Find Ancestors

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Dorothy May Balls

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date
Marked As Answer Marked as Answered

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 16 Jun 2023 17:33

Can anyone please find the death for this lady.

Dorothy May Balls born 1915,Biggleswade,Beds.
Mum. Ethel May Hare
Dad, Harold G Balls
Sister, Ellen

As far as I can see she did not marry as I have found her on ER in 1976 in 9,South View Biggleswade. This is the last entry I have for her for a project I am undertaking

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 16 Jun 2023 17:38

Have you looked at the GRO site? It’s free to all

ADDED
DoB 17 Sept 1915

On 1939 Register, so death has been picked up, and no other surname is noted against her entry

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 16 Jun 2023 17:41

I have looked on there Erica and also on FMP,Ancestry and Free bmd with no luck. I have also checked the local newspaper with nothing turning up

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 16 Jun 2023 18:46

Another sister, Emma, born 1911

On reflection, Dorothy’s record being open in 1939 is not significant, in view of her birth year

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 16 Jun 2023 18:48

Thank you Erica, :-)

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 16 Jun 2023 18:52

Just looked Emma up she died in 1914 that is probably why I missed her :-)

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 16 Jun 2023 20:55

Purely as a matter of interest, have you seen the newspaper article referring to - a -Dorothy Balls being awarded a needlework prize in 1927? The location is Biggleswade, which seems too coincidental not to be relevant

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 16 Jun 2023 22:40

Yes I have Erica that is her :-)

Valerie

Valerie Report 17 Jun 2023 04:20

''GR' 'records' show a Dorothy Balls b1916 sailed on the ''Antonia'' for Montreal 1935 age 19yrs.

Valerie

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 17 Jun 2023 08:26

Ancestry's transcription of the record mentioned by Valerie:
Not the right woman.

Dorothy Balls
in the UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Name Dorothy Balls
Gender Female
Departure Age 19
Birth Date abt 1916
Departure Date 24 May 1935
Departure Port England
Ship Name Antonia
Shipping Line Cunard White Star Limited
Destination Port Montreal, Canada
Master A Mott


However, the image shows that woman's last address in UK as 42 St George's Crescent, in some town I can't make out (ends in ". . .ton" ).
She was a student.

Country of last permanent residence: "other parts of the British Empire" - ie - not England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or Irish Free State.

Country of intended future permanent residence: Canada.

Sounds as if she had only been in the UK temporarily as a student, and was returning home.
She's apparently not Dorothy of Biggleswade - who, in any case, was a domestic servant in Biggleswade in 1939.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 17 Jun 2023 10:05

The woman in question was at the 1939 address in Biggleswade in 1976, as per OP

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 17 Jun 2023 18:10

On what website did you find her in Biggleswade in 1976? I wonder if you meant to type 1946??

The latest year I can see her on ER on Ancestry is 1946:

Dorothy May Balls [and her parents ]
in the Bedfordshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1986
Name Dorothy May Balls
Residence Year 1946
Address South View Road 9
Residence Place Bedfordshire, England
Parliamentary Division Mid-Bedfordshire

Her parents are at that address in 1947 and later years - but not Dorothy.
Her father died in 1957,
Her mother Ethel is still at that address in 1973, but not after that.

Ethel died in Melton Mowbray in 1974:

Deaths Sep 1974 (>99%)
BALL ETHEL MAY 26FE1890 MELTON MOW 6 2092

I wonder if Dorothy was living there?
Perhaps she was the informant on Ethel's death cert ??

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 17 Jun 2023 18:57

Just a suggestion:

Death:

BALL, DOROTHY MAY 1915
GRO Reference: DOR Q1/2012 in LEICESTERSHIRE (605-1H) Entry Number 506463666


Probate:

BALL DOROTHY MAY
Date of death:19 March 2012
Date of Probate: 19 April 2012
Probate number: 3784059 PROBATE
Registry office: Oxford

You can buy a copy of the Probate here:
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/search-results



MS Dorothy M Ball
in the UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010
Name MS Dorothy M Ball
Residence Date 2003-2005
Address 19, Bayswater Road, LE13 1PY
Residence Place Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England

The property was sold in 2005.
Perhaps she moved into a care home then.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 17 Jun 2023 19:03

Dorothy’s sister Ellen was in Melton Mowbray in 1939, and married there in 1941

Died there in 1999

The 2012 death looks likely…….the sister is on 1939 as Ball…no ‘s’

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 17 Jun 2023 19:08

As Ethel's death is also as Ball, I suspect they dropped the "s" to avoid jokes or embarrassment about the name.

Tricky to answer politely if asked "What's your surname?"

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 17 Jun 2023 23:05

Thank you all, That death looks a strong possibility of being her. :-).
As for the date of 1976 I think I must have got confused and thought she was with her parents.

LaGooner

LaGooner Report 18 Jun 2023 18:39

Thank you all so much for your help it is very much appreciated :-)