Questions tagged [death-records]
For questions about documents pertaining to a person's death, including death certificates, registers and indexes.
157
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What does it mean if cause of death is listed as "Insanity" in late 1800s?
My great, great grandmother's cause of death is listed as "Insanity" on her death record, and I'm not sure what this means. She died in Winsted, McLeod County, Minnesota in 1872 at age 37, and had ...
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26
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5
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Is a Birth/Marriage/Death Certificate a primary source?
Do I accept a Certified Document as a primary source and trust it outright or do I need to view the original the Document is transcribed from?
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23
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8
answers
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Of a death certificate and a gravestone, which record should be trusted more in determining birth date?
I have an ancestor for whom I have very little information for. I am trying to identify the exact birth date for this person. I have a death certificate which lists the birth date as "May 1st", ...
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16
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6
answers
4k
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Determining who died on particular voyage of ship?
One voyage of the ship William Stetson began the 26th of April, 1855 in Liverpool, England and ended the 27th of May, 1855 in New York. One account of the voyage says:
The New York Herald of May 30,...
user47
15
votes
3
answers
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Is it crass to record cause of death? What about for suicide?
Most death records have a place where 'cause of death' is recorded. I have recently discovered that a number of my relatives committed suicide. It was always acknowledged that they died, but never ...
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15
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1
answer
102
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Identifying whether Victorian Historical Death Record belongs to ancestor?
I am seeking verification of whether a Victorian Historical Death Record may be for Charles Templeman from my tree.
Born England 1815
Married Jane Forrester
Had 3 children
Emma born England 1832
...
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14
votes
1
answer
344
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What records might be created in England when people are re-interred?
There are two people in my database that seem to have two records about their burials -- one in Massachusetts, and one in Devon. I haven't found any other information that would indicate these are ...
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13
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4
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Determining cause of death in France in 1908?
I am trying to find the cause of death for a Thomas Gordon Dickinson who died in Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1908. I have his French death certificate, but it does not state the cause of death, neither do the ...
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11
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4
answers
547
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Reducing cost of BMD Certificates in England and Wales?
The cost of BMD certificates from the General Records Office (GRO) of England and Wales is quite expensive (£9.25 at time of writing) but what is preventing the obvious streamlining of this?
The GRO, ...
- 5,897
11
votes
2
answers
2k
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Citing local BMD registrations in England and Wales
The index of civil registrations of births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales can be found on the FreeBMD Web site. This is not yet complete but fuller versions can also be found on the ...
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10
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3
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Why did my Uncle's Death Certificate Not Appear in the Family History Library's Archives?
In 1987, an uncle, one of my Dad's siblings, disappeared without leaving any word of his whereabouts. At the time, he lived in Denver, Colorado.
Fast forward to 1998, I left the military and took a ...
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10
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3
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953
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How to deal with inaccurate obituaries so I'm not perpetuating the errors?
I like to include obituaries and newspaper articles within my descendancy reports printed for other family members. Often the obituaries have small errors, like wrong town of birth, or year of ...
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9
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2
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2k
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What does 'in attendance' mean on an England death certificate?
This is the death certificate of my x2 great-grandmother. The informant is her eldest son.
What does 'in attendance' mean on a death certificate? Does it mean that the person was with her when she ...
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8
votes
3
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277
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Identifying location and cause of death of person who died in 1992?
I have visited the grave site, obtained the headstone details but unable to progress from there.
Buried in Bundaberg Queensland
Death location unknown
Whereabouts between 1985 and 1992 unknown
...
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8
votes
3
answers
418
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Strategy to find death of individual with common name?
I thought I had found the death certificate for my grandfather Thomas Jones (born 1905) but the recent availability of the 1939 register and the Midlands Electoral Rolls have proven me wrong (see Back ...
user104
8
votes
2
answers
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How do I find death details for an individual where no current online record exists?
I am looking for the death details of a grandmother for a child in care. I have:
the first and married name of the deceased
the name of her surviving husband
the approximate year of death (2009 - ...
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8
votes
1
answer
85
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Locating records of coronor's Inquests in Oxfordshire in 1909?
I have a death certificate issued in Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) in 1909 that says the cause of death, decided by an inquest the next day, was by drowning (in the river).
Where would records of the ...
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8
votes
2
answers
517
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Committed for Postnatal Depression 1930-40?
Scenario: 1930-40's UK. A new mother "Mary" (fake name) was institutionalised in an "asylum" for what the records state to be "postnatal depression". The records frustratingly do not elaborate ...
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7
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5
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2k
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Recording place of death when that is hospital/home away from long term residence?
I am doing research into the Bullock family. A question about recording place of death. In a number of cases, an individual has lived a long time in a town. At the time of death, the person is in a ...
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7
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3
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Death before certificates were issued statewide in Georgia?
My 3rd Great Grandfather died in 1906 and I am trying to verify who his father was. In Georgia they did not start issuing death certificates until 1913 or so.
I do know that a doctor did the ...
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7
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1
answer
397
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Where to find 1911 sub-districts in order?
I am trying to work out which of two death records in Wakefield registration district is my ancestor.
To do this I need the subdistricts listed in the order they come on the census.
I don’t know ...
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7
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2
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2k
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How to get birth and death cerificate from Istanbul, Turkey in 1902-1905?
How can a non-Turkish speaking amateur get a copy of a birth certificate for a grandmother born in Istanbul, Turkey (1902) and a death certificate for a grand-grand father buried at Eyup Cemetery in ...
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7
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1
answer
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Making sense of conflicting death dates for Juliet D. (Strong) Wilder?
Julia/Juliet/Juliette D. (Strong) Wilder is known to be the daughter of James A. and Eleanor (Denton) Strong: Michigan census records show James (1850, 1860) and Eleanor Strong (1850) living with ...
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7
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1
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How to find someone from Canada who has not been heard of since about 1939?
I have been searching for my grandfather John Howard Coulter who was born at Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio, on 22 Feb 1896.
He married Clara Mae Newton and had two daughters Mildred (1918 Ohio) and ...
6
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3
answers
1k
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6
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2
answers
290
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What tools can be used to translate handwritten Danish documents?
Can someone help me translate this Danish death notice?
It's for my Great grandfather. I am trying to trace his parents.
https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn438/churchbook/source27353/...
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6
votes
3
answers
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Finding New York City/State records relating to Sellars family (British subjects) births/deaths mid 19th century?
On advice of @efgen I split this question into two - one for New York and one for Panama, but left the same detail for both thinking the fact that Robert Sellars was in both geographic areas might ...
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6
votes
3
answers
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What can I deduce from this newspaper extract?
There is a brief mention of an ancestor in a couple of Staffordshire newpapers:
2 October 1830 DIED John Wright age 24 of Tettenhall late of Kidderminster and formerly of Wolverhampton
In 1828 ...
user6485
6
votes
1
answer
138
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Cause of death on an 1871 British Death certificate
I have a death certificate for a woman who died at the age of 42. The cause of death is listed as "disease of the brain". I am not sure what that could mean. Did they mean meningitis or some type of ...
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6
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2
answers
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How to find death record from late 19th century New York (State)?
I have been looking for the death record of my great grandmother who died in Rochester around 1899. She was around 27 years of age at the time.
Her maiden name was Mary Gagnon, wife of Joseph Bean (...
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6
votes
2
answers
142
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In the early 1900s, were Chicago deaths recorded by government?
I am looking for information on my great-great-grandfather, and I am just trying to figure this out.
My great-grandfather was born in 1907 in Chicago to Polish immigrants, I have his baptismal ...
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6
votes
1
answer
411
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Who killed Katherine Ann (McFee/McPhee) Stevens?
Katherine Ann (McFee/McPhee) Stevens, was the wife of Mr. Byron E. Stevens. The couple resided in Brooklyn Ward 7, New York, USA with their 5 daughters(1). Story has it that Katherine was killed in ...
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1
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Finding death record for Sarah Jane Tompkins Furman in Washington, New York or another state after about 1910?
I can't find the death record for my great grandmother Sarah Jane Tompkins Furman.
I have her birth and marriage records.
She was born 19 July 1847 in Tarrytown, Westchester NY.
She married Joseph ...
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6
votes
1
answer
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Meaning of abbreviation "(O.K.)" on 1939 Michigan death certificate?
I have located my grandfather's Michigan death certificate from 1939.
Following his father's name is the abbreviation "(O.K.)". What does that mean?
5
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4
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What fields are available from a Social Security Death Index (SSDI) search at different websites?
There are several different websites that offer a search form for the Social Security Death Index, the public-access extract of the Social Security Administration's Death Master File.
Since ...
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5
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2
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Finding Kentucky records from 1800 to 1900?
I am researching various families in Kentucky from 1800 through 1900.
All the online resources have census stuff but when looking for more details I hit nothing.
Where online can you find ...
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5
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3
answers
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What is the actual date of death for this self-contradictory death certificate?
I'm looking at the following death certificate:
http://sharing.ancestry.com/5522904?h=da4a8d
Which is transcribed in part to read:
Texas Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certificate ...
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5
votes
2
answers
1k
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What is the cause of death on this certificate?
I'm struggling to read the cause of death on this certificate:
I can make out:
Chronic ?
6 years
Exhaustion 2 years
? might be rheumatism, but I've never heard of that being fatal before.
user6485
5
votes
1
answer
176
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Is Unregistered Death possible after 1900 in U.S.?
I am researching my great uncle, James Barton (no middle initial), trying to find a death record. I believe he was living in Mt. Victory, Hardin County, Ohio in 1900. I found a 'James Barton' married ...
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5
votes
1
answer
689
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Identifying cause of death on Scottish record
I'm finding this handwriting hard to read here. I'm quite certain it ends in "-tysis" but the first few letters are difficult to decode.
Does anyone know what the cause of death may be here? This is ...
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5
votes
3
answers
559
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Finding medical records for Richmond State Hospital patient?
My 2nd great-grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth Armegust or Arbingast, was born 22 Sept 1837 in Ohio and died 24 July 1929 at the Richmond State Hospital, Wayne, Indiana, United States. She lived for a ...
5
votes
1
answer
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Meaning of "kitumat" for cause of death in Finland death record
I have a Finland parish death record that shows someone who died 30 Mar 1880 of kitumat. I cannot find a translation or abbreviation for this word as being either Finnish or Swedish or Latin. When I ...
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5
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1
answer
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Finding death record without knowing death date?
I can trace an ancestor of mine, Samuel McReynolds b. 1812 Tenn, up to the Arkansas (Sebastian county) 1880 census, but loose him after that. I am trying to find a record that will help me determine ...
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5
votes
1
answer
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Finding 1863 birth of John Sellars and death of his father Robert (British subjects) around 1870 in Panama/Colombia?
This question is related to Finding New York City/State records relating to Sellars family (British subjects) births/deaths mid 19th century?.
I have a Scottish ancestor, Robert Sellars born 1830, ...
- 11.1k
5
votes
1
answer
116
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Records generated when transporting the deceased in the US?
When someone dies in the United States away from where they are going to be buried, what records are generated for the transport of them?
I know there is a separate question for when someone is re-...
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5
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1
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Are there any online resources to verify death of a inmate at Fort Leavenworth?
One of my cousins asserts that her Uncle died "in prison" at Fort Leavenworth Kansas on 1 Jan 1976.
Are there any online resources that would verify the death of a prisoner (assuming that he was ...
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5
votes
1
answer
135
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Finding death record of Charles Brown Filshie born 1910 Gorbals, Lanarkshire, Scotland?
He married Eliza Ward in Sunderland Durham England in 1936, but she remarried in 1944 stating she was widowed. However the Glasgow register of 1945 has Charles Brown Filshie living with his brother ...
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1
answer
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Looking for Canadian Pacific Railway worker James Edward Allan/Allen, believed to have died in Canada/USA about 1925?
The last member of my family on my mother's side died in February 2014, and while alive refused to give me any information about our family or my maternal Grandfather. While my father's side is well ...
5
votes
0
answers
37
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Significance of registration by Registrar General versus Assistant District Registrars in New South Wales
I've just received a death certificate for someone I believe to be one of my ancestors from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
All the other NSW certificates that I have from around the ...
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5
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0
answers
137
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Is there a meaning in a name marked on the rear of a headstone rather than the front?
I have found a family headstone with the names of the deceased on the front (with many details), and a military cross (for their son) in front of the stone. On the rear of the stone is a name and age, ...
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