What was the saddest death in your Tree ?

[Beth86]

I've had many babies being buried a few days after being christened (so I'm assuming still-birth) 

I think these are more likely to be infant deaths rather than still-births - a still-born child would not have been baptised.

Regards, Bill

Thanks very much.  I didn't know that fact!  Because now still-born babies are baptised/christened!

[philipsearching]

One of the saddest deaths in my tree was that of my great grandfather Harry Mount.  He volunteered in 1915 aged 42, served in the Royal Engineers until discharged as unfit for further service on Boxing Day 1916.  He was too ill to work again.  He died in August 1917 leaving a widow and three children aged 8, 5 and 3.

His wife had three brothers and two sisters.  Two out of the three brothers died in the Great War and all three sisters became war widows.

[Emjaybee]

By the age of four I had witnessed my family losing my eldest sister at 24 my brother at 17 and my sister at 17. (TB) I have memory of being in the church, being held up by my Dad to look at a brass plate, and not knowing why.

I was only four yet I still feel the loss at nearly 70. What if they had lived, what would our family be like now?

[adee7]

Hi Meldrew,

As I posted here earlier, mine was the loss of my parents' first child -- a girl.  As you, I often wonder what my life would have been like if she had lived.

Regards,   Kathleen

[Les de B]

Three instances come to mind for me;

1) A gg Aunt's niece who drowned in the late 1800's. She was 12, and was collecting shells, when she fell into the water, and the weight of the shells she had gathered in her dressed kept her under water.

2) My g grandfather's son broke his neck diving into Botany Bay, and drowned. The gg grandfather later remarried and 2 of his others sons, aged 6 and 13 both drowned in Botany Bay the same day in 1922.

3) Same g grandfather (bad run of luck!). Another son 18 old, tried to enlist in WW1 in 1915, but was rejected. He tried again when 19, and was accepted. After training sailed to England then to France. Only 2 weeks after joining his unit at The Front, he was "wounded with gun shot wounds to abdomen, shoulder and thigh. He was operated on immediately but owing to the severe internal injuries he did not recover".

No doubt I will find some others to pst as well.

Les

[kaz-ginger]

whilst researching my dads side of my tree i came across the death of my great grandfather aged 35  haemorrhage from a wound in his throat inflicted by himself with a razor whilst temporarily insane.

then researching my mams side i have my great great gran died aged 48 suicide by drowning whilst temporarily insane, apparently she turned on all the taps in the house then walked to the river and drowned herself.

also on my mams side my great great great grandfather died aged 47 committed suicide by hanging whilst in a state of temporary insanity,

then a couple of weeks ago my gran told me that stanley worked on the farm, when i said whoose stanley, she said he was her uncle, but he shot himself.

so four suicides 3 or them in the same family.


karen

[Lydart]

Sad, but not like some of the above ... my great grandfather was born six months after the death of his father, and great grandfathers twin died soon after birth ...

[Windsor87]

This one isn't as tragic as others in this thread, but I can announce that I have found my first thunderbolt victim.

My greatx5 grandfather, John Bruce, was struck by lightning on the 17th May 1864 at New Pitsligo (Aberdeenshire). He was 69.

[Bawtry]

My great grandmother burnt to death in a house fire in 1963, in Sheffield. It's thought that she caught fire with the candle that she used by her bed (she was 83 and set in her ways).  It was a terraced house and there was hardly anything left. She was completely incinerated.

I guess she had a good innings but a terrible way to go...