Bodies left to Medical research?? where to look???

[speyser]

I am trying to locate the burial ground for my great grandmother. Her name was Jessie Hay... married to Thomas Stewart Hay... her maiden surname was Whyte. She was born in Lossiemouth 7th October 1879 and died at The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 16th March 1931. It appears she had been sent to Ediburgh for treatment and died there. I cannot find details of her burial anywhere. She is not buried in the Moray area.... I have contacted the Mortanhall Crematorium and they have no details of her burial either. My Mother suggested that her body may have been left to Medical Research.... its a long shot I know... but does anyone know where I could start looking for such records. I presume they must exist somewhere. Thanks

[LesleyB]

Hi speyser

Is it possible she may have been cremated rather than buried?

Best wishes
Lesley

[AndrewP]

Hi Speyser,

You may need to try and find a funeral notice in a newspaper to solve this one.

All the best,

AndrewP

[SarahND]

Hi Speyser,
Nothing brilliant to add to Lesley and Andrew's replies except welcome to

U.S. death certificates of that time usually have a question about the disposition of the body-- I guess this question was not asked on Scottish death certs?

Regards,
Sarah

[Moray_Lass]

Hi Speyser and welcome

I don't know if you know Libindx but there is an entry there NM270180 and it only gives the hospital too, if she was buried in Moray I'd expect a headstone number (assuming there was a headstone, none of mine have). If she was left to research wouldn't the nearest Edinburgh teaching hospital keep a record?

http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp

[Lindsay]

When I was a student (Dundee) I'm pretty sure there was a memorial book in the anatomy dept with the names displayed, similar to those a crematoria keeps. Not sure if that would have happened in 1931, but I would imagine there must be other records. Of course, they may be reluctant to disclose these but I would think it's worth asking as you can explain the close connection. The Medical Schools are deeply appreciative of the donations and hold a memorial service which the students attends (I believe the bodies are cremated).

[Currie]

It’s 1931 and Scotland is in the dark depths of the great depression. There’s massive unemployment and no money for anything. Gran is sent to Edinburgh for urgent medical treatment and she dies there. The family can’t afford the medical bills, or the cost of a funeral, or the cost of bringing her home. The Hospital makes a suggestion to the family and they agree that her body be donated to Medical Science.

In 1931 the relatives could effectively donate deceased family members to Medical Science. This was provided for by the Anatomy Act of the 1830s whatever. They did not need prior approval from the deceased and it wasn’t required until fairly recently. http://www.culturalcommission.co.uk/Pub ... 8807/32274 Donations from areas distant from a University, or whatever, would not have been suitable and it’s probably less likely people from such areas would have requested such a thing.

The practice of body donation was probably something that appealed to very few people at that time. I doubt there would have been any special program or prior consent forms or anything like we have today. It’s probably the sort of thing that may be mentioned in a will but even then the relatives would have the final say. Even if the University or whatever needed extra supplies they would not necessarily consider the body suitable.

The only relative of mine who donated her body was a supposed opera singer who turned out to be a concert pianist. The newspaper death notice, there was no funeral notice, included ” Body bequeathed to the University of New South Wales”

Ministry of Health (MH)
Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland, (MH1-3), registers, accounts, reports and letter books, including supply of bodies to schools of anatomy, 1842-1949; Scottish child care files, 1954-74 (MH4).
http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/scottishGo ... er1707.asp

Something like that,
Alan

DONATE TODAY! (They only want you for your body)
http://www.hta.gov.uk/donations.cfm

[Tracey]

Nothing to do with medical research .....but

Are you connected to Louis or Lewis Whyte (parents Lewis Whyte and Margaret Nicole) who worked the fishing in Lossie, worked the Quarry at Glenlivit and married a Helen Campbell in Aberdeen ?

[speyser]

hi Tracey ... I have a Lewis Whyte in my family tree. Born Lossiemouth 1794 died Lossiemouth 1862. He was married to a Janet Calder,. I have a few Lewis Whytes scattered through my tree... so possibily a connection somewhere

[Tracey]

Unfortunately there is no family connecton to me re Whytes but Louis / Lewis was a friend of my gt grandfathers and a lady called Annie Humphrey in Lossie used to write my gt grandfather ( i think she was his girlfriend) and let him know the goings on when he was away at sea early late 1800's early 1900's and Louis and his mother are sometimes mentioned in these letters. My gt grandfather was also witness to the above mentioned marriage and i have a copy of the wedding invitation.

You never know........................ !