Genealogy Chat

had an army farrier died from injury sustained when horse kicked him between legs apparently had been discharged for 6 years before death and had 3 children in that time.

Valerie et al: I was very lucky to get a copy of the inquest from my local County Records Office. Normally Coroners Inquest papers are destroyed, but some lovely clerk in Cornwall carefully kept all the papers long after they should have been destroyed and they eventually found their way into the County Archives. Cornwall is exceptionally well-served by written records. I have never tried to get any Coroners Reports for any other County, so I really don't know what luck you would have - I usually short-cut by looking at Newspapers. Incidentally, not a cause of death and really very recent, but this made me laugh on telly: A night-watchman was doing his rounds in a large London Theatre when he heard a terrible groaning noise. He fetched his dog and also rang the Police. The dog found a naked man lying on the floor with terrible injuries and blood all over him. It was treated as a serious crime incident, the man was taken to hospital and it wasnt until 48 hours later that he was well enough to be questioned. It turned out that the man had got drunk in the Bar at the Interval and passed out in the Gents. He woke some hours later to find himself in darkness, thought he was at home, wandered about for a bit, then took his clothes off and attempted to get into bed - thus throwing himself off the balcony!! No, I know I shouldn't laugh.... Marjorie

My great uncle, Harry Groves was found dead at The Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Dover in April 1922. The coronor gave the cause of death as 'Suffocation, having fallen down steps onto his face and become asphyxiated.' Strange thing is that he had left the theatre with the man who locked up and in the morning, all the doors and padlocks were all locked and my great uncle did not have any keys to get in!! Mind you, his younger brother, Thomas, fell out of his bunk bed on the way to India and hit his head. Six months later he dies in a lunatic asylum from fits. The records show that he started having 'fits' after his fall. Sad to say he was only 20 yrs. -

My poor great uncle's death cert reads - Fracture of skull compression of brains caused by the deceased being run over by the wheel of an omnibus when he fell from his bicycle. he was only 26, was a lovely chap according to my grandmother. Jackie

Like Val, I'd like to know how to get info. about inquests. I don't have any strange ones but my gt gt grmother died of fractured pelvis after being run over by a van and I'd like to get the information. M

One of my ancestors had written on her death certificate `Anxiety and Deprivation Long Standing.` Marianne.

Visitation of God Margaret

Brenda - sorry to hijack your thread but please may I ask Marjorie a question. Where do you obtain inquest reports from, one of my death certs (possibly of my gr gr grandfather) states died from cerebral haemorrage and chronic alchoholism. Informant was the coroner - I am puzzled as to why he would have needed an inquest and would love to read the report. thanks. Val

The cause of death of one of my rellies states 'Cardiac Failure accelerated by Shock from the combined effect of an operation for the removal of a Testicle and Anaesthesia having died whilst under anaesthetic' Another was run over by his cart while in a state of intoxication The mind boggles Chris

In Smarden, a number of deaths due to 'Decay of Nature' Several 'Died Sudden' 'Rapid Consumption' 'A cold' 'cough' 'Cause of death unknown' 'A shattered constitution' 'Sinking for 22 months' 'Humour on the skull' sic. presumably a transcription error. 'inward disease' 'deformed' 'Not well' 'Drowned herself on Sunday morning' 'Temperal insanity' Beware! It may happen to us! David

my gt gt grandfather- shock following severance of both legs..... I'd be shocked too!!

Though not on a death cert, Murray's Travel Guide 1859 gives cause of death on a gravestone at Gravesend as 'Eating cherries off a tree.'

Apparently one of my distant rellies 'blew himself up while salmon fishing ..........' Shouldn't laugh I know .......................... Bev

my grt grt grandfather died of pestilence de pecheur. but he had been an inmate in the workhouse for years so how or when he got the pestilence I don't know Bren

After reading these on Parish Registers for Sparsholt Hamps; dont suppose there would be any need for death cert:: As added in notes by the Vicar Masters;on burial day; 1858; He through himself down the well::PLOP!!! 1860; He droped down dead while coming up the hill home: 1862 Found drowned in well;(another PLOP)!! 1866 Found drowned in pond;Splashhhhh!! and the sad one. 1896; Poor child choked to death on piece of Willow Catkin;Ah;; Did some of these have fasination with water?????? kay.

my g grandad fell off his bicycle!

my relation was KILLED BY A LEVER COMING UP AND HITTING HIM!!! marjory peek makes me laff so my i PMSL all over again kate

The thread was Lyla's 'Most Amusing Causes of Death'. Twas I who found the poor soul drowned in a cart of feathers, also the man falling into a ditch and refusing to get out AND the man who drank boiling water from a kettle. The funny thing is, these were all from a Parish near me, which has a reputation locally for the inhabitants being a bit, erm, thick. I always thought it was a joke but now I am not so sure! I was so moved by the daft bint who drowned in a cart of feathers, I had to send away for the Inquest. I was crying with laughter (may God forgive me) because she was drunk and fell face down into the feathers while the cart was going up a steep hill. They left her, the cart and the horse, in the stables to sleep it off, the horse kept neighing all night and the Carter was really cross, but at the Inquest, he thought maybe the horse had been trying to alert him. I still don't know why the man who fell into the ditch refused to get out - and what did they do, just leave him there, shrug their shoulders and go home for their tea? Marjorie

What a shame, I cant find it - it did make me larf too! I liked the one who refused to get out of the ditch aswell! Didnt something else weird happen in the same parish as that one? I ought to bring up the rude names found in ancestry one too! When I met my distant cousin (through this site) when he came up to do some research into our mutual ancestors he said he found an entry in the burials of the parish records saying 'Poor girl found frozen to death by wayside'. I did think that was so sad. Poor kid, not even a name.

Brenda, I would have thought such an accident would have been reported in the local papers at the time. If you got in touch with the library at Hebburn they should have local papers on film, and if you've got the date of death it shouldn't take long to find any reports of the accident. Kath. x