Death in Horton Asylum.

[Valman]

l found a relative admitted to Horton asylum in 1906, and since then checking registers at the LMA l find that he died in there on the 14th May 1918, but l canot find a registration of his death in Epsom Surrey, but there is a death registered in June 1918 but in Romford Essex, is this likely the same person as eveything seems to fit wth his details, would his body have been released to a relative for burial and the death registered by them in Essex ?

Thanks very much,

Valman

[almach]

Valman, more info will help us to help you. What's his name, DOB and place of birth?

[Valman]

Thank you almach, it is confusing because he gave the wrong birth details when he was admitted to the asylum, he gave his year of birth as1880/1881 when it was in fact 1875, l guess because of his illness which is described in the asylum registers as Mania he didn't really know who he was, his name was William John Courts born in Poplar, but is listed in the records as just William Courts. The death in Romford does check out with details in the asylum register his age and year of birth so l'm presuming relatives must have claimed his body for burial and registered him in Romford Essex.

[Megan Roberts]

In my experience deaths are registered in the location where it occurred.

My mother died in hospital in London, but lived in Anglesey. Her death is registered in London.

In 1918 3 cousins of my grandfather died in South Wales during the Spanish flu epidemic. They had all been born in North Wales, and their father brought them there to be buried. Their death certificates are all issued in South Wales.

[Valman]

Hi Megan,

l thought the same, but if the date of his death is right in the asylum register then it wasn't registered in Epsom Surrey as l've gone through all the William Courts deaths and the one in Essex is the only one near the right one. l think it might be a question of just ordering the Romford certificate and hoping it's the right one, if not then maybe his death wasn't ever registered!

Thanks for your help,

Valman

[almach]

I do agree with Megan, his death would be registered in the district in which he died. I see the death reg you refer to was registered Jun qrt 1918, did your ancestor die between Apr - Jun 1918? I cannot see a death in Epsom for William Courts Jun qrt, the nearest, and probably not him, is William Courtney age 40, so born approx 1878.

[Megan Roberts]

From the you.gov site advice about registering a death that happens away from home:

You should register the death within 5 days.

You can go to any register office but if you use the one in the area where the person died you’ll be given the documents you’ll need on the day.

If you use a different register office the documents will be sent to the office in the area where the person died before they’re issued to you. This means you’ll usually wait a few days.

My reading of this then is that death will be recorded by the office in the area where the person died.

In any case the death will have to have been registered to allow the funeral to take place.

[Valman]

Hi almach,

l think you're both right and he should have been registered in Epsom Surrey but for some reason seems not to have been, unless of course the asylum register was wrong of course. Yes, his death is shown as 14th May 1918 and he would have been 37 according to the year of birth that he gave. l suppose he could have been registered wrongly which makes it even harder to find.

valman

[Valman]

Hi Megan,

Thank you for that information, it just makes it all the more confusing as to where his death was registered. l guess someone could have given the wrong details but then l can't even find a death in May 1918 in Epsom anyway for any name even near his.

Valman

[Megan Roberts]

Could this be the one that you are looking for:

Name:COURTNEY, William

Registration district: Epsom

Year of registration:1918 Quarter of registration:Apr-May-Jun

Age at death:40

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