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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: Jang on Sunday 26 March 17 07:42 BST (UK)
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Was death from coal gas poisoning unusual in the 1930s and 40s in Scotland?
I have a brother and sister who both died from coal gas poisoning - the sister in 1932 at home in Dundee - "found dead 7.30am, last seen alive September 26 12 midnight". The cause of death was given as: "probably asphyxia by coal gas poisoning". The informant was her brother, who died in 1943 "found dead at 8.00am in Plumbers Warehouse, Dundee". The cause of death was "carbon monoxide poisoning from inhalation of coal gas".
Jan
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It was a reasonably common form of suicide.
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But often there were other circumstances too.
For example, also in 1932, a chap in a Dundee tenement accused his neighbours of trying to poison him by turning on the stair gas. Again in 1932, three young children were found in their Dundee home suffering from gas poisoning. Another in Dundee in 1932, saw two elderly sisters dying following the escape of gas from a leak in a bracket on the mantlepiece.
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Health and safety was not like it is today. Unqualified people installed gas appliances and more made alterations to gas pipework, often with fatal results.
Jebber
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I have a relative who died in Lower Largo in 1939, aged 79, from 'asphyxia from coal gas poisoning accidental'.
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Thanks everyone for the feedback. I did wonder about suicide ... Neither of the death certificates or the RCE said "accidental". The sister was 49, the brother 52.
Scotmum, thanks for the examples - I might try a search on the "Dundee Courier" for "coal gas poisoning" in those years. I would think if it was accidental, it might rate a mention, but not if it was suicide.
Jan
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Hi Jang,
I just downloaded my ancestors death record from the ScotlandPeople's website and learned that she died from Coal Gas Poisoning in the 1920's. There was an additional document linked to the first one that indicated that the cause of death was Suicide by Coal Gas Poisoning. If you are downloading from ScotlandsPeople, make sure to check if any corrections were made because they can be easy to miss. If there are any corrections, then above the document you are viewing, it will say
*There have been 1 corrections identified with this entry: View 1st correction
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Using the gas from the oven was a common way for suicide as well switching on the gas to fires without lighting them. Had someone in my class in the 1960s go home from school to find mother dead in the kitchen - she'd committed suicide.
No automatic lighting of the gas equipment then, also poor ventilation caused deaths - well known for causing accidental deaths were the gas water heaters in bathrooms.
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Thanks for the tip. I did download the RCE for the sister which said, "asphyxia by coal gas poisoning" but for some reason (maybe lack of credits at the time), I never downloaded the RCE for the brother. Just did and it says "carbon monoxide poisoning from inhalation of coal gas. Suicidal." So it looks like the first was accidental and the second deliberate.
Jan
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I have just found that my 2nd great grandfather died of coal gas poisoning in 1938 in Scotland aged 78. It does not say it was suicide and there is also a correction page but that does not say suicide either and does not actually give any different information apart from 30 minutes difference in the time that he died, which could have been important if there was an investigation.
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My grannie went doon tae the cellar, a leak in the gas pipe to see,
She lighted a match for to see it, Oh bring back my grannie tae me! ;D
Skoosh.
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My grandfather used to say
When the kitchen boiler burst,
father merely sat and cursed.
Mother, with a finer feeling,
scraped the housemaid from the ceiling.
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I have just found that my 2nd great grandfather died of coal gas poisoning in 1938 in Scotland aged 78. It does not say it was suicide and there is also a correction page but that does not say suicide either and does not actually give any different information apart from 30 minutes difference in the time that he died, which could have been important if there was an investigation.
I don't think you could say that accidental coal gas poisoning was very common, but it certainly did happen. Even as quite a small child I remember knowing that town gas was poisonous as well as potentially explosive and that one had to be very careful about not leaving a gas tap turned on, but I don't actually remember being told that.
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One of my relatives cause of death read "Coal Gas Poisoning due to temporary insanity" Maybe in your relative's there wasn't enough evidence as to whether it was accidental or suicide.
Carol
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I think I didn't make my point very well. It is that I think that the majority of coal gas poisonings were accidental rather than suicide. If there had been any suggestion that your relative's death was suicide, you can be sure that the Register of Corrected Entries would have said so.
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It was so easy to gas yourself accidentally before appliances were fitted with a thermocouple, without such a flame failure safety device a cooker or gasfire flame could be extinguished leaving gas flowing into the room.
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Just discovered today, the deaths of a great aunt and uncle of my brother-in-law were caused by Coal Gas Poisoning in Aberdeen in 1959. Both the Death Certificates and RCEs state quite clearly that the deaths were accidental. They had led very adventurous and exciting lives and I suppose it is good that they went together but hard for the family left behind. ink
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me too
A great Uncle :( sadly it was a confirmed suicide...
The worst part for me was advising his Grandaughter, some years ago.
We got together through this 'lark' discovered each other and found a really close relationship.
She had no idea how her Grandfather had died..............................................
She was grateful for the knowledge and able to cope.
She is a great cousin and I am so proud to have met her.
xin
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
skoosh and g r ... :)
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It was all too easy to accidently leave a gas tap open. For instance, most of us urban wrinkles lived with town gas supplied through a coin-in-the-slot meters and often the gas would start to "run out" and it was a race to get another shilling in the meter before the flame died. Then, after inserting a shilling all that's needed is a distraction and the gas is flowing.
Add some alcohol to the equation and you have all that's needed for a tragedy.
My mum used to like it when the gasman came to empty the money. We always got a welcome rebate.
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An ex EX ex close rellie, used to save the Gasman the trouble of emptying the meter !!!
xin
;) :o :o :o :o >:( >:( >:(
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Just discovered today, the deaths of a great aunt and uncle of my brother-in-law were caused by Coal Gas Poisoning in Aberdeen in 1959. Both the Death Certificates and RCEs state quite clearly that the deaths were accidental. They had led very adventurous and exciting lives and I suppose it is good that they went together but hard for the family left behind. ink
This was my great uncle and aunt!