Reading and Understanding a Death Certificate

[donnab]

Hello Everyone:

I wonder if someone might be able to tell me if I am reading a death certificate correctly and what a meaning of something might be. I purchased the certificate for Harriet White nee Stirton she is a GGG or GGGG Grandmother. She died North Leith, Edinburge City, Midlothian. Her parent’s names are listed on there as George Stirton and Janet Stirton very exciting find since I couldn’t find much on Harriet before this. Now for my question under Janet’s name I see this M, by Katten and than in brackets (deceased) does that mean that Katten is her maiden name I was thinking the M was for maiden. Would anyone know if that is how they record the maiden name on a certificate? What I found interesting about this death certificates is that they don’t indicated where they are buried. Any help would be appreciated. Many Thanks

Donna

[nelmit]

Hello Everyone:

I wonder if someone might be able to tell me if I am reading a death certificate correctly and what a meaning of something might be. I purchased the certificate for Harriet White nee Stirton she is a GGG or GGGG Grandmother. She died North Leith, Edinburge City, Midlothian. Her parent’s names are listed on there as George Stirton and Janet Stirton very exciting find since I couldn’t find much on Harriet before this. Now for my question under Janet’s name I see this M, by Katten and than in brackets (deceased) does that mean that Katten is her maiden name I was thinking the M was for maiden. Would anyone know if that is how they record the maiden name on a certificate? What I found interesting about this death certificates is that they don’t indicated where they are buried. Any help would be appreciated. Many Thanks

Donna

Hi Donna,

Yes that's how it should be.
Janet Stirton
M.S. (maiden surname)------------

When did Harriet die and what age was she?Burial locations were only recorded from 1855-1860.

Looks like her mother's maiden name may have been Catton. Is this family related? The mother's maiden name , strangely enough is White.


Father: George Stirton, Mother: Jane

1. HARRIET STIRTON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 12 AUG 1874 Ecclesmachan, West Lothian, Scotland
2. GEORGE CATTON STIRTON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 17 FEB 1868 Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland
3. JANE STIRTON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 21 MAR 1867 Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland
4. ELIZABETH STIRTON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 26 MAR 1872 Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland
5. JANET STIRTON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 13 APR 1870 Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland

Regards,
Annette

[nelmit]

Is this Harriet?

HARIOT WILKIE STARTON

Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
17 SEP 1820 Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland

Parents:
Father: GEORGE STARTON Family
Mother: JANET CATTEN

Regards,
Annette

[donnab]

It wouldn't surprise me if their families were connected this is happened a lot with my family and it makes my research a little confusing. Both the items you provided me with seem to be connected or look like they are thank you for looking that up for me. She died Nov 3, 1896 her husband William was still living at that time. So I guess that is why it didn't list where she was buried.

Donna

[WilmaM]

Donna,
Only a few death certificates in Scotland stated where the person is buried

Annette:

Burial locations were only recorded from 1855-1860

Your lady died long after the time period that it was recorded.
If you would like to find that information, then perhaps looking at a newspaper announcement oof her death would help.

[donnab]

Thanks for the suggestion where might someone find an obit for Scotland back that far haha sorry to be pushy but I'm in Canada so I wouldn't know where to begin. Thanks

Donna

[WilmaM]

As she died in Leith the "Scotsman" would be the first one that springs to mind.

They do have digital archives:
http://archive.scotsman.com/

but there are others on Talking Scot who have more experience in that field.

[nelmit]

I don't know whether you need, want or have this but here are Harriet's parents + siblings living right next door to her in 1841 from FREECEN-

Piece: SCT1841/661 Place: Abercorn -West Lothian Enumeration District: 3
Civil Parish: Abercorn Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island:
Folio: 0 Page: 15
Address: Binns Barn

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
STIRTON George M 50 Cotton Weaver Outside Census County (1841)
STIRTON Janet F 45 West Lothian
STIRTON Andrew M 13 West Lothian
STIRTON William M 11 West Lothian
Page: 0/16 STIRTON Jean F 9 West Lothian
STIRTON Mary F 7 West Lothian
STIRTON Helen F 4 West Lothian

Regards,
Annette

[donnab]

No I didn't have this info thank you everyone is so helpful on this forum.

Donna

[Currie]

Hello Donna,

I had a search in the Scotsman but nothing at all turned up. The sort of obituary that tells a bit of a story about a person, as far as I can see, is generally only published in the UK for people prominent in the community. You do see death notices, containing the bare facts about a death of about two lines in a narrow column but very few in the Scotsman compared to the total number who would have died in the City and thereabouts.

I recently made up a list of all my Edinburgh area deaths between 1880 and 1950 to check in the Scotsman and didn’t find a single one. They were probably too poor to afford a notice or maybe there was another Edinburgh newspaper or a more local newspaper most ordinary people bought.

All the best,
Alan