Genealogy Chat

Is it me, or are causes of death on certificates getting more simplistic? My grandfather died of lung cancer, but his death certificate stated chronic emphesema and carcinoma of lung. On my late husbands death certificate it simply states Oesophegal Cancer.

if you google for darwin awards, there is an endless list of "amusing" causes of death.

Good lord, we can't have this languishing on page 4!

Re "stories to tell" a couple of items back. One slightly relevant thing springs to mind, although definitely not amusing. Long before I got the geneology bug, as a Policeman at first light and bored to tears, i had the habit of reading gravestones.One coldish morning i remember the extra shiver I got on reading(relying on memory) -Here lies the body of Jane Smith. The hand of man never defiled her. SHE WAS PLAIN. How any parent could write that about their own daughter is beyond me. Best wishes

Just read all the caurses of death , i have not lol sp much in my life. thanks all anna

Harry, Bet you have some stories to tell??? Maybe when you have the time, hey????????? I have had a hard time trying to find deaths year, & GRO index's for my ancestors so I can order some I(feel well left out with nothing to add from experience). Its not fair I cannot find any???? Now with my lot your lucky to find a birth cert!!!! so death certs must be just as scarce??? its not fair. Pat x

Someone earlier mentioned that someone died with his strumpet. Having been a policeman for thirty years ( a while ago) this was a common cause of death in motor vehicles. The actual message used to be marked off "died with a smile on his face" and everyone knew what was meant. someone had to inform the wife of the death and this was tricky in not telling the whole truth - made difficult by the fact that they usually suspected that the husband was having an affair, and asked awkward questions. Apparently , these extra marital activities, place an extra strain on the heart - but of course I wouldn,t know that.

Thanks Bob! Will give it a go! Jo

On Here? Jo.... go to "account details" enter your password, and you will see your present details, amend whichever name you prefer....to whatever you prefer...... and bob's your mothers brother!( dont forget to click on save changes) Bob ( not the one that is mums brother)

Thanks for all your contributions - they made a boring day on reception so much livlier! I had to pretend I was typing when the boss came out to find out what the guffaws were! Anyway, this thread has now been round our office twice and I had to print a copy off for my lovely "ageing aunt" who is helping me with the family history. Thanks again! PS how do I change my ID?

Hi, I dont usually post, but I have had a laugh reading all these causes of death (cruel or what). I havent had any particularly interesting ones - "died when a quanitity of marl fell upon him in a pit" and "gored by a bull" (not the same bloke!) but I always remember my mother telling me about a gravestone in the London docklands where we came from apparently a couple of hundred years old with the ditty "Wherever you be, let your wind go free, because the stopping of a fart was the death of me". Several people have confirmed this stone exists!

This sounds apochryphal, but..... You have heard about the zookeeper who checked to see if the enema he'd given to the elephant was working....! Brenda

Christina & Marion LOL> This is incredibly funny & Ridiculous, I keep having this vision of the Python Team using this for one of their most outlandish sketches I should name the cast as members of these posts, but cannot match them all up to the Monty Python Team,LOL'; Pat x

Jan - I think 'calculus' is a term for gallstones, but it brought back memories of Maths at school! I didn't die but I sure did suffer with it!! Cattarh of the stomach sounds revolting........ Tracey - rich food was blamed a lot! I think it was Henry I who was supposed to have died of 'a surfeit of lampreys'.

i have recently done an history course and we had to investigate a population crisis frm the 1600's among the various causes where the following-- visit from god apoplexy partaking of too much rich food exitement these were just a few and were in the burial records tracey x

"Overlain" means smothered (somebody/thing was lying over you). Sometimes the death cert doesn't tell the full story. My husband's gt grandfather died in his late 80s, of a heart attack according to the death cert. Family legend has it that he was too mean to pay a man to chop down a tree in his garden, tried to do it himself and the exertion brought on the heart attack. nell

I believe it was the FLUX ! I too haven't laughed so much for ages!!! Linda

These were from an American cemetery site for 1898 La grippe Acute indigestion Asthenia Exhaustion, uremia Teething convulsions Regurgitation Calculus Dislocation of shoulder Catarrah of stomach Killed by lightning

Christina I am now dying LOL> to know. I'm on my third pint of Guinness waiting in anticipation........ Someone I bet knows.... Can of worms???? do you think they were responsible for this condition??? could be......... tapeworms are known for causing all sorts of nightmare sittings on the loo.............. Pat x

Helen/Nell, Thats funny, the doctor knew????? well judging by the diahorrea post he may have known but couldn't spell it. I believe there are a lot of nurses on Genes Boards, how about this one when doing exams not only did they test your knowledge but your spelling you would be dropped marks if something wasnt spelt right, my Nursing Tutor told me this one. A Student Nurse wrote amongst the items needed for a bed bath was a BOWEL ??? Ah well our rellies wouldnt have known what diahorrea meant anyway, I wonder what the slang term was in those days??? Pat x