Richard Brereton & Lydia Timmis

Richard Brereton
Richard was born on June 11th, 1858 in Birkenhead.² 

• Birth Notes
  • Born Birkenhead, Cheshire about 1859.
    Note: FreeBMD only indexed from 1861 for Birkenhead, and no GRO record index for Richard - very strange !
    
    Ann Hale (nee Brereton) recorded Richards birthday as 11 June 1858
    
    Aged 52 on 1911 census
    
    
    

He died due to a medical problem, Cirrhosis of liver and Exhaustion, at the age of 61 on February 9th, 1920 in Birkenhead.  His burial was on February 12th, 1920 at the Flaybrick Memorial Gardens.^3 4 

• Death Notes
  • Deaths Mar 1920   (32%)
    BRERETON  Richard  (age 51 or 61)  Birkenhead  8a 585
    
    Richard must have still been alive when his mother Esther wrote her Will in 1917, leaving him one quarter of the residual estate.
    
    Died before 1925, and Mum (Joan Dittmer) never met her grandparents.  A search of the records between 1918 and 1925 finds only one Richard Brearton who died in Birkenhead.  The index is difficult to read, and his age looks more like 51 than 61, but this is him.
    
    Richard Brereton, Beer Retailer, died 9 Feb 1920 at 7 Tunnel Road (Birkenhead), aged 61 years.  The cause of death was Cirrhosis of the liver and Exhaustion.  R. T. Brereton, Son was in attendance.
    
    My mother remembered that Richard was "a heavy drinker". Cirrhosis of the liver is often caused by long-term alcohol misuse (or hepatitis C infection). Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and stops it from working properly.
    
    The cemeteries office at Landican have confirmed he was buried on 12-Feb-1920 in the same grave as his wife Lidia, who was interned two years earlier.  The grave is in CoE Section 2, Grave No. 789.  See references and picture.
    
    Probate:
    Brereton Richard of the Red Lion Inn 7 Tunnel Road Birkenhead died 9 February 1920 Probate 6 March to Richard Timmis Brereton ships plater and Elsie Dittmer (wife of Harry Dittmer). Effects £1218 10s 4d.

Lydia Timmis
Lydia was born on June 14th, 1863 in Neston and her christening took place there on July 17th, 1863.^5 6 

• Birth Notes
  • Born: Birkenhead, Cheshire about 1864 according to 1891 census. 
    
    All family recorded as from Birkenhead in 1891, but 1901 census shows Lydia is from Neston (and all others from Birkenhead), so this is more likely to be correct.
    
    Ann Hale (nee Brereton) recorded Lydia's birthday as 14 Jun 1863.
    
    Aged 47 on 1911 census (born Neston, Cheshire)
    
    TIMMIS, LYDIA        WOODWARD 
    GRO Reference: 1863  S Quarter in WIRRAL 
    Volume 08A  Page 369
    
    Name:    Lydia Timmis
    Gender:    Female
    Baptism Date:    17 Jul 1863
    Baptism Place:    Neston, Cheshire, England
    Father:    Richard Timmis
    Mother:    Lydia Timmis
    FHL Film Number:    2105093
    

She died at the age of 54 on March 6th, 1918 in Birkenhead.  The funeral took place on March 9th, 1918 at the Flaybrick Memorial Gardens and was arranged by R. Gallienno and Son of 34 Conway-street, Birkenhead..  Her burial was on March 9th, 1918 at the Flaybrick Memorial Gardens.^7 3 4 

• Death Notes
  • Probably died before 1925, and mum (Joan Dittmer) never met her grandparents.
    
    The funeral took place on Saturday at Flaybrick Hill Cemetery, of Mrs Lydia Brereton who died on the 6th inst., in her 55th year at the Red Lion, Tunnel-road. The Rev H Leigh Mallory officiated. 
    
    Deaths Mar 1918   (16%)
    Brereton  Lydia  54  Birkenhead  8a 601
    
    The cemeteries office at Landican have confirmed Lydia was buried on 9-Mar-1918.  She was the first in a 4-person grave.  In the same grave was interned Richard, two years later.  The grave is in CoE Section 2, Grave No. 789.