Genealogy Chat

if someone died in Hospital would the informant be a Doctor or would it be someone in the family or friend thanks

I was the informant on my Dad's death certificate and he died in hospital. B

I think it may depend on whether there were any family members able to register a death. My Grandad's 1st wife died in a maternity hospital in 1934 and the informant was a doctor. Yet my ggrandfather died in hospital in 1898 and the informant was his son. Lou

This is what I got from the excellent http://home*.*clara*.*net/dixons/Certificates/indexbd*.*htm site - remove * to use. 'The description of the informant has varied with time. In the early days, the informant was one of the following someone present at the death someone in attendance the occupier of a house the master or keeper of an institution The person present at the death or in attendance (which meant they had been nursing the deceased or in close contact with them during their illness) was also usually a relative, but the early registrations do not give the relationship of the informant to the deceased. It is always worth remembering with registrations before 1875 that an informant 'present at the death', with a name you might not recognise, could be a married daughter that you have had no information on since she left home, or a granddaughter or grandson, son-in-law or any other relative likely to have a different surname from the deceased . By 1875 the relationship of the informant to the deceased was given - together with additional qualifications such as 'present at the death' or 'in attendance'. People not related to the deceased but present at the death still qualified, but only 'present at the death' would be shown. The occupier (usually the owner) of a house or institution (usually the master of the workhouse) still qualified but in addition the following had been added a person who found the body inmate of a house or institution - this was a person living at the same address who knew of the event person causing the burial person in charge of the body A relative of the deceased includes any relation by blood or by marriage so that - apart from the widow(er) of the deceased - daughters and sons, grandchildren, cousins, sons- or daughters-in-law, brothers- or sisters-in-law, second cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces, stepchildren and stepparents all qualify. The early registration will make no distinction between relatives by blood or by marriage so eg it will say brother whether it is a blood brother or a brother- in-law. A common-law wife or husband has no status in law for registration purposes and would be unable to register a death of a partner unless they qualified in some other way such as being present at the death. That doesn't stop people lying about their marital status of course! Nor are godchildren or godparents qualified to register. Someone present at the death could simply have been the person who made a living by sitting with the dying and laying them out after death, or a close friend or neighbour and is not necessarily a relative. The more remote the relationship to the deceased, the less likely it is that the information they have given is accurate. This is even more true when the master of the workhouse has registered a death as the occupier of the institution where the death took place. Note that someone whose qualification is 'causing the burial or cremation.....' is NOT the undertaker. This is the person who is giving the instructions to the undertaker - or in the past - was doing the funeral arrangements themselves. Note also that the executor of a will does not qualify to register unless they are the ones making the funeral arrangements. When an inquest has taken place then the informant will be the coroner and there will be no signature as such. The column will read something on the lines of 'Information received from Thomas Griffin Coroner for the City of Westminster'. Later on the date of the Inquest might be given. The residence of the informant will vary from just a town or village name in the early registrations to a fuller address. If you think you have a married daughter or sister or other long lost relative doing a registration you should have a name and address - enough to look on a census, or to look for a marriage. We found a sister of the main line registering the death of her 90 year old mother in 1872 - 60 years after the only other time we had found her at her baptism. So once you have the main tree established - don't neglect your death certificates - they can lead to all sorts of further good family history material.' Aren't you glad you asked!!!! nell

thanks for your replies he did live with his mistress for about 40 years but it isnt her name I wonder if its her Son by another relationship

is there a box that says 'Qualification' for the informant? that is where usually it will say 'son', father or whatever. Jess

Would a mother in law be able to register a death, as that might be the case on one of my ancestors siblings first wife's death cert.

gosh Helen thats wonderful reading it does actually say Informant qualification Causing the Body to be cremated but he had no other living rellies and his lady told me they married but I can find no sign of a marriage anywhere so I am assuming probably wrongly that the informant was her Son I know she had one but she will not divulge her surname so I am having problems finding much

I've recently had to do this for a lovely person I'd known only a few weeks. He had no known next of kin and the person who looked after his affairs for him wasn't able to carry on due to personal circumstances. I then took over keeping an eye on him and when he went into hospital I reported back after talking to the consultants, doctors, nurses and professionals. When he died I then had to take on the duties of next of kin, registering his death, arranging the funeral, sorting out his bills and clearing his flat on behalf of his executor. So my details are on his death certificate - which in years to come could confuse anyone researching him.

hi Julie yes that is going to confuse somebody in years to come serves them right why should they get it easy after all our hard work