Is this the death record of my 3x great grandfather Edward Long?

QMy 3x great grandfather, Edward Long, was born c1786 in Portsea, Hampshire. I’ve found him in the 1841 and 1851 censuses listed as a carpenter and living with his wife Ann in Ladywell, Lewisham. I couldn’t find them in 1861, so assume they died between 1851 and 1861. I found a record for Edward Long, a carpenter aged 76 who died in 1859 in Portsea (pictured). There is also a will for an Edward Long (carpenter) living at Clarence Street, who died in 1806, which mentions a son Edward. Do these records relate to my family? Philip Long

ABefore weighing up the likelihood that a record is connected to your family, it is important to gather as much information as possible. The address and occupation of the will’s testator match those on the death certificate, suggesting that the men were father and son.

Before deciding whether you have found the right death certificate, you need to establish whether there’s any connection between the carpenter in Lewisham and the carpenter who died in Hampshire and who was buried at St Mary’s. Search for a memorial inscription; does it include his wife’s name? The sites Deceased Online ( deceasedonline. com) and Find A Grave ( findagrave.com) are good places to start.

Many records for Portsmouth and Portsea are on Findmypast ( findmypast.co.uk), including electoral registers. Edward Long of Clarence Street first appears in 1858, suggesting that he may have recently moved there. Search Lewisham electoral registers to see whether Edward left Ladywell around the same time; or try the trade and Post Office directories held at the London Metropolitan Archives. Follow every lead: is Edward recorded as deceased on his daughter’s marriage certificate? Who was the informant on the death certificate? Katherine Cobb