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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: kate beasley on Sunday 01 May 05 16:19 BST (UK)
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A death certificate records cause of death as 'Visitation of God?'
Has anyone else ever come across this term?
I assume it was some kind of accident. The Deputy Coroner was the informant but the Coroner's records (1870) have been destroyed!!!
Have searched newspapers but no joy there.
:)
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Often used in a sudden unexpected and unexplained death. where they have no idea of cause. Probably heart attack or stroke. Use is quite common. I had an instance reported in a newspaper where a mum went missing and was later found dead in an outhouse. Cause given was vistation by God.
Expect someone will give a more detailed explanation.
Tricia
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No more details but, if you Google for
"visitation of God" + genealogy
you will get many hits and a good idea of the circumstances in which the expression was used.
JAP
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It was a term in favour for some time and was used as a catch all for any unexplained death where there was no known medical history and was perhaps most often used in what we now know as "Cot Death" in infants. Although as has been said it was also used for adults, again where nothing was known about any possible medical condition suffered by the deceased.
The term began to fall out of favour as pathology began to push the bounds of known medical science.
One area where a similar term is still in use is insurance as in "Caused by an Act of God" to explain any non attributable accident (or to get the insurance company out of making any payment ;D )
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Much appreciate all your replies.
And there was I thinking he had been struck by lightning!!
;D
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I have one from 1842. There was an inquest. In cause of death it says
"Effusion of blood to the left ventricle of the brain. Verdict Died by the visitation of God"
This I believe is what we know of as a stroke.
Great terminology. I got some people, not normally family historians, interested when I told them about it.
Sylviaann
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Thanks very much for your reply. I'm slightly disappointed 'cos I thought I had found something of real interest. I was thinking he might have been struck down by lightning!!! Never mind.
Thanks again
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I recieved a message today with information about some of my ancestors, and I came across an ancestor that died in 1842, his cause of death was Visitation Of God.
My mother and I are curious as to what this may have meant?! It's intriuged me quite a bit!
Moderator Comment: topics merged
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I wonder if that was a way of saying that the doctor had no idea why the person died? An act of God...sort of thing?
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Visitation of God: Listed in the 1909 Manual of the International Causes of Death 2nd Revision As: Cause of death not specified or ill defined.
Tricia
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Probably means old age or natural causes.
"It had been said that death from Visitation of God might imply a punishment from God of someone who was sinful, but it could also mean someone who was blessed by God because they were spared from enduring a distressing illness or they were rewarded for their virtuous life by admission the heaven."
Quote from Archiac Medical Terms. www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk
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One of mine died from An effusion of blood to the left ventricle of the brain and the Coroners verdict was Died by the Visitation of God.
So this man had what I think was a stroke in 1842. He must have had a post mortem. I don't know when post mortems started or who had one then
I would assume yours was a sudden death and there was no post mortem. Probably a stroke or heart attack.
Sylviaann
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Just received a death certificate back from the GRO and the cause of death for my 83 year old 5 x great grandfather was a Visitation of God!!!!!! :o :o :o :o
Is that catching and how does it manifest itself ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Kerry
Moderator Comment: topics merged
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In other words, they havnt got a clue, or it was a bit of a c**k up by the Doctor.
Linda.
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Maybe he saw an angel and died of fright :o ;D
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Linda !!!
I hope the latter part of your reply is not the real reason that Kerry's gt grandad died :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
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Or you could go all religious here and say that God took him, as his time on earth was up.........ie he was visited by God ;D ;D ;D
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Sounds like a variation of the old Dave Allen sign off line --
'May your Gods go with you'. Only this time he came.................
Gadget ::)
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A visitation from God,would be to powerful for a person to take in,so he could have been struck dumb,and maybe blind!!but in reality he had a Stroke.
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I wonder if he was hoping for a Visitation of God, when it happened, he was disappointed and wished he had'nt hoped for one.
Whoops with my upbringing I probably shouldn't say that!!!! :o :o :o :o
The informant was actually the Coroner, so would he have had a post mortem?
Kerry
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Oh I am so sorry Kerry, and I know this is very off topic, but I didnt know about your new RC status. Congratulations.
Linda.
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Thanks Linda, yes I am now a Marquessate, whatever that is!!!!
Does it mean I get a bonus :o :o :o :o :o :o
Kerry
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I have today received a copy of the death certificate for my g g g grandfather John Harper - Blacksmith - who died in 1850 in Claverley.
Cause of Death - "VISITATION OF GOD"..
Has anyone any idea what this means.
Is it a term that was used if cause of death was unknown.
Fay
Moderator Comment: topics merged
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Fayl
I have a death certificate dated around the same time with visitation of God on it. I think it just means he died. I think it may have been used when they weren't really sure of the cause of death as you say.
Lovely term though isn't it!
Kerry
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This website gives a bit more information.
http://www.antiquusmorbus.com/English/EnglishV.htm
Kerry
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I've merged this with another topic and added it to the lexicon.
See Visitation of God in the RootsChat Lexicon (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,234766.0.html)
Bob
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Think they either used that or `infirmity of body` which also sort of covers pretty well everything dosnt it!!! ::)
M
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Sorry Bob if I posted in the wrong section, should have done a search first to see if there were any other postings on the same subject.
Was just too eager to find out.
Anyway, thanks for the replies and for steering me in the right direction. I am a little bit more enlightened (just wish the coroner had been).
However, Shropshire Archives have informed me that there was an inquest into this death at the Quarter Sessions so when I get the chance I will visit them in order to view these documents.
Regards
Fay
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Was just too eager to find out.
At some time or other it get's us all that way ;D
Sorry Bob if I posted in the wrong section
No problems :) :)
The Lexicon is growing steadily, and, as the number of postings grow, the search results are growing, too ;D
Bob
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I've got one: a report from a Salisbury newspaper of 1825:
On Saturday last Sarah Trowbridge, a widow woman, while standing in the corn market, in this town, complained of a pain in her head, and expressed her intention of returning home; she, however, suddenly fell down and expired. An inquest was held on the body, and the jury returned a verdict- Died by the visitation of God.
Possibly a sudden and very profuse hemorrhage in the brain ? At least it was quick for poor Sarah.
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Pior to 1875 the recording of a death was down to the registrar touring his district and finding out about it for himself. Burial could also take place without a doctors certificate up to 1875.
The result is that the registrar had to determine for himself a cause of death. "Visitation of God" was thus a fairly usual entry in the register when no other reason could be determined.
David
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Just found my first ever "Visitation of God" recorded by the coroner of Burslem, Staffordshire in October 1848
- John Copestick aged 52, a brickmaker of Tunstall, Staffordshire - a time given as "12 at noon"
- his widow remarried in May 1849!