When somebody dies, the doctor issues a certificate, which is then given to the Registrar, who issues the death cert, right? So the doctor's signature doesn't actually appear on the death cert.
I was wondering if the certificate issued by the doctor is actually filed away somewhere accessible, e.g. the Register Office.
I've just found my great-great-granny Amelia involved in a very nasty case of conspiracy to cover up infanticide by issuing a false death certificate, and the person who drew up the certificate was apparently Amelia.
I believe she was told the child was stillborn, and arranged for a midwife to sign the certificate, but she must have realised there was something dodgy going on if a false certificate was needed. As I understand it, midwives could issue a cert in the case of a stillbirth (this was in 1864), and I've found the death registration on FreeBMD, but I wondered if the midwife's certificate would still be available anywhere.
As it turned out, the two women accused of the murder were acquitted through lack of evidence (the post mortem was inconclusive), and Amelia doesn't seem to have been charged with anything; she was just a witness at the trial.
I was wondering if the certificate issued by the doctor is actually filed away somewhere accessible, e.g. the Register Office.
I've just found my great-great-granny Amelia involved in a very nasty case of conspiracy to cover up infanticide by issuing a false death certificate, and the person who drew up the certificate was apparently Amelia.
I believe she was told the child was stillborn, and arranged for a midwife to sign the certificate, but she must have realised there was something dodgy going on if a false certificate was needed. As I understand it, midwives could issue a cert in the case of a stillbirth (this was in 1864), and I've found the death registration on FreeBMD, but I wondered if the midwife's certificate would still be available anywhere.
As it turned out, the two women accused of the murder were acquitted through lack of evidence (the post mortem was inconclusive), and Amelia doesn't seem to have been charged with anything; she was just a witness at the trial.
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