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[Anstey Nomad]

Som, I had a wilf round the Probate Calendar for the first time at lunchtime and found the probate of my grandmother's cousin Joseph Arthur Goadby, missionary, who died in Tunisia in 1923.

The family story is that he was killed by a crocodile.

Is there any way I can find out any more about this? I know only his name, his dates and the fact that he left £205 15s 7d.

Thanks

AN

[Guinevere]

I'm thinking he should be on the GRO overseas deaths index, in which case you could send for his death cert.

[Guinevere]

Here you go-

In Consular Deaths 1921 - 1925. Volumes 15 - 19

Joseph A Goadby died aged 24 in Tunis volume 17 page 349

I think you can send to the ONS for the cert using that information.

[kiterunner]

You can order a copy of the will but it won't tell you the cause of death if that's what you're asking about.

[Uncle John]

I got an overseas death cert. OK using similar information. The GRO order form comes up with different fields if you select an overseas event.

[Anstey Nomad]

Thanks all.

I had not thought of his death being registered like that - I was thinking in terms of trying to figure out who he might have been a missionary for. Suddenly it gets a lot easier.

I shall send for the certificate post haste.

Wonder what it would say in cause of death if he had been killed by a crocodile? Multiple injuries, trauma?

AN

[Anstey Nomad]

It's taken me a long time to update this post. The cause of death is given solely as 'drowning', so whether a crocodilian of any sort was involved, I will never know!

[Phoenix]

Well, that's how crocs kill their victims.

[kiterunner]

But now there are some entries in the British Newspaper Archive about his death which someone with an FMP sub (or paying as you go) would be able to look at - Western Times 21 Sep 1923 and Staffordshire Sentinel 20 Sep 1923 and possibly others.

[Merry]

Western Times 21 September 1923

News has been received at Leicester that a young Leicester man named Joseph Arthur Goadby, aged 24, who was attached to the North African Mission, was drowned at Tunis on Saturday while bathing.

The same snippet appears in the Staffordshire Sentinel 20 September 1923

[kiterunner]

I would think that if a crocodile were involved, the newspapers would have mentioned it!

[Merry]

Yes, that's what I thought.

[Merry]

Are there normally crocs in the Med?? :eek::eek::eek::D

[Phoenix]

You lot are just getting in the way of a good story!

[Olde Crone]

Apparently there were crocodiles in Tunis up to the 1970s. Well I never!

OC

[Anstey Nomad]

Resurrecting this thread again because I am now in contact with a descendant of my great grandfather's half brother, who was therefore half uncle to JAG. She has kindly sent me a photo of JAG's gravestone. Up to this point our stories coincide, up to and including the crocodile!

The photo is of a bog standard gravestone, with the name of the deceased, the date of death etc. There is a quote from the Bible in French, something about the blood of Jesus Christ son of God purifying all sins and another lengthy quote that starts "I want to hear somebody tell me it was you that invited me here." That's in English. At the bottom there is something else in French which I can't decipher, and the name M Courlaux.

I would put money on this being in Tunisia somewhere. Where else could it be, given the history?

However, the story in our branch of the family is that Uncle Joe, JAG's father, actually went to Tunisia after his death and brought his body home. JAG is certainly the first name on the memorial at Welford Road in Leicester which also commemorates his parents, who died in the 1930s and I had always understood that he was buried there.

@Mary from Italy, would you be able to consult your records and tell me who is in the grave with Joseph Goadby (1873-1936) and Clara Goadby (nee Abell) (1868-1956)?

Many thanks

[kiterunner]

I don't know who Mary from Leicester is, but if you look on Deceased Online for Joseph Goadby 1936 it has "grave details and 4 other burials" for £1.60.

[Anstey Nomad]

Have amended my earlier post. Sorry!

Joseph Goadby 1936 is definitely in that grave at Welford Road as is Clara, his wife.

Will try Deceased Online for Joseph Arthur Goadby died 1923. It says there is no record.

[Anstey Nomad]

Mystery solved. What I had never noticed is that part of the inscription on the Leicester grave says 'interred in Tunis'.

It would seem that, yet again, my mother provided me with information that was not correct and I don't think I'll ever figure that one out.