Can you decipher cause of death?

[JAP]

peterb, I agree with you from my own experience of UK death certs (obviously not exhaustive!) since the start of Statutory Registration (1855 in Scotland, Sep 1837 in England) that old age ('Old Age' or 'Senectus' or 'Senile Decay' etc) for a 63 year-old would probably have been unusual - perhaps he suffered from what we would call early onset Alzheimer's?  Or perhaps 'old age' was just a convenient excuse because the doctor didn't really know the cause!  I don't mind seeing old age as a cause of death (as I have) for my Gggfather (died 1876 aged 78), or my Ggggaunt (died 1897 aged 86), or another cert I have (died 1869 aged 97) but I fear I'd be a bit suspicious if the cause of death for a 60-ish person were listed as old age.  Though the following is admittedly anecdotal evidence, all the UK death certs I have of people in their 60s give quite specific causes of death e.g. tumours, apoplexy, chronic bronchitis, etc.   And UKgirl, my experience would not support your comment that PeterB's "great-great-great grandfather lived to a GREAT old age".  It would be interesting to see genealogical actuarial analyses based on known facts of life expectancies at birth, during childhood, in young adulthood, and then once middle age had been reached.

JAP

[UKgirl]

And UKgirl, my experience would not support your comment that PeterB's "great-great-great grandfather lived to a GREAT old age". JAP

Sorry, my comment was meant to be a little ironical to soften the blow that his gt. gt. gt. grandfather had died prematurely. We are all sad to see that our ancestors suffered an untimely death. I was trying to console him, a little. And in comparison to a baby who died at birth, 63 is a GREAT age.
I too can swank of a gt. gt. gt. gt. grandfather who died in 1867 at the age of 92 (not a city dweller!), but I didn't really think that that would do much to cheer him up.

Oh well, I was just trying to help, and put things into perspective.
UKgirl

[peterb]

Ukgirl, I really don't need the "blow" softening. Nor do I think that he "died prematurely" I am not sad, it was 160 years ago. I don't need to be consoled, or patronised, for that matter.
I do, however, think that a death at 63 might have a definable cause other than a vague "old age". Poor sanitation, poor nutrition, poor health care, etc may have caused people to die young but "old age" never did.

My original point, I think, was that 63 was fairly young to be dying of "old age" rather than some readily diagnosable condition.

PeterB

[UKgirl]

Hello PeterB,

I don't need to be consoled, or patronised, for that matter. PeterB

"Patronised"  ..............Certainly not intended Not by any means

I am sure that many of us shed a little tear in our hearts, if not actually physically, when we read a death certificate of one of our forbears, and imagine their hardships, however long ago they died.

Or, at least that's what I have thought. But, perhaps it's just me being overly sentimental. Obviously you feel differently.

Anyway, I am sorry that you took offense where absolutely none was intended. As I said, I was just trying to put things into perspective with a bit of historical context.

Wishing you the best of luck with the rest of your future research,

Cheerio ,

UKgirl

[Darcy]

Hi Peter,

I have two death certificates with cause of death as "senile decay" and in both cases the age is under 70 years.

I have another one which has cause of death as  "Not  Known, Not Certified".

I can only imagine that my great grandmother reported her mother had died and she didn't know why - and was issued with the certificate anyway. A bit different fron today.


UKgirl: I cry over every death certificate that I recieve no matter how long ago the person died. 

Regards
Darcy

[Rose Lea]

:)Hi Peter,

I have just read everyone's messages and I have to say that I think that UK Girl has a point.   On one side of my family many were farmers in Lincolnshire during that period and a number of them lived to 'ripe old ages', but the other side were miners in Derbyshire, where people had a much harder life, living in terrible conditions, and therefore if they reached their sixties, doctors would have thought they had done well under the circumstances and would have considered them old, whereas a doctor living in an area where life wasn't as hard would have a different view on what age he considered old.

Regards,
Jane

[Andy001]

I agree with Jane that UKgirl has a point and most of my research agrees with the statistics.
And after looking at those brilliant websites UKgirl gave the links to,I'm surprised anybody reached the age of 63,especially in Manchester!

Peter,you said that "Poor nutrition,poor sanitaion,poor health care etc  may have caused people to die young but "old age" never did."

Those conditions meant that 63 was old.


UKgirl:I also feel sad every time I recieve a death cert,or look up a burial,no matter how long ago it was,I think most people do.

[louisa maud]

UK Girl
You sound a very kind natured person UK Girl

Happy hunting

Louisa Maud

[UKgirl]

Hello Louisa Maud,

A little time has passed now, but in accordance with your own posted topic: "little word goes a long way"
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,153551.0.html
I definitely should not fail to say "thank you" in public for your generous words

You sound a very kind natured person UK Girl
Louisa Maud

Actually, I am no more or less kind natured than anyone else 

But seriously though, I would like to point out that your above comment is equally true for ALL the 8 people who used their own time and kindness to reply to the post of PeterB.
And it is also clearly true for the hundreds of others who volunteer to offer their help and comments all over Rootschat every day.

Happy hunting to you too,
 
UKgirl