dead Norah Baring

[Windsor 2,216]

I'm a member of some geneology sites which provide details of deaths.

I can check in Scotland up until 1955 and the rest of the UK by a more complicated process.

 

So, before I set off on my quest - was Norah Baring her real name or a fairly odd screen name. And was she likely to have died in the UK or the US?

 

I cou;d check myself but hey, I'll just rely on our resident experts...

[Octopus of Odstock 2,124]

So, before I set off on my quest - was Norah Baring her real name or a fairly odd screen name. And was she likely to have died in the UK or the US?

 

I cou;d check myself but hey, I'll just rely on our resident experts...

 

The quickest way to do it is go to the FRC in London. I'm due to go before the end of the year - maybe November - for my motor racing research but I'm so intrigued by this mystery, I'm willing to check this out.

 

She was born Norah Baker. Baring was a screen name, but she may be under that, but I doubt it.

She was either alleged to have married a Mr. Forbes or Mr. Simon.

She died in London, apparently.

As she died in April, in theory her death should be in Q2 Apr-Jun 1944 - BUT - word of warning.

If she did die in a car crash, there may be an inquest. Therefore the best thing to do is check the following volumnes up to Apr-Jun 1945 if initally successful.

Reason I say that is my great-grandma committed suicide in late 1928. I could not find the death certificate for love nor money. Then I checked a volumne (Sep 1929) and she was there - when the inquest found the reason for death. I admit in my g-grandma's case there was suspicion about murder, where as Baring's was apparently a car-crash, but it's worth bearing in mind.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,124]

First cursory check of the 1944 deaths reveals there WAS a Norah Baker who died in 1944, aged 36......

but it's not OUR one.

 

The one who died was a Norah Hildegarde Baker, of Bromley Kent, but NOT in April, may I add. A search of the 1908 births, reveals one NHB was born there.

 

"Our" Norah Baring is Norah Kathleen Baker.

 

 

This doesn't mean the 1944 info is wrong - it's just one avenue that's been explored. When I have the full time in London, I'll go through all the possibilites.

[Alphonsin 1]

Wow!

I find that somewhat amazing. I mean, in 1944, she would've been quite famous still, and you'd think there would be something in the news back then. But it would explain why, since the 1970's, when records have been good for deaths, why no-one could find anything. Either way, I'll have a look at the records place in London when I next go down to see if this can be confirmed.

 

 

Just been reading this thread. It certainly is strange despite, as Tempus reminds us, the apparent death being during wartime, how somebody can slip from super-famous to seemingly insignificant in such a short time. I'll have a trawl through The Times's archives (including death notices) over the weekend and see if I can find anything.

A salutary reminder to today's superstars of how easily their memory can slip.

[Canadian Paul 93]

On a hunch with Octo's research, I thought perhaps IMDB has realised the same thing that he did and changed it.

 

Sure enough, a more specific death date, this time in 1985 though.

 

So I was half right when I posted the news anyhow.

[maryportfuncity 10,481]

Still even more remarkable that she fell so far. I mean, given the level of fame she'd once enjoyed and the way some DL posters were obviously in touch with obits and deaths back in 85, only two years before the DL started after all, it's amazing nobody around here knew, or that it wasn't more widely publicised at the time.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,124]

On a hunch with Octo's research, I thought perhaps IMDB has realised the same thing that he did and changed it.

 

Sure enough, a more specific death date, this time in 1985 though.

 

So I was half right when I posted the news anyhow.

 

 

Well, I'm not so sure as there's no proof of it in the death records of 1985.

 

 

There's a Norah BARKER, who was born on the 21st October 1907. Proof

 

So I doubt if this date is 100% reliable, although it could well be right. I don't doubt for a minute, however, that she is dead.

[Alphonsin 1]

This is really bugging me. Could only find that other Baker (a bicycle accident on Cudham Hill -- could that have morphed into the 1944 IMDB claim?). I might have found her grand-daughter -- though probably not -- so have emailed her. And no time to even read Deathlist today. Shucks...

So no time to check if mention has been made of Sir John Drummond, arty farty, Margaret Hubble, inventor of the telescope (boom, boom...), EC (Teddy) Hodgkin, journalist et al.

[Canadian Paul 93]

Research from genarians.com has made its way to the IMDB - Dorothy Boyd, who once was thought to be alive and was chosen by two DDP candidates now appears to have died in 1996.

 

The next to be questioned ala Norah Baring? Dennie Moore.

[Windsor 2,216]

It's no wonder nobody knew she had died.

The English system of recording deaths is pretty sh*t. It lacks proper database.

I requested a death certificate specifying the deceased name, date of death and place of death. They couldn't find it on their database.