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Monday 14 January 2019

Certificate surprises

I decided to ask for BMD certificates for my birthday and Christmas presents.  I didn't really expect any surprises from the Death certificates but I was wrong!!  Firstly I had a death certificate for my Grandad, Frank Horace Weston.  No surprises there but it did confirm his cause of death.  Secondly a death certificate for my Great Great Grandad, William Eldridge, who had died when only 24 in 1868  Cause of death was "want of iron in blood"; anaemia, as we would say now.  Both of these were on my maternal side.   Finally a death certificate on my paternal side for my great grandad, Thomas White, who died aged 69 in 1923 of aortic aneurism and cardiac muscle failure.  The surprise was the name of the informant as I had believed she had been disowned when she had an illegitimate child.

My final certificate was a marriage certificate for 1840 of my great, great, great grandparents on my maternal side.  How disappointing to find no father's names listed on the certificate.  Perhaps I can take some comfort that at least it didn't list them as "not known".  Who were they?