Cause of Death???

[Arranroots]

"The Union" is his last place of residence - probably the workhouse, as this was one of the few places that medical attention could be sought by the poor.

A 

[Valda]

http://www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm

'Strumous Swollen
Generally used in relation to tuberculosis of the lymph nodes especially the lymph nodes in the neck
Can relate to any other swelling in the neck especially the front of the neck e.g. Thyroid, Parathyroid
Any swollen tissue or organ' 

The Union workhouse would have an infirmary so could give medical treatment. Quite a number of workhouse infirmary's became National Health hospitals when the National Health Service began after the Second World war.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Gateshead/Gateshead.shtml

'The poor law was radically changed following the great reform act of 1834. The main difference was that the relief of the poor was changed from a local responsibility into a group one. Groups of parishes were consolidated into Poor Law Unions so removing the local community responsibility. Out relief was discouraged and the workhouses, which had been in existence for the previous two centuries, became the primary source of relief.  Throughout the remainder of the 19th century the laws were tightened and modified until the administration was transferred to the Ministry of Health in 1918. It was not until 1930 that the poor laws were finally abolished.'
Regards

Valda

[bell2]

Thanks every body for all your info, some good leads,
I managed to locate the Workhouse,in 1893 five years after James's death,Newcastle Upon Tyne, Poor Law Union Workhouse,
Westgate Road,
Newcastle.
The Workhouse Master,Forster Potts is still there,the name on James's cert,as the informant.
 By the way does anybody know what would have happend to them after death?. Belle

[Valda]

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?NewcastleUponTyne/NewcastleUponTyne.shtml

Depends whether anyone collected the body or not, but even so the lot of a large number of people was a common grave in a local cemetery. Cemeteries competed to get the workhouse trade offering cheaper deals. Consequently workhouses could use different cemeteries at different times. I believe Newcastle has ten cemeteries but not all of them may have been operating during the period you are interested in.

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/dfcbereavement?opendocument

Regards

Valda

[Billy Anderson]

Being buried in common ground would have been fairly common as graves were expensive I was once told by a Cemetery manager that the reason there can not be any gravestones on common ground is because often those interred were unrelated but i guess if one could not afford a burial plot then even if you could have a grave stone it would have proven too expensive anyway, regards Billy

[bell2]

Thank you,Valda & Billy,
Most appreciated,do ether of you know if anybody kept records of these poor people?or would that be lack of resource's (as they say today).
                                                                                        Belle.

[Valda]

What records in particular?

The workhouse website reference I gave also gives details of what workhouse records survive and where they held.
The website I gave for Newcastle cemetery records gives details of how to access those records.

Regards

Valda

[Carol22]

Hi there, I think is says, STRUMOUS - an old term used to describe tubercular disease, also the last word looks like PHTHISIS - means wasting and is applied to any tubercular disease causing emaciation and loss of strength.
I have a book called A Dictionary of Medical & Related Terms for the Family Historian, by Joan E. Grundy. Joan comes from Doncaster, and I went to a talk she gave and purchased the book there.
hope this helps.