Genealogy Chat

The certificates you get are copies of copies of the original, the only true copy is the Church one (if they married in a Church), I have found a lot with different ages on the church records to the certificates I have bought. Even a death certificate for my ggg grandfather was 11 years out, I would go with the Church one as they would have got it right, but if it was copied out and sent to London then a mistake often occured. Hope you understand what I am trying to say. Irene

Hi Margaret, I know how badly you need to find this one. My daughters grandfather died in 1994, we knew him but when I went to order his cert I was thrown by the fact that it was registered in Westminster, I know it's 100 years before yours but I knew when he died. A friend I help told me his Grandad was the wrong one, it wasn't, his own father registered it. A xmas pressie for you, e mail me the details of a possible death cert, or on here, and I'll order it and let you know the findings. I have been waiting for over a year to find out if I still have a job next year, and it's seems I will have. Merry xmas Amanda

Hi John 1837 is the same as the records at the FRC and I have been many times to look for the death and phoned all local cemeteries Margaret

I saw Vic reeves in "who do you think you are " His grandfather remarried and said he was a widow and lied about his age too, he said he was 39 on 2nd marriage when he was in fact 50 and a widow in 1928 when his first wife did not die until 1940s. Apparently divorce was so expensive not many people did it!! Also you did not need to "register " the death to bury the corpse,only nneded doctors formal certificate confirming the death. so sometimes you cannot find the cert.I've a couple of relatives who are still "technically "allive from about 1810!! maybe his age is wrong if you look at wife's because he would only be 17 when first child born , could be a mistake on the marriage certificate? It's possible he changed it to be nearer his wife's age? Kim

Have you looked at 1837 online. If he died within the period you mentioned he must be in there. John

Hello Amanda, I suppose he could have died out of the area in which case I would not know where, was wonder has the lady said maybe he left his wife but would that account for her getting remarried as a widow in 1893 if he had not died Regards Margaret

Hi Margaret, I remember you have been looking for a long time, is it possible he needed care and was therefore in a workhouse or hospital of some sort, maybe a bit out of the area? Best wishes Amanda

Hi Nell, I would have thought so, but I am really confused now, I think now perhaps he did not die but I know his wife remarried in 1893 I have the certificate and she was down as a Widow. it is all a mystery. Margaret.

Thanks for clearing that up, but even if you could bury someone with a cert from the doctor, you still needed to officially register the death, didn't you? nell

He may not have died; just not lived with the family. I have two Scottish ancestors who claimed to be widows when they were not. The elder lady said she was a widow in 1891 and 1901 census but her husband's death was reported by his grandson in 1917. Her daughter also claimed to be widowed but later had a daughter whose birth was registered by the supposedly deceased husband! It was very expensive uncovering that little lot on ScotlandsPeople.

Hi Nell, so the doctors certificate was enough to bury him with, I have asked at the local cemeteries but they can find no record of him. So there ends my quest. Regards Margaret

Nell A Death Certificate is issued by a Doctor. It certifies that you are dead(!) and what you died of. These days, you then take that certificate to the Registrar, who issues you with a Formal Death Certificate which is the entry in the Death Register and which you need to be able to bury a body. In days gone by, the death certificate, as long as it was issued by a Doctor, was enough for the Undertaker to effect a burial. I think things changed when cremation became fashionable and you then had to have an officially registered death certificate. I hope this makes sense! Incidentally, my missing relly was buried on 12th December but his death was not registered until January, presumably because no one got round to it till then.

I'm confused. I thought a death certificate was what you got as confirmation that you registered the death - when we registered my dad's death we got a cert which we took to the undertaker's to arrange the burial. nell

A Death Certificate and a registration of Death are not the same thing. You need a death certificate to register a death. But just because you have a death certificate doesnt mean you HAVE to register the death! You need a death certificate to bury a body, but you dont need to have registered the death. I got confused with this too, my 2xGrandfather had been buried, but no death registered.(Well, I couldnt find it). Eventually the Cemetery records produced the address at which he had died and it turned out that his death had been mistakenly registered under another name, because the informant gave the wrong information. (The informant was the occupier of the house where he died and not a relative) Don't suppose this helps you much, but it illustrates that you have to have a very open mind when looking for these things!

margaret was it possible he was in the army at the time of his death the boer war was taking place at that time just a thought howard

Hello Elizabeth yes he had a son born in 1889 Albert and William is down as the Father and I know he must have died between 1889-1891 but beleive you me I have searched high and low for that death certificate even had a search done at the local registry office but they have not got that death, this is my fathers line but it does not look as though I will get back any further been trying for 3 years Thank you Margaret

Was Albert Poole registered to William. If so this would suggest that William died within 1888 and 1891. They couldn't bury him without a death cert so he must have one.

Hi In 1881 he was living in Edmonton Middlesex with his wife Emma children Emma and Kate I do not think his birth or his childrens births were registered the marriage certificate says his fathers name was George, he had another child in 1882 who was named George. I can't find a death cert. for William Margaret Thank you

where was he in 1881? The only William Poole I can find born Haverhill is born approx 1847, age 34, living in Haverhill

is this him in 1871 Christianna Pool 7 Suffolk, England Daughter Haverhill Suffolk Eliza Pool 2 Suffolk, England Daughter Haverhill Suffolk Emily Pool 2 months Suffolk, England Daughter Haverhill Suffolk Martha Pool 32 Suffolk, England Wife Haverhill Suffolk William Pool 24 Suffolk, England Head Haverhill Suffolk Willie Pool 4 Suffolk, England Son Haverhill Suffolk