C Sept 1/4 1965

Following up these might lead to a contact.

Peter Harris

 

[NinaE]

Sadly, Registrars are not permitted to do this. They are only permitted to confirm what you tell them, not to provide you with any information from the certificate. In this instance, there is no time to purchase certificates. Maybe we should club together and buy this ring at auction and then we would have time to follow this up!

 

[Anne B]

Many nowadays and in Bath area are being cremated. Would the main crematorium hold extra information as private? Hopefully the auctioneer will have some contact detail for whoever successfully bids for the ring and it can be followed up. Just hope it is not sold for scrape gold to be melted down

 

[PeterJH]

If I had the right marriage for Michael J, then 2 of the possible children could be in the Bristol area (On the electoral register for 2014 on FMP)
Andrew C Jackson
Ian M & a Ian Mark Jackson

Addresses are shown on FMP

Peter Harris

 

[peter]

Can you access telephone directories for 2002? It's possible that a family member has the same phone number. Good luck

Unfortunately the BT directories at Ancestry only go up to 1984 - but this could be the younger brother (since it's a farm):


However I've just remembered that I found this address on the Electoral Roll, and Michael J Jackson was still there after 2002.

This is the right initials for the younger brother:

 

[peter]

Maybe we should club together and buy this ring at auction

If we can't solve the mystery and the price isn't stratospherically high I might raid the piggy bank.

 

[BessieP]

Following on from Peter Harries - I also found that marriage.
Then looking at the 192 site it shows Elizabeth and Michael Jackson in 2002 but only Elizabeth in 2014.

Elizabeth S Jackson Bath Road, Bristol, BS30 5NJ Michael Jackson 2002-05, 2014-15



Michael Jackson Bath Road, Bristol, BS30 5NJ Elizabeth S Jackson 2002-05


Another site gave the following

Elizabeth S Jackson 91 Bath Road, Bridgeyate, Bristol BS30 5NJ (0117) 949 8357


Could this be Michael's widow?

Pat Powell

 

[Patricia]

Any chance the TV or radio will take an interest (human interest stories seem to be a big thing)

 

[Mike Fisher]

Does Bristol have a local radio station - make a good story

 

[lesleymargaret]

Found two marriages Patricia E married Clive P Haines Sept 1982 Stroud and Andrew C married Fiona Brookwich Sept 1981 Harrow

Have just checked do not have a FMP sub at the moment but there is a Clive P and Patricia E Haines both living in Gloucester, perhaps someone with a sub could look

 

[SnuddenPatH]

I was thinking about local radio or TV also. This is a good story, and Peter could be interviewed and make even more people aware of Lost Cousins.

Peter, you certainly have done a lot of research today - it reads like the first chapter of one of the detective novels you read and recommend to us.

I, too looked for the sons' marriages and possible children.

If the ring was lost or stolen relatively recently, that implies that somebody alive will want it back. So, back to the idea of contacting the local media with the story?

Pat Hamilton

 

[Julien]

There is a marriage of a Michael J JACKSON in Bath to Elizabeth S FISHER March 1/4 1956. There are also births in the Kingswood area
- Ian M March 1/4 1959
- Patricia E June 1/4 1961
plus a birth in the Bristol area
- Andrew C Sept 1/4 1965

Following up these might lead to a contact.

Peter Harris

There is an Ian Mark Jackson age 55-59 living at 68, School Road, Bristol, Avon, BS36 2DA who could be Michael's son.

 

[Julien]

Found two marriages Patricia E married Clive P Haines Sept 1982 Stroud and Andrew C married Fiona Brookwich Sept 1981 Harrow

Have just checked do not have a FMP sub at the moment but there is a Clive P and Patricia E Haines both living in Gloucester, perhaps someone with a sub could look

I seemed to have pressed before replying!

Here's the reply:

This could be Clive and Patricia Haines living in Newent
Clive P
Last name Haines
Age guide 65+
Address Rocklands, Culver Street, Newent, Gloucestershire, GL18 1JA
Town Newent
District Dymock, Newent
County Gloucestershire
Country England
Year 2003-13
Electoral rolls 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Occupancy (years) 10
Other occupants Jonathan Haines, Patricia Haines, Peter Haines, Sarah Haines
Record set UK electoral registers 2002-2014
Category Census, land & surveys
Subcategory Electoral Rolls
Collections from Great Britain

 

[Springwater]

I may have found a few relatives here, from an article in the Wells Journal of March 31 1950, which speaks of the tragic death of Mrs H Jackson aged 58. Husband Mr H Jackson and son Michael were present.

Unfortunately, if relevant, it just provides more leads to chase and doesn't help focus!

 

[peter]

I was thinking about local radio or TV also. This is a good story, and Peter could be interviewed and make even more people aware of Lost Cousins.

The danger of publicising this before the auction ends is that it could drive up the price of the ring!