wch spylt himselfe

[GrahamSimons]

I'm looking at our parish records - transcribed and printed in Victorian times so at least I'm not dealing with handwriting issues!
I've now found two burials for men in the 1560s, both noted in the register as "wch spylt himselfe." The remainder of the burials just have names and abode; some are anotated poor, but there is nothing else on the deaths.
Has anyone have any clue as to what this might mean? I'm curious......

[Rian]

According to this book (found by Google): "Punishing the Dead?: Suicide, Lordship, and Community in Britain, 1500-1830" it means he suicided.

[GrahamSimons]

Hmmm - that's ever so helpful. But also raises another question. I thought suicides at the time were not supposed to be buried in consecrated ground. So how or why did he get into the register? Were suicides buried outside the churchyard somewhere but still recorded?

I'd love to have a day's conversation with the Rector of the day. Come to think of it, I'd love to have a conversation with the Rector today, but we are in an interregnum and have no Rector!

[Rian]

There's an interesting forum on this subject here:
https://www.british-genealogy.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-61132.html

[GrahamSimons]

Thank you for both of those references. Fascinating!

[PaulineJ]

There is a suicide (pre 1900) in our local yard.
Burial register states "buried without service".

Pauline

[ThrelfallYorky]

It may even be that if he "spoilt himself" it may not directly have been suicide, but that his lifestyle / behaviour contributed to his demise?

[JenB]

The Oxford English Dictionary the word spylt (i.e. spilt) as an archaic past tense of the word 'spill' which meant to destroy by depriving of life; to put (or bring) to death; to slay or kill. or to  destroy or kill (oneself).

[ThrelfallYorky]

Ah, I'd got a slightly different meaning lodged from earlier reading. Thanks for the correction.