Morbid, inevitable, often poignant – and a huge part of genealogy. In this episode I look at searching death records, what to look out for, what you may find on certificates – and how an ancestor’s cause of death can tell us so much about their lives.
Also in this episode, I share an invaluable experience of seeking out living relatives, as well as covering some of the recent developments in genealogy websites and record sets announced in the last month.
The main subject, however, is the natural successor to the previous two podcasts. First we had births, them marriages – and now, it’s the much less celebratory ‘death’ category. Topics include; which deaths to look at in detail, when you may want to order certificates, how to deal with inquests and some of the striking causes of death that I’ve come across over the years.
A difficult subject to cover, but I hope I’ve managed to strike the right tone – balancing the genealogical significance of death records with the respect due on such occasions.
As ever, all content is offered in good faith. Please remember if you choose to spend money on certificates, this is done at your own risk. I hope you find this episode useful.
Recommended drinks to accompany this episode: It’s quite a long episode. Maybe consider something that won’t go cold.
Recommended biscuits to accompany this episode: Funeral biscuits. They’re a real thing and worth a Google.
https://amateurfamilyhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/episode-6.mp3