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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Suffolk => Topic started by: Margo47 on Thursday 08 October 09 17:48 BST (UK)

Title: 2 Mystery's on one death certificate!
Post by: Margo47 on Thursday 08 October 09 17:48 BST (UK)
Can anyone explain  please?
On a death certificate the cause of death is paralysis of brain. The other mystery is the fact that this is a married lady whose husband is a fisherman and she died in the workhouse.
Title: Re: 2 Mystery's on one death certificate!
Post by: Benn2509 on Thursday 08 October 09 17:53 BST (UK)
Hi Margo, I've just googled paralysis of the brain, and it means Cerebral Palsy. Perhaps her husband couldnt look after her due to her condition, so she ended up in the workhouse???
Benn
Title: Re: 2 Mystery's on one death certificate!
Post by: Evie on Thursday 08 October 09 17:58 BST (UK)
She could  have been in an infirmary attached to the workhouse.

One of my ancestors was, yet his wife and father in law (a wine merchant) were at home so I wouldn't say they were really poor.
Title: Re: 2 Mystery's on one death certificate!
Post by: Rick on Friday 09 October 09 13:08 BST (UK)
evie is probably on to something here.  Workhouses were also hospitals and the likelihood is that this lady was far too ill to be nursed at home, and needed to be admitted to the Workhouse infirmary for treatment and nursing care.

Rick :)
Title: Re: 2 Mystery's on one death certificate!
Post by: Nick29 on Friday 09 October 09 13:14 BST (UK)
I agree.  My g.g. grandfather died in the Greenwich Workhouse of TB, and I'm pretty sure that the family paid for him to be in there.   Ironically, my father died of cancer only a matter of yards from where his ancestor had died, because 117 years later Greenwich Workhouse had become Greenwich District Hospital (after first becoming St Alfeges Hospital).