Help with a Death Certificate Please

[KPM]

Hi
I seem to be having real problems with my certificates just lately!!

I have just received the death certificate of someone I believe to be great, great grandfather. 

On all of the other death certificates I have, the informant was usually a husband, wife, son or daughter or someone known to the family.

However, on this one, I don't recognise the name (I cant actually read it very well, but certainly not a family name)

My question is:  As he died in hospital, could the informant be a doctor or someone else from the hospital?  His wife was alive at the time of his death and his children were all at an age where they could have been informants and they all lived nearby.

I'm trying to decide just how much importance to place in this person - if it was someone from the hospital then I don't really want to spend time chasing a dead end.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Sylviaann]

It is probably someone from the hospital.  They used to employ people to sit by beds and watch for people to die.  I've forgotten what they called these people but they did have a title.

It could also have been a nurse.

Does the person have an occupation?  If they are not a relative it usually gives a job title but of course not necessarily.  In hospital it is not usually a relative.

Can you scan that bit of the cert and paste here.  Someone will probably be able to read it.

Sylviaann

[nanny jan]

Hi,

I have a death cert (1875) where the person died in hospital and the informant was someone from the hospital even though the person's husband was still alive.  As they had young children it might have been easier for the hospital to deal with the paperwork!

There should be an address under the name of the informant.
Does that give any clues?

Nanny Jan

[KPM]

Hi Nanny Jan & Sylviaann
Unfortunately it doesn't give an occupation, just an address New Road, Rochester.
I have tried to find him on the 1871 census but without any success.  Incidentally, Thomas Whitehead (whose death cert it is) is also missing on the 1871 census - perhaps he was in hospital at the time.

I will try to add a copy of this section of the cert a little later - I haven't done this before so will wait until hubby gets home to help!!
Anne-Marie

I've just realised that the hospital Thomas died in was also in New Road so it looks as if you are both right about him being from the hospital