Attitudes to a suicide in the 1920s

[stanmapstone]

 However, I can't imagine what could drive someone to cut their own throat - such a desperate and bloody act.

Clara

The straight-edge razor was also called the "cut-throat razor" because it was dangerous enough to cut a man, or woman's, throat. This razor would be readily available.

Stan

[carol8353]

 However, I can't imagine what could drive someone to cut their own throat - such a desperate and bloody act.

Clara

The straight-edge razor was also called the "cut-throat razor" because it was dangerous enough to cut a man, or woman's, throat. This razor would be readily available.

Stan

That's what my relative used to kill herself. Her brother's razor, who was staying with them at the time.Sad....very sad.

Carol

[coombs]

My great, great grandfather committed suicide in 1894. He is buried in an unmarked grave. This was in a rural village in Suffolk. He was buried on the day of the coroners inquest.

[meles]

My grandfather's death certificate says "Hanged himself whilst of unsound mind". I understand that it was usual to attribute suicude to an unsound mind.

Have others found that?

meles

[sarahsean]

Hi,

My grandfather commited suicide in the 1940`s by shotgun. As far as i know he is buried with his parents, haven`t been able to find their grave as yet so am unable to confirm this.  It was known as a family secret but never talked about.

 My mother had a photograph of her father in law and we were always told to never let my grandmother know that we had it. Apparently she destroyed all photos of her husband when he died and my father only had one that his Aunt had kept. 

My grandfather death certificate stated death by gun shot wounds self inflicted.  I wish i could have met him to tell him no matter what his troubles things would have got better. 


Regards
Sarah

[aniph]

Can anyone enlighten me on what happened to a Catholic committing suicide in 1918. We are having a family "discussion" on this.

That is, were they allowed a church burial?

Edited to add, he is buried amongst other family, with a headstone.

Thanks
Annie

[meles]

My understanding is that suicide is the greatest sin a Catholic can commit - as it admits to despair.

Therefore very few suicides are buried in consecrated ground.

That's why I asked my question about "being of unsound mind" - I wonder if that was a get out clause - if the suicide was mad, then he could not have been in despair, therefore he could be buried in consecrated ground.

But that's my supposition and I look forward to others' views.

meles

[Rabbit B]

I've just found out that my great-grandfather committed suicide in 1922, fairly gruesomely.

I know that, at this time, suicide was considered a crime, but I haven't been able to ascertain (via a quick google search) whether he would have been buried in unconsecrated ground; or would he have been cremated?  Is it likely in either case that there's a headstone?

The other thing I'm wondering is the effect on his wife and children; how would they have been regarded/treated in view of the suicide?

Clara

Hi Clara,

One of my G.Uncles shot himself which was dreadful for the family, they always said that it was because his wife was very ill, he had just lost his best friend etc no one mentioned the war.

It caused quite a stir at the time because he was a famous man in his day. When I was a child I found all the newspaper cuttings.  It was considered to be a dreadful family secret! He was buried in the family grave.

Now since I have been doing the family history, I have discovered that he was a gunner in WW1, he was also an NCO which made him responsible for his men.  Having lost one if not two of his brothers in the trenches, I am inclined to think that the poor man suffered what they now call post traumatic stress disorder.

A lot of men in the 20's had seen the horrors of the trenches,  They came home to get on with life as if it had all never happened.    

I lived through WW2, there are things that I will never forget.  But we were all supposed to get on with it!  No counselling for any of those generations, life after the war went on as usual.

Rabbit B

[coombs]

My great, great grandfather was of an unsound mind when he topped himself with strychnine.

I reckon he was buried on the day of the coroners inquest just after the inquest itself. They do say suicide burials often took place in the hours of darkness. The village is Letheringham in Suffolk and the church is a quaint one tucked away behind a farm. The churchyard is about 1 acre.