Genealogy Chat

Seventy-second annual report of the registrar-general Page vi
states that: "The death rates in 1909 both from tuberculosis as a whole and from phthisis were the lowest on record" - referring to England and Wales thru 1909.
http://tinyurl.com/hby5suv

The general series is at: http://tinyurl.com/otk8vwq

Thank you all. It seems the best way forward to get the death certificate to be sure.
Alan

It's always better to get the DC.

An aunt died in 1919 & for years I'd assumed Spanish Flu. Once purchased the DC said it was heart failure after contracting Rheumatic Fever 5 years previously.

Just goes to show how guessing can mislead you.

I think you would need to obtain death certificates to be sure of the cause of death. At age 77 in that period, I should imagine natural causes related to old age could well fit. At 36, that's a little more open. Was she married, could it have been due to childbirth. TB was ever present, etc etc. as were any of today's causes of early death.

According to a google search, Tuberculosis killed thousands every year in Kent right up to the early 20th century. Earlier there were also outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, cholera and influenza.

The only sure way of knowing would be the death certificates. The 77 year old could just have been old age (77 was a good age at that time).

Kath. x

I have just discovered that my distant LONGHURST family cousins both died in the first quarter of 1909. The were mother and daughter aged 77 and 36 and are recorded just two pages apart in the registers.
It could have been quite a common winter illness like 'flu but I would be interested (without obtaining death certs) to learn if there might be any other reason.
I cannot find any suitable newspaper online.
The death registrations for the 1909 quarters were 60, 47, 34, and 51 in East Ashford