Odd entry on a death certificate

[greenpaula]

Hi
Has anyone come across a comment on a death certificate which says in the box for signature, description and residence of informant  'causing the body to be buried' ?
It's a death in 1960, the informant's name is given at the same address as where the death took place 296a Portobello Road, Kensington (although originally the Registrar had written St. Charles Hospital (5) as place of death, then crossed it out)
The informant  is no relation to the deceased and there is no description of who she was - friend, landlady etc. The deceased did have a couple of children, one of them living in London at the time and as far as we know was not estranged from them. I've never come across the 'causing the body to be buried' bit before, the deceased certainly should not have been short of money and it's not as if the death was registered ages after the death - just 3 days.

[JenB]

there is an explanation here http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,354563.msg2321981.html#msg2321981

also a mention here http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/deaths.htm#COL9 in the section 'informant's details'.

[stanmapstone]

See Births and Deaths Registration Act 1926 (An Act to amend the law relating to certification of deaths and the disposal of the dead.)
http://legislation.data.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/16-17/48/enacted/data.htm?wrap=true

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Definitions
" person effecting the disposal " means the person by whom or whose officer the register of burials in which the disposal is to be registered is kept, except that in the case of a burial under the Burial Laws Amendment Act, 1880, in the churchyard or graveyard of a parish or ecclesiastical district the expression " person effecting the disposal " shall be construed as referring to the relative, friend, or legal representative having charge of or being responsible for the burial of the deceased person;"

Stan

[greenpaula]

Hi JenB and Stan
Really helpful info, thank you.
The lady concerned had lived in Canada for 19 years until 1959 when she arrived back in the UK for a visit of 6 weeks, which I assumed was to visit her children and grandchildren. They had been out to Canada a few years earlier to visit her.  It looks like she became too ill to go back to Canada so I think I may look for her burial now to see if she eventually got a headstone.
Thanks again
Paula

[LizzieW]

I've seen this particular comment on a few of my ancestors' wills and without exception they died in either a hospital or workhouse.

Lizzie

[sbnorton]

Hi

Your post just came up in a google search.  My great great great grandfather also died at 296A portobello road (in 1932.)  I was just wondering who the informant was on the death certificate you have?  On my ggg grandfather's it's Florence McDonough.  I was wondering if she was his land lady or partner (his wife my ggg grandmother had died in 1916)

A total long shot but please let me know if it's the same name on yours!
thanks
Sarah

[ShaunJ]

That address was St Joseph's Home for the Elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor

[JenB]

Shaun beat me to it 

It was still functioning as a home for the elderly in 1939.