Information on death certificates

[Jenjen]

Hope this is the right place to post. Can anyone tell me what information I might expect to find on an 1857 death certificate so that I know if it is worth ordering?
Thanks Jen

[Mark]

Hope this is the right place to post. Can anyone tell me what information I might expect to find on an 1857 death certificate so that I know if it is worth ordering?
Thanks Jen

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/deaths/obtainingdeathcertificates/whatdetails.asp

Details contained on a death certificate include:

name, date and place of death
date and place of birth (please note: before 1969 a certificate only showed the age of the deceased)
occupation and usual address
cause of death
the person who gave the information for the death registration


Mark

[Peter Goodey]

It's worth adding to Mark's full explanation that the name of the informant can be surprisingly useful for family history purposes. A death can't be registered by just anyone - it had to be someone present at the death; someone in attendance; the occupier of a house or the master or keeper of an institution.

Off the top of my head, I don't think the relationship was explicitely stated on the certificate in 1857 so a bit of extra detective work is needed. It's certainly possible for a death certificate to reveal a hitherto unknown relationship.

[Pam Downes]

http://www.dixons.clara.co.uk/Certificates/indexbd.htm
is a goldmine of information on the subject of BMD certificates.

Pam Downes

[Jenjen]

Thanks to all for the information given.It looks like I will be spending quite a few pounds!
Jen

[Peggy]

Hi,

Will someone please clarify a point for me?

The only death certs I have for women are from around 1900. Under "Rank or Profession" they show "Wife of John Doe."

On an 1856 cert, can I expect to see the same information in the "Occupation" column? Should it give me the husband's name, rather than just saying "Wife" or "Wife of Ag Lab" or something?

Thanks,

Peggy

[Colin Moretti]

On an 1856 cert, can I expect to see the same information in the "Occupation" column? Should it give me the husband's name, rather than just saying "Wife" or "Wife of Ag Lab" or something?

Thanks,

Peggy

Hello Peggy
I have a certificate from 1840:
"Martha Pagliano, ..., wife of John Baptist Pagliano, Tavern Keeper".
I can't say if that was the general rule, I'm afraid.

Colin

[Peggy]

Hello Colin,

Thanks! Just so leaving out the husband's name wasn't the invariable rule, I'm happy. :) I'll order the cert and keep my fingers crossed.

Best,

Peggy

[Geoffers]

On an 1856 cert, can I expect to see the same information in the "Occupation" column? Should it give me the husband's name, rather than just saying "Wife" or "Wife of Ag Lab" or something?I've just worked through 106 death certificates of women in the 19th century - all of those for married women just record 'wife of........' (some also include the husband's occupation). Those for single women either record 'daughter of.....' plus the father's occupation - or the three for more elderly women who died, record 'dressmaker' (two of them) and 'inmate of workhouse'.

Geoffers

[Peggy]

That's just what I wanted to hear, Geoffers. Thanks. I'm off to the GRO site again. Mail delivery is getting exciting lately. :)

Er . . . just being nosy . . . do you work through these certs at the Record Office, or order them by the gross? Not all relatives, surely? Compiling statistics?

Best,

Peggy

[Geoffers]

Er . . . just being nosy . . . do you work through these certs at the Record Office, or order them by the gross? Not all relatives, surely? Compiling statistics?
These nearly all relate to a countywide one name study (LOW/E in Norfolk). I ordered the certificates either from the GRO or via local registrars, mostly when they cost about (1.75Pds?) each, I can remember the exorbitant price rise to 2.50Pds.

Geoffers