Benjamin McLean died 5th June 1878

[AileenA]

Hello Everyone

I'm helping a friend with her family tree, she has an ancestor who died on 5th June 1878, he cut his throat and was transported in a cab to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, he died on the journey there. I've found an article about the suicide in the Glasgow Herald. Just wondering if we would be able to gain more info on this sad event, would there have been an enquiry for instance and if so where would we begin to find the results of it. Also can anyone tell me of any other Glasgow newspapers apart from the Herald that might have done a report of the incident?

Many thanks
Aileen

[Rockford]

Hi Aileen,

The story in the Herald is, unfortunately, all you may be able to find. The other paper to try is the Evening Times. The death happened too early for the Daily Record. There is an outside chance that the Edinburgh based Scotsman may have picked it up depending on the circumstances and what else had happened that was 'newsworthy'.

Have you seen the death record on Scotland's People? There may be a link to an entry in the Register of Corrected Entries (RCE), which might provide some additional information, although this might be minimal. My understanding is that when someone died in such circumstances, a report was sent to the Procurator Fiscal (PF), who decided whether any additional investigation was required and the outcome of this would be noted on the RCE - for instance if the cause of death was initially unknown. You still see press and news reports now regarding deaths etc where it concludes with "a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal". From the time period, I don't think any PF records will have survived.

There would only have been an official inquiry (such as fatal accident enquiry) in very limited circumstances and sadly, suicide was all too common in this time period.

Best wishes

Brian

[AileenA]

Hello Brian

Thanks for getting back to me, haven't seen the death certificate on Scotlands People as my friend had already gone to register house and bought the cert. I may still go and have a look though.

I will certainly try the other newspapers to see if anything further can be found. According to the report that I have seen in the Herald there was an argument between himself and his wife during dinner on the day in question, she ran out to get help after he struck her and whilst she was gone, he calmly sharpened a knife, kissed his children and entered another room whereupon he slit his throat. Absolutely horrific! I may go look in the Mitchell to see if she applied for poor relief after the incident. I have been uanble to find her on the 1881 census so don't know what became of the family.

kind regards
Aileen

[Currie]

Hello Aileen,

The story appeared in the Dundee Courier on 6th June, but was only about 60 words including the heading and was probably just a summary. There was no sign of anything in The Scotsman.

Strangely, there’s not a single issue for 1877 or 1878 in the 19C British Library Newspapers for the Glasgow Herald. It’s a similar situation for the year 1874 in a Welsh newspaper that’s important to me. Yet for at least 20 years either side there doesn’t appear to be a single missing issue!

All the best,
Alan

[AileenA]

Hi Alan

I managed to see it in the Glasgow Herald Archives online which was great, is there anyway to have online access to the Dundee newspaper? If not is it possible for you to cut and paste and email the article for me? Would be eternally grateful lol!

Many thanks for your help and your search.

Aileen

[Currie]

Hello Aileen,

I just realised that this story is for a James McBean, not the one in your heading (I never read headings), but it’s the same time, same station, same story, and there couldn’t be two of them surely.

I’ve put it on PhotoBucket so you can do a right click and copy. (The Dundee Courier & Argus (Dundee, Scotland), Thursday, June 06, 1878)
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... uicide.jpg

Do you get your access to newspapers via the NLS? Dundee is in Part 2 of 19C BL Newspapers and I’m not sure they have it. https://auth.nls.uk/ldc/browse.cfm?by=a ... e&atid=2,5

Hope that’s it,
Alan

[AileenA]

Hi Alan

Thanks so much for the link, yes I agree it's definately the same guy, too many coincidences for it not to be.
How do you manage to get access to all the different papers, what would I need to join to be able to access them online?

Just found the death cert for his poor wife Catherine, she died a year later aged 38, how very sad, seemingly they lost their son aged 5 years 2 years before Benjamin did the awful deed, wonder if there's a connection with that.

Thanks again Alan, you're a genius lol!

Aileen

[Currie]

Hello Aileen,

Life must have been getting him down.

I get my access via my State Library and National Library which subscribe to various newspaper and other databases.

The 19C British Library Newspapers collection is in two parts, requiring separate subscription. Part 1 has the Aberdeen Journal, Glasgow Herald, and Caledonian Mercury, plus English and Welsh titles. Part 2 has the Dundee Courier plus more English and Welsh.

The National Library of Scotland has lots of newspaper goodies available free online to residents of Scotland, only part 1 of the 19C collection, but also The Scotsman and London Times etc. If you haven’t already, click on the ‘register’ link on the left side of the page. https://auth.nls.uk/ldc/browse.cfm?by=a ... e&atid=2,5

A smattering of County and City libraries throughout the UK subscribe to various newspaper databases but nothing it seems for West Lothian so far.

There’s a pay site at British Newspapers 1800-1900 http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/ but they still appear only to have Part 1.

Al the best,
Alan