Cause of death ?

[KathyM]

I have just received a copy of a death certificate from 1840, for a baby boy who died aged 20 weeks.  The cause of death is left completely blank.  Why do you think this is ?

[lindagene]

Could this be what in todays terms is called a cot death,   in other words they could find no cause.
Cot deaths cannot be a new event.   
Makes you feel so sorry for them,  and no 'trauma councilors' in those days.
Lindy

[KathyM]

I think you are right, but I thought they might have put something - such as .....cause unknown....or natural causes or something ...... didn't the death have to be certified by a doctor to be registered ?

[Pollynation]

On my baby's death certificate it says:-

"sudden infant death syndrome" Known as cot death.
This wasn't recent, 1990.

Normally something else was listed such as gastro enteritis ( think i spelled that right). Maybe they thought it suspisious and did a post mortem and found nothing, so left it blank.

Pauline

[Darcy]

I just received the death certificate for my 2nd great grandmother - cause of death not known - not certified.

I was amzed that my great grandmother, who registered the death, could just say - "My mother has died and I don't know why" and that was acceptable.

It must have been a fairy commom practice by the poor who couldn't afford a doctor. It seems amazing to us now!

Darcy

[KathyM]

Sorry to hear of you baby's death  (Polly') - it must always be devastating no matter when it occurred.

Maybe I have a suspicious mind or just unfair and looking for stories that are not really there - but the father who registered this death was Joshua Varley, who spent some time in York Lunatic Asylum (after his wife's death) - and then when he was released (cured ?) - murdered his housekeeper, tried to commit suicide by drowning himself and spent the rest of his life in Broadmoor !

I am waiting for his wife's death certificate to find out how she died !