The Historycal Roots team’s quest for the truth knows no limits, well very few anyway!
Our search for more information about Mona Baptiste took us to Dublin recently where we: visited her grave at Deansgrange cemetery; visited the house where she used to live in Ballsbridge, a mile or so from the centre of the city; and obtained a copy of her death certificate from the General Register Office. As you might imagine, this was thirsty work, fortunately Dublin was not short of places where weary travellers could quench their thirst.
Our first stop was the cemetery, situated several kilometres to the south of the city:
We had the reference number for Mona’s plot but, almost inevitably, it was incomplete and inaccurate. For the record, she is actually buried in the St.Patrick’s section, row Q, plot 56. She was interred in the Morrison family grave and lies with her mother-in-law and father-in-law – not perhaps everyone’s ideal scenario!
It’s a little surprising how worn the stone has become, Mona only died in 1993.
Having paid our respects we next went to her old home in Ballsbridge. Here we were in for a pleasant surprise because the front door of her old house still bears her name. It was quite moving to think that this door must have changed very little since she passed through it for the final time twenty five years ago:
Our final visit was to the Register Office which we walked past at least three times before finally locating the entrance at the back of a car park. The staff, possibly surprised that we had managed to find them, were very helpful and after only about ten minutes we held a copy of Mona’s death certificate in our hands. Such certificates always make sad reading, this one was no exception. It showed that Mona died from natural causes after a short illness. She passed away on 25th June 1993 at St James’s Hospital, Dublin. just four days after her 65th birthday and 45 years and three days after she stepped off the Empire Windrush at Tilbury.
Until very recently Wikipedia and other sources stated that Mona died and was buried in Krefeld, Germany, it’s nice to have set the record straight.