Walsall Client Welfare Services Department have issued an appeal to trace any family of a Walsall resident who recently passed away at New Cross Hospital – Michael Hinton, aged 79, of 30 Lister Street, Willenhall.

Mr. Hinton had been a Willenhall resident for many years. Image from Apple Maps.

I realise this appeal is not immediately local, but relatives can be spread far and wide so these requests are essential, and I really feel for anyone who passes away alone.

Client Welfare Services  issued the following request:

Local residents are being asked to help with the search for relatives and friends of a man who recently passed away at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton after a short illness.

Client Welfare Officers are keen to get in touch with any family members or friends of Mr Michael Hinton, aged 79, of 30 Lister Street, Willenhall WV13 2HQ, where he lived for the past 30 years. His previous address to this was 19 Webb Road, Toll End, Tipton.

Mr Hinton was a widower when he died, his late wife was Margaret Valerie Hinton (nee Crombie).  

Mr Hinton was involved in the Civil Defence Corps with the Civic Defence Division in the ’60s. He is believed to have worked at Alfred Allen Fasteners, Deepdale Road in Lower Gornal, Sedgley as a driver until 1982.

Mr and Mrs Hinton loved dogs and cats, and Mr Hinton leaves behind his beloved dog Bella, aged 11.

Officers extend their sympathy at this time and would be grateful to hear from any relatives or friends of Mr Hinton, or anyone who might have helpful information about his family so that proper arrangements for his funeral can be made.

If anyone has any information about Mr Hinton’s family they are asked to contact Walsall Council Client Welfare Services on 01922 655551.

Thanks in advance. If anyone would prefer no to contact the council directly for whatever reason, email me at BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot come and I’ll pass any messages on.

Although such appeals by Councils are a legal requirement, I’ll always support them and run them; this blog has a large readership now, and someone out there may just unlock a mystery. It must be horrible to lose a parent, sibling or child and not know, whatever the relationship between you. Nobody should ever pass unmourned. Closure is important.

If you’re wondering why we suddenly see a lot of these, Walsall Council (as with any authority) have always had a legal duty to trace relatives in such cases, but formerly used classified adverts in local papers. Recently, they’ve wisely started using social media, too.

Thanks.