Big gap between death and burial - Glasnevin

[Nettie]

While this relates to a burial at Glasnevin, Dublin, I thought I ask here as other people may have a suggestion.  Comparing dates of death and dates of burial for my relatives, where possible, I have found that they had been buried very quickly. For many it was the day after their death and I was surprised, initially, by the haste.

However, I have just found a record for a distant in-law and it states that he died on December 24th 1900 in the South Union Workhouse, Dublin AS of infirmity and bronchitis. The Glasnevin interment is dated APRIL 16 1901. Now, while I expected it may take longer than the few days considering he died Christmas Eve, I am at a loss to understand it happening nearly 4 months later.

Anyone care to venture a guess / considered opinion?
Thanks in advance.

[Elwyn Soutter]

The normal tradition in Ireland, even to this day, is to bury about 3 days after death. There are of course exceptions to that with post mortems etc, but in general it is still the norm. (Can’t offer any explanation re the 4 month delay in your particular case).

[HugoBeauchamp]

Might be an idea to contact Glasnevin and ask them to check the dates of death & burial. How does the date & place of death compare with the death certificate?

H

[amber39]

One explanation could be one that was given to me regarding a similar late burial in Canada. Apparently in that year at the time of death the ground was so frozen they  were unable to dig the grave, after which it was badly flooded.

Just thought I would put this forward as a possibility.


Regards   Amber39

[Billyblue]

Would it have been a suspicious death, requiring an inquest / post mortem?

At that time of the year it wouldn't have been too hard to store a body even without mechanical refrigeration.

But I've heard Amber's explanation before, about the ground being too hard to dig a grave   

Dawn M

[Elwyn Soutter]

Ireland’s climate is mostly mild and wet. We rarely get the long cold winters of Eastern Europe or North America. I have never heard of the ground here being frozen too hard to dig a grave. Post mortems and inquests in the early 1900s were usually all held within a couple of days of the death. That would not normally have delayed the burial by much. If there was an inquest (which I somehow doubt, given the cause of death) it will be noted on the death certificate, and the informant will usually be the Coroner.

Could it have been a re-interment? In other words when he died in the workhouse, if no relatives came forward to take responsibility for the burial, he’d have been interred in a communal grave. (Many of the workhouses had such graveyards within their grounds). Then a few months later, relatives came forward with money to pay for a proper funeral, and so he was dug up and taken to Glasnevin?

[Nettie]

Thanks all.
I don't have his death cert as he is the father-in-law of a great grand aunt and my finances don't stretch that far. However, the Irish death index has him in the correct Oct-Dec 1900 quarter and the image of the register giving April is clear.


I did note that he is listed as widower, yet his wife was alive and living with a son at the 1901 census.

 I will contact Glasnevin and see if they have any suggestions.

[conahy calling]

Could the body have been possibly used for research, such as at College of Surgeons and returned later to the family for burial.

https://www.rcsi.ie/anatomy-donations-of-remains

[Sinann]

Perhaps they didn't know who he was.
If he had become estranged from his family, he may not have given them enough information to fine them, or if he collapsed on the street was too ill to tell them, add in the Christmas period and time for a search then pretty much as Elwyn said he was reinterred by his family when his identity was discovered.