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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Comosus on Sunday 01 January 17 10:25 GMT (UK)

Title: Late death registration/probate
Post by: Comosus on Sunday 01 January 17 10:25 GMT (UK)
I recently came across an entry of a person on the death index, where the death was registered in December. However, cross-checking with the Government wills and probate database, it seems they died in July and the probate wasn't granted until December. I'm not very familiar with the procedures around death/probate as I haven't had to deal with it myself yet. However, I was wondering why there might be a 5 month delay in a death being registered? Is this normal or unusual? For all other deaths that I have recorded, they appear to have been registered within a couple of weeks after the death.

Edit: I should also add that there is an obituary online, with details of the funeral to be held in July.

Thanks
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: rosie99 on Sunday 01 January 17 10:35 GMT (UK)
I wonder if there was an inquest or similar that held up the death registration. The death certificate would indicate this.  Probate cannot be applied for until you have a death certificate
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: Comosus on Sunday 01 January 17 10:44 GMT (UK)
I wonder if there was an inquest or similar that held up the death registration. The death certificate would indicate this.  Probate cannot be applied for until you have a death certificate
The strange thing is that there is an obituary online, including a date of the funeral to be held in July. Can a funeral still go ahead without a death registration, or if there is an inquest into the death?
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: StevieSteve on Sunday 01 January 17 10:55 GMT (UK)
Seems so

Cert I received yesterday from Oxfordshire 1845 had a chap dying from diarrhoea on 6 March, (buried on 9 March) but death registered on 30 April by the Coroner

I suppose they didn't go in for too many toxicology tests in those days (or just got them done quicker!)
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: Bookbox on Sunday 01 January 17 11:06 GMT (UK)
I recently came across an entry of a person on the death index, where the death was registered in December.

If you're looking at an entry in the GRO death index, remember that a registration in December Quarter may relate to a death from the very end of September onwards. You will need to get the death certificate to find out if there was an inquest which might have delayed registration.
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: MaureeninNY on Sunday 01 January 17 11:08 GMT (UK)
I had asked the same sort of question some years ago regarding an 1851 death which probably should have been recorded in April....but wasn't until September.

Paperwork piling up was basically the answer.

AntonyMMM is on this forum. He may provide a clearer explanation.

Maureen

Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: Comosus on Sunday 01 January 17 11:09 GMT (UK)
I recently came across an entry of a person on the death index, where the death was registered in December.

If you're looking at an entry in the GRO death index, remember that a registration in December Quarter may relate to a death from the very end of September onwards. You will need to get the death certificate to find out if there was an inquest.
It is a very recent death however, in the last decade, where registrations of death are recorded by month rather than by quarter.
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 01 January 17 11:10 GMT (UK)
Seems so

Cert I received yesterday from Oxfordshire 1845 had a chap dying from diarrhoea on 6 March, (buried on 9 March) but death registered on 30 April by the Coroner

I suppose they didn't go in for too many toxicology tests in those days (or just got them done quicker!)

If an inquest was held, the death will be registered in the quarter when the inquest was completed. Particularly if there was an adjournment, this may be some time after the actual death and the entry may be in a later quarter than you anticipate. The coroner can authorise the burial before the inquest, but the death cannot be registered until after the inquest verdict

Stan
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: MaureeninNY on Sunday 01 January 17 11:29 GMT (UK)
Just to note on my reply-I wasn't speaking of Qtrs but actual months.
Don't have the cert in front of me but I think the death was March 30 and the death reg was Sept.6.

Maureen
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: lizdb on Tuesday 03 January 17 12:42 GMT (UK)
I would imagine there was an inquest. Death cert would not be issued until after the inquest was complete. However a " permission to bury" cert can be issued, meaning that a funeral can go ahead.
This happened with a rellie of mine, and it took a year before the inquest took place. So her death is registered a year after her death, but funeral took place within the usual few weeks.
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: dawnsh on Tuesday 03 January 17 12:46 GMT (UK)
I'm still waiting for a death cert for a death in February 2015, the coroner is taking his time with this one.

The body was released by the coroner and the cremation did take place 2 weeks after death though.
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: dawnsh on Tuesday 03 January 17 13:16 GMT (UK)
Slightly off-topic, just dug out some notes about the Staines air crash 18 June 1972.

All deaths for this flight were sequentially registered June 1973 at Surrey Northern, the page ranges from 605 to 663.

The Captain's will (S J L Key) was proved however 31 October 1972
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: AntonyMMM on Tuesday 03 January 17 13:52 GMT (UK)
As stated in previous replies...

Deaths that go to inquest may get registered months ( or occasionally years) after the event.

Coroners (and registrars) can issue permission for a funeral to go ahead before the death has been registered.

For inquest cases, coroners can issue a "certificate of fact of death", also known as an interim death certificate which can be used to deal with the deceased's estate including a probate application.
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: JanPennington on Wednesday 04 January 17 02:42 GMT (UK)
Completing probate can take quite a long time.  When my father died in 2005 it took about 12 months.
My father (in England) had tried to minimise death duties and added codicils which weren't 100% clear. We had to track down my brother's children because his wife had cut off contact when my brother died.  Then the solicitor became seriously ill and we had to start again. 

Jan
Title: Re: Late death registration/probate
Post by: Andrew Tarr on Wednesday 04 January 17 09:15 GMT (UK)
Completing probate can take quite a long time.  When my father died in 2005 it took about 12 months.

My gt-gt-grandfather died in Ireland in late 1877, having migrated from Devon in the early 1850s.  Probate was completed in 1883 !  I suspect that a contributing factor was that both English and Irish property was involved, but it isn't the only example I have known where the process in Ireland can grind exceeding slowly.