Informant of a death in 1881

[siskin]

I have today received a copy of death certificate, of a death that was registered in 1881.
The informant was the 12 year old granddaughter of the deceased, who was in attendance at the time of the death. It seems very young to be registering a death.
Maybe it was allowed as she was there at the time of the death and was also a relative, or maybe she looked older than 12 years old, and the registrar didn't query it, what does anyone else think?

regards siskin

[stanmapstone]

There is nothing unusual about someone of that age being the informant

Stan

[stanmapstone]

The Act states

XXV. And be it enacted, That some Person present at the Death or in attendance during the last Illness of every Person dying in England after the said First Day of March, or in the case of the Death, Illness, Inability, or Default of all such Persons, the Occupier of the House or Tenement, or if the Occupier be the Person who shall have died, some Inmate of the House or Tenement in which such Death shall have happened, shall, within Eight Days next after the Day of such Death, give Information, upon being requested so to do, to the said Registrar, according to the best of his or her Knowledge and Belief, of the several Particulars hereby required to be known and registered touching
the Death of such Person : Provided always, that in every Case in which an Inquest shall be held on any dead Body the Jury shall inquire of the particulars herein required to be registered concerning the Death, and the Coroner shall inform the Registrar of the Finding of the Jury, and the registrar shall make the Entry accordingly.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~framland/acts/actind.htm

There is no mention of age, it would be up to the Registrar whether or not he accepted her as an informant.

Stan

[siskin]

Hi Stan

Thank you so much for your reply, that is a great help.

Regards siskin

[stanmapstone]

Hi Siskin,
Just to correct what I posted, As the death was in 1881, it would be the 1874 Act, which states

10. When a person dies in a house after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the nearest relatives of the deceased present at the death, or in attendance during the last illness of the deceased, and in default of such relatives, of every other relative of the deceased dwelling or being in the same sub-district as the deceased, and in default of such relatives, of each person present at the death, and of the occupier of the house in which, to his knowledge, the death took place, and in default of the persons herein-before in this section mentioned, of each inmate of such house, and of the person causing the body of the deceased person to be buried, to give, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to the registrar, within the five days next following the day of such death, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such death, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~framland/acts/actind.htm

Stan

[siskin]

Hi Stan

Thank you once again, I can see now that there is no reason why a 12 year old can't register a death.
Thank you also for the link, I have added to my favorites.

Regards siskin