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Som, I had a wilf round the Probate Calendar for the first time at lunchtime and found the probate of my grandmother's cousin Joseph Arthur Goadby, missionary, who died in Tunisia in 1923.

The family story is that he was killed by a crocodile.

Is there any way I can find out any more about this? I know only his name, his dates and the fact that he left £205 15s 7d.

Thanks

AN

I'm thinking he should be on the GRO overseas deaths index, in which case you could send for his death cert.

Here you go-

In Consular Deaths 1921 - 1925. Volumes 15 - 19

Joseph A Goadby died aged 24 in Tunis volume 17 page 349

I think you can send to the ONS for the cert using that information.

You can order a copy of the will but it won't tell you the cause of death if that's what you're asking about.

I got an overseas death cert. OK using similar information. The GRO order form comes up with different fields if you select an overseas event.

Thanks all.

I had not thought of his death being registered like that - I was thinking in terms of trying to figure out who he might have been a missionary for. Suddenly it gets a lot easier.

I shall send for the certificate post haste.

Wonder what it would say in cause of death if he had been killed by a crocodile? Multiple injuries, trauma?

AN

It's taken me a long time to update this post. The cause of death is given solely as 'drowning', so whether a crocodilian of any sort was involved, I will never know!

Well, that's how crocs kill their victims.

But now there are some entries in the British Newspaper Archive about his death which someone with an FMP sub (or paying as you go) would be able to look at - Western Times 21 Sep 1923 and Staffordshire Sentinel 20 Sep 1923 and possibly others.

Western Times 21 September 1923

News has been received at Leicester that a young Leicester man named Joseph Arthur Goadby, aged 24, who was attached to the North African Mission, was drowned at Tunis on Saturday while bathing.

The same snippet appears in the Staffordshire Sentinel 20 September 1923