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Author Topic: Unknown cause of death  (Read 833 times)

Offline Deirdre784

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Unknown cause of death
« on: Monday 22 May 17 17:48 BST (UK) »
Finally found the right death for an ancestor of my husband, but it gives me no other info, other than the date 🙄

Luckily he died in the same house in 1860 as he was living in the 1851 census, otherwise i might not be sure it was him (his widow is at a different house in 1861). Age is a few years out, informant is not his wife or one of the children, and annoyingly (I like to have all the details 🙄), the cause of death was recorded as 'unknown, no medical attendant'. Had he been an old man that might have been ok, but he was only 52 (or 49 based on his baptism). I have plenty of death certs from 1837 onwards with no medical certificate but at least it says something. Is this unusual?
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #1 on: Monday 22 May 17 18:34 BST (UK) »
Think i meant this to go in the common room itself, not really a 'lighter side' topic 😆
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Online RJ_Paton

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #2 on: Monday 22 May 17 20:13 BST (UK) »
The requirement for a Doctor or medical attendant to confirm death did not become compulsory for some time. The increase in Insurance or Friendly Societies/ Unions involvement in providing benefits either for the deceased or for the family did initiate a rise in medical involvement as they wanted to protect their money but as usual the law lagged behind.

In many cases the causes of death were often only guesswork by those present.

Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #3 on: Monday 22 May 17 20:16 BST (UK) »
Thanks Falkryn  :)
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #4 on: Monday 22 May 17 21:37 BST (UK) »
Until 1874 entering the cause of death was not a legal requirement, but from 1874 a doctor's certificate was necessary before a death certificate could be issued. Between 1858 and 1874 the entry should indicate whether the cause had been 'certified' or 'not certified' by a medical practitioner.

Stan
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Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #5 on: Monday 22 May 17 21:39 BST (UK) »
Thanks Stan  :)
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....

Offline Rockford

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #6 on: Monday 22 May 17 23:22 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I have an 1874 Scottish death where the under cause of death it just says 'Not certified - Dropped down and died'!

As there was no medical attendant present, it was referred to the procurator fiscal who appears to have ordered a post mortem, which then confirmed the cause as heart disease and bronchitis of long duration.

Best wishes

Rockford
BURNSIDE [Londonderry, Lothians and Pennsylvania]
THORBURN [Lanarkshire], VAIR [Melrose]
SWEENEY [Donegal/Lanarkshire]
GILCHRIST [Lanarkshire, Peebles, Lothians], SMITH [Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, Lothians]
GREGORY [Bucks, Wales], BENNETT [Somerset, Wales]
LETHERBY/HOWLETT/PHIPPS [Somerset]
HUNTER [New Monkland, Fife], GWYNNE [New Monkland, Stirling, Midlothian]
LOGIE/DUNLOP/THOMSON/YOUNG [West Lothian]

Offline Deirdre784

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Re: Unknown cause of death
« Reply #7 on: Monday 22 May 17 23:56 BST (UK) »
That's a good one 😀
CARDIFF:Lord,Griffiths,Barry,Cope,Mahoney ~ PEMBROKESHIRE:Griffiths,Rees,Owen,Thomas ~ ESSEX:Lord,Foreman,Hatch ~ SOMERSET:Lord,Cox,Hockey,Linham,Bryant ~ STAFFORDSHIRE:Cope,Elks,Hackney,Gallimore,Davenport ~ SUFFOLK:Lord,Lockwood,Hatch,Rix,Foreman ~ IRELAND:Barry,Meany,Cummins,Grogan ~
PONTYPRIDD:Leigh,Brooks,Adams,Davies,Thomas ~ KENT:Leigh ~ CHESHIRE:Adams,Tudor,Illidge ~ DENBIGHSHIRE:Edwards,Bolas ~BRECON:Leigh,Thomas,Davies ~SOMERSET:Adams,Keitch,Bridge ~ABERGAVENNY:Minton ~ MERTHYR:.....
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