Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know if on a woman's death cert, it gives both the surname at time of death and her maiden name?

Thanks
Florence
in the hebrides

Just to check - do you mean on a Scottish certificate, and from about what year?

Thank-you

Added:
If Scotland, suggest you read this:

http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?404

In England/Wales, maiden names of women who have been married are on death certs AFTER 1969

A more detailed itemization of what's on a Scottish cert is at:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?r=554&628

Basically, the answer to your question is usually it does, but not explicitly.
Typically, a married man's d.cert says, e.g., James Massie (married to/widower of Susan Harvey), but a married woman's d.cert says Susan Massie (married to/widow of James Massie) and one is left to infer her maiden surname from her father's surname. That might not be too bad in the Hebides, but the illegitimacy rate was 4 times higher in Aberdeenshire, so I've 2 illegitimate g grans. One d.cert doesn't name her father (and her maiden surname was her father's surname - her surname appears on her kids' b.certs, and she did name him on her m.cert, and his is named on her baptismal entry - her son was the informant, and knew his name, but I don't know why the d.cert's entry is blank). Another g gran's d.cert names both parents, but it's not clear which of their surnames she went by - it was his from my gran's b.cert, e.g., but one of her brothers went by their mum's surname.

usually, an English or Welsh death certificate has on it only the information that is known to the informant


which may or may not be completely accurate or true

in other words .................. in many cases, it is hearsay!


Usually the only information that you can trust is ..................

date and place of death
cause of death
name of doctor and/or coroner
name, relationship and occupation of informant


everything else really is only what the dead person has allowed to be known ............. and even children get it wrong.

Good morning and thanks for all your replies.

I'm asking because I am doing a tree for a friend and I have a lady who possibly died in the last 20 years in England. The problem is there are 5 people with the same name who were all born and died around the same time too.

So if I did have to order all 5, just wanted to know if I could eliminate 4 if the maiden name of the lady was on the cert.
Im afraid I dont have very much info to offer but just wanted to know about the maiden name.

Thanks again
Florence
in the hebrides.

It's doubtful any of the deaths listed were born on the same day as the lady your looking for,

English deaths from 1969 onwards also have actual DOB listed on the index entry

That should help you narrow it down assuming you know or can find her actaul DOB

Roy

For events in the last 50 years you will need to know the date of birth to order the certificate

Graham, Thats not correct, the 50 year rule for DOB only applies to births

I think your confused about this (Age at death must be given for applications where event was registered in the last 50 years)

Can I order a certificate for events which have taken place during the last 50 years?


GRO has a policy in place where full identifying information is requested for applications where the event occurred in the last 50 years. You will be prompted to supply this information when you order online and in the case of births, will be asked for the forename and surname recorded in the entry, the date and place of birth, father’s full name (if shown in the entry) and mother’s maiden name (if applicable).

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/most_customers_want_to_know.asp#Delivery7

Edit added,
Q3. What information do I need to apply online?
To get the fastest response, you should provide the GRO index reference number for the certificate that you are interested in, but it isn’t essential. You will be prompted to supply further details for more recent births and deaths (within the last 50 years) as you complete the online application form. If you are unable to complete the mandatory fields, then you will not be able to apply online.


Roy

As date of births were not added to death certs until June 1969 then you are saying anything between 1964 & 69 cannot be ordered because the birthdate is not on there? also my grandparents died in June 69 and grandfathers d.o.b is incorrect so I wouldn't be able to order it then?

The 50-year rule is for BIRTHS ONLY

..............posting inaccurate info is not helpful!

Even my mothers dob is wrong on her death cert. and I registered it!!!

I was a bit confused and gave the wrong date. Said 24 instead of 25.

Many people now die alone, and the people giving the info are either from the 'home' or neighbours, who may not necessarily know the exact date of birth. some may not even know if that person was married previously.

If when I die, no one is around, I will be registerd under the name I am known as, but I have been divorced now for many year and most of my 'new' friends and family do not even know that the surname I use is my married one and do not know my true maiden name.

Florence,
It might be worth checking to see whether the death was registered additionally under a different surname, by checking the other given details and registration in the index.

I ordered a death certificate from 1996 in one surname and it came back as registered in a completely different one.
It was the correct cert. and because the lady had remarried, both her 1st married surname and 2nd married surname were recorded on the certificate and the GRO had indexed it under both names.Thankfully someone decided to send it to me, even though it was not exactly as requested.

Maiden name should be on a certificate from the last 20 years, but it would depend on what was known to the informant.
Finding actual birthdate would be the best way to check death index, I'd say.

Gwyn