Death Certificates

[MUMMYG]

Information in cause of death column on an official death certificate around 1860.

 I have 2 certs that state the cause of death and then 10 weeks certified and 64 weeks certified. I understand that this may be a doctor who knew the patient has signed off but what do the number of weeks signify?

One theory is that it means maximum time  before burial but that doesn't seem right to me

I can't seem to find the answer to this, does anyone else know?

[JenB]

The number of weeks after the cause of death signifies the amount of time from which the person had suffered from the illness before their death.

It has nothing at all to do with the time before burial.

[MUMMYG]

Ok thanks for that, cause of deaths were Phthisis and consumption respectively.
The 64w a male, died first and the 10w his wife, died 14 days later

[Billyblue]

Phthisis and Consumption are both names for TB

Dawn M

[MUMMYG]

Yes true.
 I just found that they had a baby boy just before they both died who also died 4 months later, I'm waiting for the birth and death certs now. Such a sad tale, they left behind a two year old girl who was the great great grandmother of my husband.

[Billyblue]

Unfortunately, at that time, many people died from TB, and they were usually in what would be considered their main child-producing years.

I heard genealogist Michael Gandy once describe it as "a lost generation in many families"

 

Dawn M

[MUMMYG]

How did anyone survive at all what with this and the cholera every few years? Ver sad