Sorry to be a pain, but a question re death cert.

[sally]

I have received the death certificate for my Mary Elizabeth (some of you will remember my thread a few days ago about her and her rather strange husband who didn't seem to exist!).

Anyway, can anyone tell me if this is normal please, because I find it puzzling.

The place of death was merely given as Billingham.....no actual address, and I have never come across this before.
She died of "premature childbirth of a seven months dead child".
The certificate was filled out by the Coroner for Stockton, and in inquest was held.

Why no doctor, why an inquest, why why why???!!

Was she found in the street, already dead...........

Perhaps someone has thoughts on this please.

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

The earlier the certificate the more vague the address.

The coroner may have been involved if there was a suspicion of foul play, to learn more of the details you will probably need to delve into the newspaper articles and see if anything was reported, usually inquests made the local paper.

[sally]

Thanks Glen, but we are talking 1901 which is not so far back in the scheme of our research and none of my other certs fail to give an address.

Ooooh, foul play!!! I do hope so. Anyway I have written to the Coroner's Office for Stockton in the hope that they can help me. I am too far away to check the newspapers

[Little Nell]

I have tons of certs where the address is just a placename.

Maybe as the baby was premature she had already given birth and died before a doctor could be summoned.

The inquest papers may have survived and may be at the county archives. You should be able to find a report of the inquest in a local paper.

[Little Nell]

I don't think an inquest means there may have been foul play, just that the cause of death needs to be ascertained.

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

It could be as Nell suggests that a doctor had not been called and there may have been questions about why that was so.

Just speculating here but presumably someone knew she was pregnant and if she appeared to be unwell or on the verge of childbirth it is reasonable to expect someone to seek medical help, if that didn't happen that could trigger the involvement of the coroner but without the reports or newspaper articles it's complete guesswork.

[sally]

Yes Little Nell, but why would the cause of death need to be ascertained when it was so obvious? Or should have been, but no doctor was involved it seems.
According to the death cert, the baby was born dead.

[sally]

She was married Glen, but to what appears to be an "invisible man"!!! I cannot find him or his fter.

[Guy]

There had to be an inquest, no choice.
If she was being treated by a doctor for an illness there would have been no need for an inquest.

I don't understand why you think the cause of death was obvious.

She could have been given something to induce the baby.
She could have been assaulted that caused premature labour.
She may even have undergone an unlawful termination.
There are really any number of scenarios that could have taken place and the true cause needed to be ascertained.
Cheers
Guy

[sally]

I take your point Guy.

I need to find the details of the inquest if at all possible.

[Mary from Italy]

They don't often survive - the local newspapers are your best bet.

[sally]

I agree Mary, and have written emails to the likely papers asking for their help.

[Joan of Archives]

Hi Sally

As Guy says there would be an inquest for a sudden death, the law at present states if a death occurs & the person hasn't been attended by a doctor within the last two weeks then there would be a post-mortem. I should imagine there would be a good chance of this being reported in the local paper. What area are we talking about? Maybe someone on here may be willing to help?

How do you know she actually gave birth to the child? It may be a case of placenta abruption, where the placenta suddenly tears away from the womb wall, that can be fatal for both mother & child, the mother can die of shock.

[sally]

Hang on a minute........re-reading the death certificate, there is a grisly possibility.

it says " premature childbirth of a SEVEN MONTHS DEAD child".

not seven month child, not seven month, dead, child.

Seven months dead.

That would definitely account for her own death. Or was it a slip of the pen!!! Oh dear I really need to find the details of this

[Mary from Italy]

No, I originally read it that way too, but she'd almost certainly have died of blood poisoning or something in that case.

I think it just means a dead seven-month child, not a seven-months-dead child.

[sally]

Hi Joanie, thank you for your input. The only way anyone could help would be to involve them in a search of newspapers in Stockton, and I couldn't possibly ask for that. I have written as I say, and will hope for something back

Phew, thanks Mary - that possibility was beginning to turn my stomach!!

[Joan of Archives]

Hi Sally

That's why I suggested placental abruption, the baby would have been stillborn but it could have killed the mother at the same time.

Well you have a date of death so looking for an inquest wouldn't be too difficult if you have a date, it's miles easier than if you don't lol!

Local libraries often hold local newspaper copies on film so if you know of anyone in the area they would probably be able to find it for you. I've done some for members on here, with good results. The alternative is to see if anyone has access to the gale site through their local library to see if anything pops up on there.

I hope her name wasn't Smith though lol!

[Mary from Italy]

I've had a quick look on the Gale site, but drawn a blank - anyway, I don't think it has much after 1900.

[WendyPusey]

I read it as meaning she died giving birth to a premature baby (which died) when she was 7 months into her pregnancy.

[sally]

Thank you so much Mary, it was good of you to look.

Joanie, I see what you are getting at now, oh yeuch.
My step sister lives fairly near to Stockton, so perhaps I will pester her to go and look in the library for me......... I hate to ask such a big favour of anyone else!

Wendy, I do so hope that you are right!