Genealogy Chat

I ordered a death certificate for what I hoped was my GG Grandfather. I was hoping his wife would have registered the death so I could prove it was him. When I got it, it turned out it was a prisoner hanged at Wormwood Scrubs and was the local coroner reporting the death so I'm no better off at proving this relative or not.

Let us know what happens when you get the cert! Janice

Thanks for that Helen. Yes, I do realise it's a bit of a gamble as to whether I'll get anything useful out of it, but at least I now know that it's POSSIBLE that I might just find the relationship I'm looking for to confirm a connection. Knowing my luck mine won't have anything on there, but I'll keep my fingers crossed! Thanks all.

Lesley The trouble with ordering certs - as I am sure everyone knows - is that you don't always know if the info you get is going to add much to what you already know. Having said that, sometimes it gives you some really good info. My gt gt grandfather was called Emmets Matthews. I found this out because his name was on his son's wedding cert. As it was an unusual name and the only one in the death index for the right period, I ordered it. It told me he had died in Whichford and the death was registered by his widow Eliza. From this I was able to find out that my gt grandfather was born in Whichford, which made it much easier to find his siblings and - more important - to find him and his family on the census in London. Hope your cert is as useful. If nothing else you may learn some new medical terminology! Helen

Thank you all for taking the trouble to reply. At least now I know that there's a possibility that it may provide the clue I need. Looks like another £7 on it's way out of my purse! Lesley :-)

The death cert should have the name, address and description of the informant. Hope you find some useful information. I ordered the death cert of my husband's great-grandfather as I had come to a brickwall with that line. I found that the death had been registered by his daughter - and we thought that the grandfather was an only child. It opened up a lot more of the tree and we found some rellies who had old photos. Janice

It doesn't necessarily state the relationship of the informant to the deceased person. In the occupation column it can say something like "wife of...." One of mine says "daughter of Elizabeth Duffin now wife of Henry Riggs" But the informant is usually just ....... present at the death. In more recent certificates (1994) the certificate has a space for the informant and the qualification of informant and the relationship (sister0 has been entered there. Ann Glos

the certificates I have recieved have said if person registering death was related sometimes it also gives persons wife?husbands name also sandra

I've never ordered a death certificate before, and am unsure as to whether it will give me the answer I'm looking for. From what I have found elsewhere, I know that it includes the name of the person registering the death, but does it also state the relationship to the deceased person? Can anyone help please?