"Inmate?

[Bill Fraser]

Hi Folks,
On a Death Cert' I received recently on HELEN FRASER, married to JOHN FAIRWEATHER BYIERS, Helen died at 9 Wellington Place, Aberdeen and the informant was JOHN S BYIER, son and Inmate.
Why "Inmate" does this mean he was living at the same address?
Regards
Bill

[trish251]

Hi Bill

Apart from gaol, inmate was often used to describe those in a poorhouse, perhaps hospice or similar. I would think it  means he was living in the same place as his  mother. What was the date - it may be possible to find the address on the census - alternatively someone with more knowledge than me may be able to find it  another way

Trish

[Bill Fraser]

Hi Trish
The date of death was 8th December 1937, unable to find this address in the 1901 Cesus.
Regards.
Bill

[trish251]

I did look there also without success. I don't know enough about poorhouses to know if they still existed as such in 1937 - sorry. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will answer.

I looked via Google maps and there is a Wellington Place Aberdeen still existing today.

Trish

[Bill Fraser]

Hi Trish,
Thank you for the reply, it was more out of interest that I queried it.
Regards.
Bill

[MonicaL]

Hi Bill and Trish

Like the two of you, no joy with the address. Wellington Place strikes me like a private address. It certainly doesn't appear to be an address for a main poorhouse/hospital of the time from what I can see on-line.

As Trish said, inmate (leaving aside the jail angle - which would make it hard for the son to report mother's death) would normally imply some form of home for son John. I assume there is no further address for son John apart from inmate on the cert.

Was Helen a widow by the time of her death? If not, maybe checking on deaths for her husband John Snr. may provide some further clues.

Hopefully someone here with knowledge of the area at the time will be able to add further 

Monica

[mitchell]

Hi Bill,

I have this on an Aberdeen death certificate too and it just means that the informant was living in the house where the person died. Houses in the streets in the area around Wellington Place were for the fairly affluent though nowadays most have been converted into flats or offices.

Elaine

[trish251]

That would seem very different to my idea - many thanks from me for the comments - I must have looked at too many census records! Automatically think of poorhouse for "inmate"

Trish

[Jimster]

Elaine is quite right

The registar is not really interested in the occupation or status of the informant .....

He just wants to know how they qualify to be the informant on the DC.

"Inmate" simply means that the informant was someone who lived at the same address as the deceased.