A naughty man...

[Haggis]

My g-grandfather, an eminently respectable dentist, decamped to the USA from UK in 1881 after his first wife died - leaving six children aged 9-19 to fend for themselves. He set up a practice in Orange, NJ and married again. The New York Times, however, carried a brief notice that he committed suicide on 8 July 1889. There must surely have been an inquest? Can any of you guys please tell me how to obtain info on that - or indeed anything else about his sojourn Stateside.

His baptismal name was Henry George VANDERPANT. Just to complicate matters, however, the surname was sometimes shown as VAN DER PANT, and he often used the forename Lawrence (or some combination of the three).

I'd really appreciate any help.

[bwarnerok]

I'm amazed you found a newspaper that said it was suicide. Since you know where and when he died, request a death certificate from the state. Depending on what the circumstances they might or might not have done an autopsy, and I haven't a clue as to whether that info ends up on the death certificate or not. You might contact the county coroner's office in the town he died in, perhaps they still have records on file.

Back then, I imagine if somebody said he killed himself, it might have just been accepted as such and the living moved on with little to no investigation. Did he leave any relatives behind in the states when he died?

betsy

[Haggis]

Did he leave any relatives behind in the states when he died?
betsy

Thanks for your thoughts, Betsy! Yes, he married again, in Manhattan, but presently I am not aware of any issue of the marriage. His second wife was just 21yrs (he was 48yrs at the time). She was a Brit. All of which raises certain other questions ...