Sorry, another Scottish question!

[Olde Crone Holden]

Just downloaded a death cert and in the column for "informant", is her son George Craig, "inmate".

The address where she died appears to be an ordinary stree residence so what does "inmate" mean, please?

Is it just a term to indicate he was living there, but not present at her death?

OC

[Canadian Cousin]

Hi OC,

I don't have any experience with Scottish death certificates, but I tried Googling and didn't find any references to it being used in that sense (i.e., for someone living in an ordinary residence).

The term was applied, however, to people staying in hospital; is there any chance that George was in a sanatorium of some kind - e.g., a convalescent hospital, where he might be well enough to leave to attend to his mother's death, yet still be expected to return as a patient?

Alternatively, while the house where she lived (and died) may have been an ordinary residence, does the certificate state whether George was also living there? Could he has been an inmate at the workhouse, but allowed home for his mother's death?

I'm just guessing (as you can tell) - do you have any additional information about George (e.g., census returns, his death certificate) that might provide a clue?

Good luck,

Tim

[Cath RJ]

Hi OC,
Are you sure the word is "inmate" and not "present" which is on most of my Scottish certificates. ( I 've had terrible struggles over the years reading my Scottish certs,.) I thought is was rather an odd word to put on certs. so I asked SRO and they said it really just meant that the person present was alive at the time.
Sorry if I'm "teaching a grandmother to suck eggs" but I thought it worth a try.

Cath.

[yogihughes]

OC can you post the address, and I'll see if I can find anything?

[JBee]

I've got some deaths where the person was in Craiglockhart (Poorhouse Infirmary) when they died but it put down their usual/prior address in the first collum

[Elizabeth Herts]

OC - I am missing you this morning!

I have just downloaded the death cert. for Helen Cumine/Summers/Johnston -

Informant Williamina Stewart Daughter AND INMATE

She died at 41 Canal Road Aberdeen

So it looks as though "Inmate" is used for just somone who is resident at the address. The same applies for the informant above the informant again was "Daughter and Inmate (present)" for a private address in Aberdeen.

When you come back, please look at my post on Helen Cumine/Johnston.

To confuse matters, although on her marriage to Patrick Cumine she is given as the daughter of James Johnston and Catherine Johnston MS Wishart, on her death cert. her parents are: GEORGE JOHNSTON and HELEN JOHNSTON.

Why??!!

And I think Williamina is the Minnie on the 1901 census with her grandparents.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Elizabeth

Thankyou, that explains it, I think it just means they were living in the same household then.

Now I look at one of the others on the same page (in the daylight, lol) it too has an informant as "inmate". The third one has "present (at death)" and an address, which is different from that of the deceased.

OC

[BigShaz McCreadie]

I've never had that myself on any certs OC.... the column for the informants details only requires an address if different to that of the deceased.

I usually just get the name with present or not present (and relationship to deceased) or in cases where they reside elsewhere I get an address.

I'm a bit confused with this one lol

It is possible.... apparently..... that both George and his mother were boarders or lodgers in a household which is why the term inmate has been used.
Would you happen to know OC if they were boarding with another family at the time?