HEALTH: APRIL 1955

T H E    D E A T H    O F    C L A R A    W H I T A K E R

The Lancashire Archives was incredibly informative for this research, I knew little information of Claras death, only that it was a suicide, and happened in the Garstang area. The administrators at the Archives were able to do some searches that I didn't have access to, they searched for possible escapes from Whittingham with the name Clara Whitaker, no results, they also searched for deaths at Whittingham with Claras name, no results. The likelihood is that Clara died while not in their care, and so I would have to search other records for her death.

I was able to find records of a death of a Clara Whitaker in the months of Apr May Jun in 1955, a female, aged 47, in Garstang.
Given Clara was 45 in the Whittingham records from 1952, that would make her around 47 in 1955, this was her.
To see more information I was to order a copy of the Death certificate.


"Sixteenth April 1955, River Wyre, Barnacre with Bonds
Clara Whitaker
Female
44 years
Of 44 Ferguson Road, Blackpool. Wife of Sydney Whitaker. Caretaker.
Asphyxia due to drowning - Killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed through ill health. P.M.
Certificate received from Blackhurst Coroner for bounty of Lancaster. Inquest held 20th April 1955."

Below is a newspaper article I was able to find after having access to the information on Claras death.
"Woman's body in River Wyre
The inquest on Mrs. Clara Whitaker, aged 46. of Ferguson Road, Marton, Blackpool, whose body was recovered from the River Wyre at Garstang show-field on Saturday. was held at the central police office, Preston on Wednesday.
The coroner recorded a verdict that she killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed through ill-health.
Sydney Whitaker said that since 1940 his wife had a history of mental trouble but she had never talked of suicide. P.c. Lomax said that when Mrs. Whitaker's body was recovered he found underneath it a shopping bag weighted by a stone."

The article is from the Lancaster Guardian, April 22nd, 1955.

Clara Whitaker jumped off a bridge in Garstang with a shopping bag of stones, with no intention of coming back to the surface.