[PW] how do I hire a British wombat?

[Donna Halper]

I am very serious about this.  Since I have been working on an 
up-date for the Grove Encyclopaedia of Art entry about the late great 
poster artist Ethel Reed, I am determined to find out her correct 
date of death and there seems to be no way to do it on line.  (No she 
didn't die in New Jersey in 1910, although many other people seemed 
to...)  I reach a total dead end after finding her and her infant son 
on the 1901 British census; and after numerous e-mails to the British 
Archives and to assorted journalist friends of mine, I have come to 
the conclusion that I need somebody who can actually go and examine 
whatever records exist.  Sooo, while I am not exceedingly wealthy, is 
there anyone on-list who has access to the British Archives and/or to 
British city directories from the early 1900s, and who might be 
willing to help solve this mystery once and for all?  I can't pay the 
big bucks, but to finally get an answer, I am willing to pay for 
somebody's time.  If you have access or know somebody who does, 
please contact me off-list.  I absolutely hate it when I can't find 
an answer to a research query!!!  >:-o

Donna L. Halper, Journalism Dept. Emerson College Boston MA
friendly but frustrated media historian