Death Records Optional?

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:24 am

Just a question which has been bugging me for a while. Was it common, especially when a person was really old & perhaps didn't have much family left, for the death not to be registered. I have been frustrated more than once, tracing a person up through the censuses where their death record should be there, but I just can't find it! Was it more common at different times than others too?

Thanks
Robert

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:46 am

Hi Robert,
As far as I know, death records were required from 1855 on. Anyone who died in Scotland after that time should have a death certificate. This from Scotland's People:

From 1855, registration became compulsory, regardless of religious denomination, and followed a standard format for each record type.

It's true that sometimes, when someone was very old and had no more family close by, that an unrelated person had to report the death and got the details wrong, such as the person's age, parents' names, etc.

If you are having trouble finding a death during the Statutory Record period, why not post the information and see if anyone can help? Sometimes it just needs fresh eyes who have not been worn out with looking for that particular person!

If you post the census information as far as you have it and give any other details you might know, some of us will give it a try.

All the best,
Sarah

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:58 am

There are of course many unidentified bodies found every year that are never claimed or whose details are ever known, even in these days of DNA testing etc.

More likely in big cities though, but still sadly many people outlive thier friends and family and keep themselves to themselves and at the end noone left knows anything about them.

Thier death WILL have been recorded but the details will be sketchy at best.

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:44 am

Thanks for that. I guess I am more looking at the overall situation as I am researching in Australia, England and Scotland - the early Australian records seem to have a lot of rural people not recording deaths! In Scotland the individuals I am having trouble with are Elizabeth Cummock (born Connell in Renfrew or Lanark in abt 1811) and William Patton who seems to disappear arounf the 1850's. Armed with your advice that the death records are pretty reliable

, I renewed my efforts on Elizabeth who I have actually traced back from her daughter Margaret in New Zealand. Not only does Elizabeth disappear after the 1871 census but so do a lot of the others in the family, so I got to thinking about immigration & low and behold they are all popping up on some NZ databases around 1874. So the family must have followed daughter Margaret out to NZ! Thanks for the advice. I wonder what might be the story with William?!

Robert

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:59 pm

Hi Robert,
Which William Paton are you talking about? The one who we couldn't find in 1851 yet who was not shown as deceased on his son's marriage certificate in 1857? To your knowledge, did any of William's siblings also marry around that time and is William recorded as deceased on their certificates? There could be a mistake on one, but less likely the same mistake on two or three.

For others, this is the thread:

http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=105060

All the best,
Sarah