Hello, I'm trying to find a cause of death of this young man (approx 1870-1888). His parents were William Bark (1839-1910) and Sarah Ann nee Ferguson (1841-1921).
His parents had recently applied to immigrate to Tasmania, Australia, but they never went. I'm wondering if it had anything to do with his death.

Thanks in advance,
Christine
Australia.

Hi Christine

On this site over to the left are the burials for all the Bark family, including Sampson (Samson).

Your need to send for Sampsons death certificate to find the cause of death

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

You'll need to register but the certifcate can be emailed to you.

GRO Details are:

Samson Bark, 1888,
Registration District: Sheffield
Quarter: Oct/Nov/Dec
Volume: 9c
Page : 291

Denise

Christine. There is only one way to find cause of death. You have to buy his death certificate. You can purchase it online from gro.gov.uk. You can choose the cheapest option which is pdf and you will receive it by email within aBout a week. The cost is £6. Please note the record spells his name Samsom in 1888 sheffield.
Dave
Edit denise and I were obviously typing at the same time

Thanks for your reply Denise. I am aware of the death certificates at the GRO but apart from the curiosity of what he died from, it would serve no purpose in furthering my tree. (I'm on a pension so have to watch the pennies). I thought there might have been something in the newspapers about his death, as he was only 18.

Christine,
If you sign up to FMP and do not pay a subscription you can search the newspapers yourself to discover whether or not there is a report for that name at that time.
Dave

Thank you Dave. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything on him. Perhaps it was a death through illness, not an accident or something that might have been noteworthy.

I had a look in the old newspapers just because I think that Sampson Bark is a great name. I wonder if you found the same articles that I did, none of which mention your Sampson Bark in the year of his death.

It looks like young Sampson/Samson had a habit of missing school - he shows up 1883 in one article entitled “School Board Prosecutions” which mentions that Samson Bark, son of William Bark electro-plater of 50 Arundel Lane was committed to the Truant’s Industrial School until he reached the age of 16 (Sheffield Independent - Saturday 14 April 1883).

The burial record says that Samson died at 56 Arundel Lane. If that should actually say 50 then it would imply that he died at home, though it doesn’t rule out various accidents or incidents.

In other news, the Bark family had a concertina - at least they did until someone nicked it. In the article “Alleged frauds on Sheffield shopkeepers” it mentions that the accused, Henry Howe, aka Thorpe, aka Albert Parker, obtained two concertinas by false pretences and stole another one from Sarah Ann Bark of 50, Arundel Lane. That guy just couldn’t keep his hands off other people’s concertinas. (Sheffield Independent - Thursday 14 August 1890).

There was another, older, Sampson Bark who shows up in the press quite a lot, having survived loads of hairy incidents during his career in the police force. Was he a relative of your Samson Bark? He became a grocer once he was pensioned off by the police.

For instance he’s mentioned in “The Late Paradise Square Riot” - another officer, a man called William Beardshaw died from his injuries (Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Thursday 02 August 1855), also in "Savage Assault on a Policeman” - Sampson Bark took a severe kicking from a John Hydes (Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Tuesday 21 April 1857), and in "The Audacious House Robbery” where he shows up as as Sampson Barks, grocer and retired copper, helping to apprehend a burglar (Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 18 September 1874).

That Sampson Bark, the police officer, might have known Inspector Daniel Astwood, half-brother of my Great-Great-Great-Grandad William Astwood.

Cheers,

Andrew P.

Hi Andrew,
Thanks so much for your research. I really appreciate it!
Yes, I love unusual names too - makes it easier to research them than all the William Smiths I have. The records you've found certainly do sound like the right family, and I love hearing that he missed school. It gives an idea of his personality which you don't get from official BDM certificates. Interesting about the concertina too, as it would show that his mother Sarah had some musical talent. Sarah Ann (nee Ferguson) and siblings is more the side I am researching, but I'll definitely check out the older Sampson Bark as he could well be related.
Good luck with your research on the Astwood family.

Thanks again,
Christine