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a pattern in my death certificates

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  • a pattern in my death certificates

    I was going through my files the other day making a list of Cert still required. Most of the ones I want are deaths, and mostly of my women ancestors. I have been killing of my male lines but not my females.

    Has anyone else noticed this trend in their research or have you had any great revelations from obtaining a woman's death cert?
    Rose

  • #2
    I started off not really seeing the point of getting death certs, then I started tidying up.

    I don't think I erred in favour of the men. After finding the granny as informant on a child's death cert, dispelling all mystery about her mother's mother, I feel I should buy every last one!

    I suspect I'm getting all direct line ancestors because that's what I'm pursuing. If I'd concentrated on a male branch, I might have been less interested in the women.

    But there are so many odd things raised by death certificates, that you wouldn't guess, even if you have will and burial.
    Phoenix - with charred feathers
    Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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    • #3
      Yes, I think I tend to get the mens' ones first. But I do eventually get them all (as funds allow!) I have found it almost always pays to get them - you just never know what surprise they might hold.

      I have waited about 3 years to get the death of one of my gg grandfathers (yes, I know not a woman :p). He was 58 at his burial in 1846 and I already had his will. I just got his death cert to tidy everything up. I was surprised to find he had drowned and the death was registed by the coroner. An email to the Bedfordshire Record Office got me a newspaper article about it - nothing dramatic but unexpected nevertheless.

      Anne

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      • #4
        I will get them at some stage. I think I owe it to my women ancestors to get one of their's next, funds permitting!
        Rose

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        • #5
          I have found that i tend to get the female death certs for the more recent events and the male ones for earlier stuff.

          Often the females outlived the hubby and the informant is often a child.

          When it works out that way the death cert can be a cheap way of finding family, it confirms the hubby, gives the name of a child and the residence sends me off to the electoral roll and often a few more kids.

          At the very least the info gathered helps narrow down the bmd results, especially for my more common surnames from the 1920's to the 1950's.
          Last edited by Glen in Tinsel Knickers; 27-07-08, 15:44.
          http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

          Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
          My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
          My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

          Comment


          • #6
            I have had some rather unpleasant surprises from death certs and burial records, especially discovering that several relatives died in lunatic asylums. If I hadn't got the death certs, I'd never have known.

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            • #7
              I am trying to get all my direct ancestors but am thwarted by those who either don't appear to die, or where there are so many possibles I can't be sure of getting the right one.

              Like Phoenix, I started off not seeing the point, but I have found several death certs have given useful pointers to help in my research - counterbalanced by the ones that have the minimum information.

              Women's certs can help by stating whether they are wife or widow, which can help narrow down a search for their spouse's death.

              I am more interested in my females I think, though its often easier to get information about men because of their occupations. Although most of my female ancestors worked, it was often at home and "invisible".
              ~ with love from Little Nell~
              Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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              • #8
                I'm hoping that a death cert for a female might give me some pointers on my Townsend family.

                The problem is i don't know her first name, it starts with a "D" but after that i'm stuck, there are two possible deaths in the county (post '84 event), if i can find the correct cert i'm hoping the address and/or informant might give clues to other family.

                This time round i need the electoral roll first to get here name (i know where she lived in 1984-85) but haven't had any luck with a lookup request despite asking on a few sites.

                Basically anything on that cert will help, even if it proves hubby was still alive and the informant.
                http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                Comment


                • #9
                  It would really help if I could find the deaths - so many I can't kill off in order to get the certificates!! lol



                  Researching Irish families: FARMER, McBRIDE McQUADE, McQUAID, KIRK, SANDS/SANAHAN (Cork), BARR,

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                  • #10
                    I have more death certs than births or marriages and think they really are an under-used source. They can confirm relationships and often lead you into new avenues of research.

                    :D

                    Remembering: Cuthbert Gregory 1889 - 1916, George Arnold Connelly 1886 - 1917, Thomas Lowe Davenport 1890 - 1917, Roland Davenport Farmer 1885 - 1916, William Davenport Sheffield 1879 - 1915, Cuthbert Gregory 1918 - 1944

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                    • #11
                      Well death certs are like other certs and info - you don't know how useful they will be till you've paid your money!

                      Sometimes they helpfully explain the relationship between the deceased and the informant, or give two family addresses (place of death and informant's address) but just as often they can be vague.

                      I have expanded my medical knowledge a lot though!
                      ~ with love from Little Nell~
                      Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Oh yes, you must get death certs!

                        I guessed my 2 x GGM died of TB, as did most of her children eventually. The cert when it came, said

                        "Post partum haemhorrage, 3 days"

                        She died aged 32, giving birth to her eleventh child.

                        My elusive 2 x GGF James Holden, died in lodgings 50 miles from his known stamping ground (which is why it took us 25 years to find his cert, despite knowing his date of death!). The informant was the householder, not one of his three sons.

                        Something about the name of the householder rang a bell and I eventually traced the connection back through the family and incidentally proved a few vague links that hadn't seemed worth pursuing before.

                        Another death cert threw up a third wife no one had known about and a set of complicated relationships between all three wives.

                        OC

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                        • #13
                          When I've be unsure of when bods have died, (usually pre-1866) I've tended to try and get the females first - usually because the occupation will be 'wife or widow of ...' giving me some indication of when to look for her hubby.
                          This has worked well for some, but on one where the lady is widowed, I've got 3 choices for her husband's death. :o

                          At the moment, I'm trying to find missing children, based on the birth gaps of the survivors. I've found 5 children from 1 family, although having burial records has helped there.
                          Helen

                          http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/...enSmithToo-296

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                          • #14
                            Women's death certs are particularly good if they died after their husbands, but I have 2 that don't seem to have died, which is totally infuriating.
                            Lynn

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                            • #15
                              The worrying trend with my men is that three have died on the road/highway........

                              Jean
                              Jean....the mist is starting to clear

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                              • #16
                                hmmm, my females often outlive my males.

                                Glen, would Lincoln Library have a look at the ER for you, do you think? I would go there for you if I was planning on a trip to the RO but I'm not, for a bit. I will hollar when I do though.
                                Rose

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                                • #17
                                  Hi Rose

                                  The archivist is away at the moment so it isn't possible (the annoying thing is i looked it up myself a while ago but one of the kids nabbed the notebook for school:()
                                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                                  Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                                  My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                                  My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    *tuts*. Grounded for the summer hols then?
                                    Rose

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                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by Rosie Knees View Post
                                      *tuts*. Grounded for the summer hols then?
                                      No, we boot them out the door very early with sarnies and strict instructions not to return till it gets dark :D:D
                                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                                      Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                                      My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                                      My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        ah! an 'old fashioned' childhood like mine own lol.
                                        Rose

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