Genealogy Chat

Just got death cert for an ancestor I've grown quite fond of. She died aged 33 in child birth with her 6th child. It says placenta praevia haemorrage over 10 hours. Having had 3 babies and 3 miscarriages myself , I feel so sorry for the tiny children she left behind. Her female cousin was present, and reg'd the birth. I can't help but think, 'Why couldn't they have summoned a doctor earlier?'

I only have a few death certs, ones for my grandparents that my parents gave me, and 2 I have ordered so far. I sent for mt Great grandads (he's become one of my favourite rellies) when it came I didn't want to open it in case he had died from something really awful and I didn't want to imagine him suffering!. A bit mad I know.I'm waiting for my mom's sisters to arrive now she died aged 6 months (16 years before my mom was born) my mom thinks of pnuemonia but we will wait and see. Linda

hiya, i have alot of deaths certs, and try to get the direct ones in the set BMD, others I have had to get as were children, and suchlike, I may be slightly on the morbid side, but it all helps build a picture of the families/working condidtions etc.. also it does help in finding out potential, heradatory diseases, heart problems etc.. and that elusive informant, who could be a potential family member, as to why the doctor wasnt called earlier, depends when the event happened, as in times gone by, people had to pay for doctor to come out, perhaps he was with someone else, and was busy?? perhaps they didnt think it was needed, dont think you'll find out though, alot of what if's hope this helps to ease the situation, and try not to get too uspet when reading them, What i found more upsetting was the inquest reports I have collected, (from newspapers) and because it was public knowledge, makes it even more real HTH Julie

It's dreadful, isn't it? You don't say when this was, but I placenta praevia would have been a killer in Victorian times. I doubt summoning a Dr would have made any difference. Yesterday I posted a thread about the husband of one of my rellies who MAY have lost FOUR wives in childbirth. Two definitely died from the effects and both the other two delivered children the same Q as they died, but I don't have the death certs for those two mums. Merry

Im not alone then lol. The lady died in 1880. Havent found birth or death details for the baby so presume she died with it inside her.

The closest I've come to bursting into tears in public was in Cardiff RO when I discovered that my gg-grandparents had had one more child than my dad had known about. Her burial was registered just a fortnight after her baptism.

I haven't got any death certs yet, but I do have one relative of my husbands, who had a first wife, they married 1930 and she was born in 1908. Their first child was born 1930 and died in the same quarter. Their second child was born 1932 and died in the same quarter. They never had anymore children but in 1937 his wife died, not sure what of, but am speculating that it was probably child birth. There is no other records of any other children they might have had, so would love to get the birth cert to find out how she actually died as its a mystery. Nothing was ever really said about his first wife, but we always thought that they had at least 2 children. My husbands uncle was really hoping that he might have brothers and sisters still alive. He was upset that they wasn't, but chuffed that he had some information about them. Nicola

I get upset when I read the death certs, as I usually send for the cert after the birth and marriage ones, feel I know them. The wonders of modern medicine, a lot of luck to surviving before the discovery of Penecillan.