age

[yappie]

Hi Folks
This probably seems a very stupid question but was there any lower age limit on informing the Registrar of a death. I have just received a death certificate for my 2xgreat grandmother and the informant is her step daughter who was only fourteen at the time. I am sure one of you knowledgeable gennies will know the answer.
Regards

[MaryA]

I can imagine that at 14 she may not have been asked her age, things were very much different then and much that wouldn't be acceptable nowadays would have been overlooked then.

If she were adult enough to be present at the death and possibly the only person who was, then it's likely to have been allowed on that basis, especially if no doctor had been in attendance during the last few days and the step daughter had been doing the caring, perhaps not a lot of money in the household for doctors?

[Tina]

Good reply Mary!


Tina

[dickiesam]

Just to reinforce MaryA's point, I have a death cert for a great-aunt who died in Brownlow Hill Infirmary in 1922. Her death was reported/registered by her only child, a 15 year old son.

I doubt if the Registrar asked him how old he was as long as he had the note of the death from the certifying doctor. I think the important thing was that a doctor certifying the death would be enough evidence to register the death, irrespective of how old the informant was provided they were obviously not a young child. The 14 years old step-daughter that Yappie reports as registering the death had probably already been working from the age of 10 or 12. Different times.....

Dickiesam

[yappie]

Hi Folks

Thank you so much for your informative and speedy replies. I was thinking along the same lines that 14 was not considered a child back then. So sad when you think how short childhood was. Thank you again.
Yappie

[Glenys]

As I've mentioned before the most important question asked by the Registrar is 'Are you a relative of the deceased' and then 'Were you present at the death'.

The informant is giving the Registrar details that he or she knew the death had occurred.

[yappie]

Thank you Glenys for taking the time to reply. I tend to equate life as we know it but back in the 1860's and as I said in my previous post childhood was very short. I cannot imagine my 15 year old Granddaughter being sent to register a death.
Regards Yappie

[salee]

since 14 y old was considered the age for going into service, taking an apprenticship, going to sea etc it probably was considered adult enough back then.

life was short then never mind childhood! bye