Genealogy Chat

Apparently one of my distant rellies 'blew himself up while salmon fishing ..........' Shouldn't laugh I know .......................... Bev

Though not on a death cert, Murray's Travel Guide 1859 gives cause of death on a gravestone at Gravesend as 'Eating cherries off a tree.'

my gt gt grandfather- shock following severance of both legs..... I'd be shocked too!!

In Smarden, a number of deaths due to 'Decay of Nature' Several 'Died Sudden' 'Rapid Consumption' 'A cold' 'cough' 'Cause of death unknown' 'A shattered constitution' 'Sinking for 22 months' 'Humour on the skull' sic. presumably a transcription error. 'inward disease' 'deformed' 'Not well' 'Drowned herself on Sunday morning' 'Temperal insanity' Beware! It may happen to us! David

The cause of death of one of my rellies states 'Cardiac Failure accelerated by Shock from the combined effect of an operation for the removal of a Testicle and Anaesthesia having died whilst under anaesthetic' Another was run over by his cart while in a state of intoxication The mind boggles Chris

Brenda - sorry to hijack your thread but please may I ask Marjorie a question. Where do you obtain inquest reports from, one of my death certs (possibly of my gr gr grandfather) states died from cerebral haemorrage and chronic alchoholism. Informant was the coroner - I am puzzled as to why he would have needed an inquest and would love to read the report. thanks. Val

Visitation of God Margaret

One of my ancestors had written on her death certificate `Anxiety and Deprivation Long Standing.` Marianne.

Like Val, I'd like to know how to get info. about inquests. I don't have any strange ones but my gt gt grmother died of fractured pelvis after being run over by a van and I'd like to get the information. M

My poor great uncle's death cert reads - Fracture of skull compression of brains caused by the deceased being run over by the wheel of an omnibus when he fell from his bicycle. he was only 26, was a lovely chap according to my grandmother. Jackie

My great uncle, Harry Groves was found dead at The Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Dover in April 1922. The coronor gave the cause of death as 'Suffocation, having fallen down steps onto his face and become asphyxiated.' Strange thing is that he had left the theatre with the man who locked up and in the morning, all the doors and padlocks were all locked and my great uncle did not have any keys to get in!! Mind you, his younger brother, Thomas, fell out of his bunk bed on the way to India and hit his head. Six months later he dies in a lunatic asylum from fits. The records show that he started having 'fits' after his fall. Sad to say he was only 20 yrs. -

Valerie et al: I was very lucky to get a copy of the inquest from my local County Records Office. Normally Coroners Inquest papers are destroyed, but some lovely clerk in Cornwall carefully kept all the papers long after they should have been destroyed and they eventually found their way into the County Archives. Cornwall is exceptionally well-served by written records. I have never tried to get any Coroners Reports for any other County, so I really don't know what luck you would have - I usually short-cut by looking at Newspapers. Incidentally, not a cause of death and really very recent, but this made me laugh on telly: A night-watchman was doing his rounds in a large London Theatre when he heard a terrible groaning noise. He fetched his dog and also rang the Police. The dog found a naked man lying on the floor with terrible injuries and blood all over him. It was treated as a serious crime incident, the man was taken to hospital and it wasnt until 48 hours later that he was well enough to be questioned. It turned out that the man had got drunk in the Bar at the Interval and passed out in the Gents. He woke some hours later to find himself in darkness, thought he was at home, wandered about for a bit, then took his clothes off and attempted to get into bed - thus throwing himself off the balcony!! No, I know I shouldn't laugh.... Marjorie

had an army farrier died from injury sustained when horse kicked him between legs apparently had been discharged for 6 years before death and had 3 children in that time.