RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Midase on Wednesday 14 August 19 12:00 BST (UK)
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I have a family member, quite distant, who died in childbirth. I can find no record of any child being born at the time of death. Could it be that the baby died at the same time and was never 'born'? I know where she is buried and the records only show her as being in the plot. Her details are: Harriett Duddridge (not Dudderidge) Born 1896, died 19th July 1930 aged 34. Her husband was present at the time of her death, so I assume its unlikely that the child would have been immediately adopted. They had 14 children between them, four of whom died, so they were doing quite well!
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Do you have a copy of her death certificate,as you say her husband was present.
What is the cause of death stated on it.
Looks highly likely to be Stillborn.in which case there would be no birth details or registration.
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According to a post on rootschat from AntonyMMM the stillbirth register came into being c1927
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Hi Rosie,Certainly I have one still birth circa 1930s which went to term and there is no record of it,appart from Church records which show it was buried with a non family member who happened to have a burial same day,unnamed baby,with mothers name given.
Another one lived 48 hours and was registered for birth and death.
Am sure you are correct regarding a Still born register some where for this period.
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The stillbirth register is not open to the general public.
That's why you don't see the entries.
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How can it be accessed then.
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Just posting a link from Windsor & Maidenhead that gives info on obtaining a historical stillbirth certificate
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01o79/
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Thats helpful Rosie.
If there was a Still birth,it can be clarified.
Cannot believe though that all were notified.
Although much later,during early 1960s as a student nurse, when I was working in a Wiltshire hospital,most large foetus were collected by Porton for research purposes.How else could they discover information on medical defects/infections.
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Yes, I have the death certificate which reads: A) Coma B) Eclampsia C) Pregnancy Childbirth No PM
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Marriage June 1914 Bridgewater
Harriet Groves to William H Duddridge
Is this correct.
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I think that couple are in the 1939 register in Bridgwater- from free index [with middle intial H for William] so that Harriet was still alive.
ADDED: 14 children by the age of 34...there are a lot of Duddridge children around that time registered in Bridgwater MMN Duddridge, so maybe William & Harriet never married?
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I think that couple are in the 1939 register in Bridgwater- from free index. so that Harriet still alive.
No, she is definitely deceased, I have the death certificate!
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I maybe didn't make it very clear but my point was that the William H Duddridge & Harriet Groves 1914 marriage possibly wasn't your relative....
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Marriage June 1914 Bridgewater
Harriet Groves to William H Duddridge
Is this correct.
No Brionne. She married Thomas Henry Duddridge in July of 1919.
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Could you post her correct marriage details as you have it please.Thanks
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Off on a tangent here..
I'm actually from Bridgwater... And funeral directors in the family.
When my mum had a still born child, what happened to the baby once they took it away, normally back then mother wouldn't see the child..
My relations explained, that apparently in the case of a still born baby, the baby would be taken to a local funeral director, then the baby would be placed in the foot of the coffin of the next person to be buried. So they had a christian burial almost.
But no record would be kept, of what still born baby went to what funeral
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Could you post her correct marriage details as you have it please.Thanks
As in the BMD, Thomas H Duddridge = Harriett Searle, Bridgwater 1919.
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Jo see post 3.
The church concerned was St Andrews South Newton Wiltshire,where I found a record [note form] of the still born in my own tree buried with a stranger.St Andrews records were still being held then at the church some years ago now.
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Off on a tangent here..
I'm actually from Bridgwater... And funeral directors in the family.
When my mum had a still born child, what happened to the baby once they took it away, normally back then mother wouldn't see the child..
My relations explained, that apparently in the case of a still born baby, the baby would be taken to a local funeral director, then the baby would be placed in the foot of the coffin of the next person to be buried. So they had a christian burial almost.
But no record would be kept, of what stillborn baby went to what funeral
I suspect that the infant was with her in the coffin. Thanks Jo.
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Marriage record shows Thomas H Dudderidge 1919 Bridgewater
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Just to add as a point of interest.
In Scotland the legislation only came into force in 1938/1939 requiring a still birth to be registered.
My great aunt died in 1929 aged 32 giving birth. The baby was stillborn so no registration took place.
Fortunately, the information has been passed down the family that the baby was buried with his/her mother in a family grave.
The death certificate makes horrendous reading.
Dorrie
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Marriage record shows Thomas H Dudderidge 1919 Bridgewater
Sometimes the spelling goes awry. He is actually Duddridge and is how he was born and buried. I came across another instance of this where a Charles Duddridge put Dudderidge on the census but when he signed it, he signed it Dudderidge and then wrote over it to correct it to Duddridge!
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You can apply to the GRO for a stillbirth certificate.
See here for info https://www.familytreeforum.com/content.php/374-Stillbirth
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They had 14 children between them, four of whom died, so they were doing quite well!
I can only find 4 births all in Bridgwater.
March 1921 Duddridge Thomas H mothers maiden name Searle
Dec 1924 Mary J Dudderidge MMS Searle
Mar 1926 Gwendoline Dudderidge MMS Searle
Sep 1927 Charles Dudderidge MMS Searle
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My maths had thought that 14 children between 1919 & 1930 & by the age of 34 was going some too, Larkspur. However OP did state 'between them' so maybe Thomas had some children before marrying Harriet? Perhaps Midase can post details of those and also the '4 that died'.
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aaah you are right I did not pick up on the "between them" ::)
Cannot find a death or marriage for another wife in Bridgwater though.
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My apologies to those that took the time to look but I made a mistake. It was her father that had the 14 children! :(
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You can apply to the GRO for a stillbirth certificate.
See here for info https://www.familytreeforum.com/content.php/374-Stillbirth
Thank-you Carol for the information.