Family of Irishman who died in Birmingham last month found – The Irish Times

Relatives of an Irishman who died in Birmingham a month ago have been found.

John Joseph Gill (86) died on November 25. His last known address was Whitehouse Common Road in Sutton Coldfield. Ten days after his death, Birmingham City Council launched a public appeal for information, but it has been unable to trace a family despite some appeals.

Mr Gill’s relatives have now been traced by Erin Research, an Irish firm of international genealogists who specialize in finding beneficiaries and unknown relatives.

There was a lot of confusion about Mr Gill following the public appeal by Birmingham City Council, which gave incorrect information given to him when he was still alive.

He was born August 30, not August 31, 1936, in Delvin, Co Westmeath, not Co Roscommon as he told the council. He had seven siblings, not nine. He also had no children although he claimed to have four. He was also single.

The case was picked up pro bono by Erin Research who traced her relatives in the UK and the US. Estates genealogist Padraic Grennan said Mr Gill had been estranged from his family for 50 years. He has been in residence in Birmingham for 14 years and his only visitor at that time was a Catholic priest.

Mr. Gill has two surviving siblings, a brother in Canada and a sister in New York. He has a nephew living in New York and there is a niece and nephew of a deceased sister living in the UK, one in London and the other in Birmingham.

Mr Grennan said Mr Gill’s niece, who lives near Birmingham, did not know her uncle lived nearby.

“We were able to piece together the family tree once we located his birth certificate,” he said. “You can imagine what is happening. One is going to Canada and the other to the UK, and they may never speak to each other again.

Birmingham City Council’s funeral and property protection officer, Ian Coxhead, said he had now submitted paperwork to obtain the death certificate.

He will speak to the family about the progress of the funeral. “He asked to be buried,” Mr Coxhead said.

He said the level of interest in Mr Gill’s identity had been unprecedented. “We have had many offers of help. It was refreshing to have had the contact we had with people,” he said.