Genealogy Chat

Hi, Carol -I had to think, but I know what you mean!! The way I do it is just by elimination really. I try to find the family on each census, then when someone changes from a wife to a widow I assume the husband died within that 10 year span. If they are still living in the same area, then you can start to search. You can also ask for a certificate to be produced only if it shows the husbands name (for a woman) or the occupation (for a man) as these are the most likely things that you will know in advance that should be listed. Another way is if you know date of death for one family member, to search for a grave/burial record at the nearest cemetary/church - this worked for me once as there were 4 other family members buried in same grave, and another branch a couple of rows away. Deaths can be very frustrating, but I still like to get the info - it just seems to fill out the gaps - why people moved, how their lives changed after bereavement etc. By the way, I do have a pamphlet 'dictionary of old medical terms and causes of death' if anyone needs a look-up. Maz XX

Some of the older ones were registered by a neighbour or a family member, and they gave the cause of death as they saw it. I have some recent death certificates which state cause in medical terms. When it is too early to know from family when people died, how do you calculate when they may have died. If you see what I mean.

Gen Had a look at this one and was quite amused to see a cause of death as being from 'Wine Disease'! Also another one 'Gas of Stomach'! Thank god for Rennies! Janet

http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his480/notes/deth-dic.htm I typed in 19th century causes of death and this came up it is quite interesting, seems most of the time they guessed. Gen