Local authoriies will try to trace identity but if all fails they would be registered as unknown. I've just checked on FreeBMD there were 8339 death registrations with unknown surname between 1900 and 1914!
Update but only 11 "unknown" deaths on Ancestry complete 1984 - 2005 listing (all male) so I guess with National Insurance, pensions etc its easier to track down identities nowadays.
I've been transcribing burials recently (1700's and early 1800's) and I'd say there were about one or two unidentified people buried every year in just this one parish at that time. Mostly they were described as travellers or "from the lodging house" etc.
I suppose if the person looked poor and there was nothing suspicious not much was done to try and identify the person. If you look at the GRO indexes in the erly years there are dozens if not hundreds of Unknowns registered each Q.
Today I'm sure lots more effort would be put in to identifying bodies.
I have found several "unknown sailor" who had drowned and been washed ashore in the Isle of Wight Burials. Some have the name of the ship they came from if known, but many are just unknown.
Wendy
PLEASE SCAN AT 300-600 DPI FOR RESTORATION PURPOSES. THANK YOU!
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