Genealogy Chat

Having spent hours trawling through 63 years of death records, I have found 2 possible entries for my Great Grandmother. Never having seen a death cert. can anyone tell me what info it will give me if I send for one or both of them? Thanks Sharon

death certs give:- name at time of death, age (DoB from 1975ish ), occupation, place caurse and date of death, residence, informants name relationship and address. my also mention an enquory if on was needed.

Thanks Lunar Sharon

Depends. My great x 3 grandfather's death cert told me his widow's name as she was the informant, and the place of death - just a village name - led me to find a whole raft of relatives in the census. On the other hand, some deaths are registered by strangers (well, non-relatives, anyway) and don't tell you anything. nell

Thanks nell One of the entries was listed in Plymouth, the other Repton. I have no idea why my GGM would have been in either place, as family were based in Shropshire. Maybe I have a whole new line to research - beginning to wish I hadn't started this!!! Sharon

I had one that - on the face of it - was merely to confirm it was who I thought. The informant was a neighbour. I thought this chap (one of my 3xgt grandfather's brothers) had died over 20 years earlier, as he couldn't be found on any census. I took a chance ordering it as the entry in the deaths index had an unusual middle name that I knew was common in the family. He died a few days after the 1891 census, On the death certificate, his address is shown - and his occupation lead me to a grocer's shop listed in the local trade directory. Eventually I found him on the 1891, 1881 & 1871 censuses, backed up by trade directories. 1891 the pages are missing from Ancestry (but have survived in the local archives) 1881 his place of birth is incorrect, so I'd overlooked that entry 1871 his date & place of birth were incorrectly transcribed, so again I'd overlooked it. Result - from something that looked rather boring & unpromising - another piece of the jigsaw.

Thanks Vicky Oh Good Grief!! Just when I thought I was getting somewhere. Am doing this research at the request of my 86 year old Grandmother, who was actually left in the Ludlow workhouse by her Mother. Since then, she appeared to disappear of the face of the earth, until I found the 2 Death records today. I'd dearly love to be able to find concrete evidence for her, obviously she is very elderly and I don't have all the time in the world to do it in. Sharon

Do you know enough about her to know if you get the right certificate? Would the age at death help determine which is the right one? Have you got her on the 1901 census?

Vicky Know name was Hilda Magnes Farmer - quite unusual middle name I think!! Born Jan/Feb/Mar 1896 Listed in 1901 in Ludlow, married 1919 Ludlow, gave birth to GM 1920. Shortly after left her in workhouse. 2 death entries I have could be her according to age, one died aged 27 in Plymouth, the other died aged 72 in Repton. Obviously have no info about her at all after 1920, so not sure which would be the right one. Think i will have to send for both certs and hope that informants name will help. Know it won't be her husband, cos he was def still in Ludlow for some of the time while my GM was growing up. His family got her out of the workhouse and brought her up. The plot thickens.... Sharon

Hi Sharon Other alternatives are that she emigrated, or moved sufficiently far away before remarrying, either under her maiden or, more likely, her married name, calling herself a widow.

Phoenix Could she have remarried - how would I find out ?Were divorce records kept, and where would I find them? What about emigration records? Thanks Sharon

Sharon, I don't think this is going to be easy! If she just upped & left her hubby, then moved away & remarried, you may never find her. You'd have to trawl all the possible marriages & try to tie them up with deaths - I don't envy you THAT little job! She wouldn't have needed to get divorced - just tell a few porkies in a new area where no-one knew her. Do you think she might have been suffering something like post-natal depression and she actually got 'put away' for it? Don't suppose there are any of your GD rellies around who might remember anything?

Vicky She could well have been suffering with something, she actually gave birth in the workhouse, no idea why she was there, when she was married, and her husband's family were obviously local - something wrong there somewhere. The details I have are very sketchy from my GM herself, as when she was growing up, the situation was never talked about. Her Mother was, to her recollection, never mentioned at all. She did sometimes see her father, but apparently, he was very often drunk!! Some people are lucky enough to find royalty in their family trees - what do I get.... mental illness(possibly) bigamy(possibly) alcoholism(more than likely), all concealed by a family who didn't appear to talk to each other!!! Sharon

Have you checked to see if the workhouse has any records?

Vicky How would I do this? I've e mailed the Ludlow Library to find out where records are kept, but have heard nothing yet. Is there a better way? Sharon

I dont know that area, usually the local records office will tell you where the records are, if they don't have them themselves. some places are better than others at responding to emails. You might have a faster response if you phone. Have you tried looking on the local authority website - some are quite good for listing their archives you could also try the ''access to archives'' website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a

Thanks Vicky You've been such a help tonight Sharon

Hi Sharon, I have an ancestor who was in a workhouse and found this site very helpful in locating workhouse records. Good luck in your search Christine http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/lists.html

Christine Thanks for that - will try asap Sharon