Query on a Death Certificate 1989

[kathsgirl.48]

Had a Death Cert., come to day and expected a bit more info!
He died in hospital (aged 81) Certified by an M.B.

Informant was a woman of the same address... Qualification: "Causing the body to be cremated." She registered the death on the same day he died. No mention if he was a Widower or single.
Do you think it's possible she may have been his landlady?

[Olde Crone Holden]

"Causing the body to be cremated" means that whoever she was, she was taking financial responsibility for his funeral. This wouldn't necessarily be a relative, it could be an undertaker (not in this case of course) or a social worker.

As they lived at the same address then perhaps she was a relative, or could she have been a common law wife?

OC

[clematised]

http://www.dixons.clara.co.uk/Certif...eaths.htm#COL9 lots of info on here about Death Certs

Edna

[kathsgirl.48]

Many thanks for your replies.

Who ever she was, she gave a DOB and place of Birth, but I haven't come accross her name at all in my research for this Roberts family originally from Wales..yet. Doesn't even state if she was a Mrs, Ms. or a Miss so perhaps she was his common law wife.
Certificate states he was born 13 Sep 1907 in Caydach, Glamorgan. Not sure if there is such a place though.

I have ordered another Death Certificate that could be him but it's not arrived yet.

[Guest]

think you will find its Clydach

[Olde Crone Holden]

When you say the same address, you do mean his residential address and not the address of the hospital?

OC

[clematised]

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/8746 yes this is the place Clydach.

http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/igi/fs-gla.htm#C look under Cadoxton I have not checked it though you may find something though the dates are a bit early for your man.

Edna

[Felix]

Many thanks for this thread. I've been wondering the exact same thing since getting some new certs recently. Your answers are all very helpful. :o

[AntonyM]

GRO have a list of persons who are "qualified" to register a death (and therefore appear on the register entry as Informant). Priority is given to a relative (which is defined as a person related by marriage, civil partnership or adoption), if she was related the entry should say so.

There is no legal status as a common law wife/husband - so GRO suggest to registrars that such a person, i.e. a cohabiting partner, (unless they were present at the death) can be qualified to register through the "person causing the body to be buried/cremated" option.

Marital status is only shown if the person was married or widowed at the time of their death - if single or divorced, no marital status will be mentioned.

As the lady was at the same address, a cohabiting partner would appear to be the most likely option - other people listed under that Informant category tend to be solicitors, or sometimes bereavement staff from the hospital or local authority (but they will all use an office address) who are dealing with the death of a person with no known family.

[kathsgirl.48]

I was hoping it was Clydach...could well be the correct Death certificate after all!

I'm glad I asked the question about the informant too.
I wasn't aware of the persons who are "qualified" to register a death!

Thanks once again for all your help.

[Uncle John]

Same address could mean that he was in residential care and the person "causing the body to be cremated" was the manager or warden of the home.

[AntonyM]

Same address could mean that he was in residential care and the person "causing the body to be cremated" was the manager or warden of the home.

Possibly - but there is another category of informant which GRO suggest would normally used in that type of circumstance (as the "Occupier of Premises" where the death took place)

[kathsgirl.48]

I have now discoverd that the person was married and his wife had died ten years before him. Then I discovered she had been married before. Coudn't find any children of his wife.

So would it be a possibility that the woman was a relative of his wife, like a niece and therefore not directly related to him?

[Loopy Linda in La La Land]

I also had this on a 1942 death certificate of O'H's Great Grandmother. 'Alice Banks causing the body to be buried'

Didn't have a clue who Alice Banks was and then went the electoral roles went online on Ancestry found that she lived in the same house as Grandmother...simple, and as infuriating, as that

Linda

[AntonyM]

So would it be a possibility that the woman was a relative of his wife, like a niece and therefore not directly related to him?

For registration purposes, that would qualify as a relative of the deceased, and the register entry should give the relationship.

It is always possible that the registrar didn't ask the right questions, or the informant didn't give clear answers, but the use of "causing the body to be cremated" would definitely suggest that there was no legally defined relationship between the two people.

The fact that he is not shown as a widower (which he should be if his wife died 10yrs before) would suggest that the informant either a) didn't know about his previous marriage or b) didn't want his wife's name mentioned on the entry.

I still think a co-habiting partner is the most likely scenario.

[kathsgirl.48]

Thank you once again for your replies. This is proving to be a very interesting thread indeed!

I must say, I too do think she was his co-habiting partner.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I appear on my friend's death cert as "causing the body to be cremated".

I was not present at the death, nor was I a relative, nor did I live at the same address. I was her executor and as such, responsible for organising her funeral and cremation. Future generations will have no idea why I registered her death (unless they get a copy of her Will).

OC

[kathsgirl.48]

Thanks OC.

That is a very useful piece of infomation! Maybe he left a will..but that's another avenue to think about too. I will pass this on to his nephew.