Death Cert Informant

[catleugh]

I have discovered that my Grandfather, who left my grandmother in 1929, died in St. John of God Hospital, Silverdale, Carnforth (now a block of luxury flats) in 1977.  The informant's "Qualification" was listed as "Occupier" "St John of God Hospital Silverdale Carnforth".  Can I take it that my Grandfather had no relatives that he was living with, or who were told of his death, so that a member of the hospital staff had to register the death.  I understand that it is possible he could have had a Common Law Wife living with him, as they do not qualify as informants.

[CaroleW]

Any responsible adult can report a death - they do not have to be a relative.  I doubt that a common law wife would be prevented from reporting his death.  Perhaps they were not together at the time or she refused to claim his body??

[stanmapstone]

A 'common law wife' may be a wife in fact, but in law, common or otherwise, she has no such status. 

Stan

[catleugh]

I don't know very much about him.  I just wondered if the fact that a hospital worker registered his death, made it unlikely that he had any relatives around, or that he was living with anybody.  His life from 1929 to 1977 is a mystery to me, although I know that he never divorced my Grandmother.

Any responsible adult can report a death - they do not have to be a relative.  I doubt that a common law wife would be prevented from reporting his death.  Perhaps they were not together at the time or she refused to claim his body??

[Sloe Gin]

Any responsible adult can report a death - they do not have to be a relative. 

Not quite the case:

Who can register a death

If the person died in a house or hospital, the death can be registered by:

    a relative
    someone present at the death
    an occupant of the house
    an official from the hospital
    the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors

Deaths that occurred anywhere else can be registered by:

    a relative
    someone present at the death
    the person who found the body
    the person in charge of the body
    the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors

Most deaths are registered by a relative. The registrar would normally only allow other people if there are no relatives available.

As Stan says, legally a "common-law wife" is not a relative, but if someone says they are married, I don't think any checks are made.

[Nick29]

If at the time of death no next-of-kin could be found, it would be not at all unusual for a member of the hospital staff or a social worker to register the death.