1918 flu epidemic casulties

[Kathy1963]

I'm new to this, so please bear with me. I'm looking for information on a grandparents who might have died during the 1918 flu epidemic in Birmingham. I have found most of their documents but death notices or any burial information isn't easily found. Family story is both she and her husband died within weeks of one another, so I'm guessing at the cause.

Names are Elizabeth Matilda (Hill) Thomas and Walter John Thomas, possibly late 1918. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Is there any specific data base to try? Love to be able to visit the area but I'm located in the US.

Many thanks, Kathy 

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat Kathy.

This is usually the first port of call:
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

If you can find them there, there is a link on the page to the GRO from where you can purchase their death certificates which will give cause of death.

[Ruskie]

I just had a look and found only one Walter Thomas death in Warwickshire between 1917 and 1919. That occurred in the April/May/June quarter of 1919. He was aged 49. Does that tie in with your Walter's year of birth?

There is a 43 year old Elizabeth (no middle name) dying in Oct/Nov/Dec quarter of 1917. This doesn't fit with your family story though. There are two other Elizabeth Thomases also dying in 1917 but they are a lot older.

[gazania]

Found a brief news item in the Birmingham Gazette 23 Nov 1918 stating that while the epidemic was abating in most towns in England, the disease is rather on the increase in Birmingham. 60 schools have been closed. Sally Oaks and King's Norton districts are badly affected.  Three sisters were buried together at the Lodge Hill Cemetery.

Their death certificates should give their cause of death.  Regards, Gazania

[CaroleW]

Walter & Elizabeth married in 1894 so were presumably born in the 1870's

[Ruskie]

Walter & Elizabeth married in 1894 so were presumably born in the 1870's

That may be a possibility for Walter's death in that case. 

[CaroleW]

The 1894 marriage cert shows Walter as 23 and Elizabeth as 18

If I have the right couple in 1901 - no children

[J.R.Ellam]

Hi

If grandparents they should have children.
I had family members die in the flu epidemic but when you get the death certificate it does't say they died of flu it usually gives another cause of death related to the symptoms so you cannot always be sure it was flu.

John

[km1971]

Hi Kathy and welcome

Because of what John says it may be better to try and research the burial records of the nearest church to where they lived. From this you can judge the number of deaths occurring. Also the vicar/priest may have made a note in the register about 'flu deaths if there were many.

Someone on the Warwickshire board should be able to tell you about newspaper articles about 'flu' deaths in general, and if death notices in local newspapers are available online put in by family.

If they were poor they may have died in the workhouse infirmary which treated all locals not just inmates. They may also have been buried in a communal grave if the authorities thought a quick burial was required to control the epidemic.

Ken