Find Ancestors

Sorry 'little Nell' only just looked back at this thread I went to this site.........bethlemheritage.org.uk/ I then sent them an email asking about my rellie fortunately I knew the year he had died but they were very helpful and it cost me £5 for the records posted to me well worth it. the museum is in Beckenham kent so if thats near you worth a visit. sandie

Hi Guinevere That could explain why then. Will look at the parish records when I get time on day. That might give more info. Ben

Hi, If he killed himself because of poverty then the family probably could not afford a headstone. Have a look for his burial in the parish register sometimes there is extra information. Gwynne

Hi all Perhaps it was the pressure of having his 8 children and working in the mill to earn the crust for the household that got to him. He was probably in an unsound mind and thought of the only option. But, if taking your life while of an unsound mind isnt regarded as suicide, then why would his grave in the churchyard be unmarked if a normal burial could go ahead? The NBI says his burial took place in Letheringham village Church. That is how I found his burial info. Ben

Sandra How did you get the records, did you have to visit and if so where? I ask because my insane murderer gt gt granduncle was placed in Bethlem temporarily before being transferred to Broadmoor where he spent the rest of his life. nell

My gggrandfather Hung himself in 1873, he was in Bethlem Asylum at the time and I was lucky enough to obtain the full records from their museum. it even gives the post mortom details Now I know that sounds a bit gruesome but I did find it interesting....all the more so because he was a very religious man a city missionary and as such would have known of the stigma attached to suicide. I was told though that they tried always to put unsound mind or Insane on certificates otherwise the wife couldnt claim his effects. sandie

One of mine (from a newspaper report)- 'The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane and under the influence of drink.'

That's right - so Ben's rellie should be in the normal churchyard and buried with normal rites and ceremony etc. Mind you, the date he gives, said rellie might be in a local cemetery rather than churchyard??? and Heather, your GGF didn't commit suicide, he only killed himself whilst of unsound mind! It doesn't sound much difference to us, because we forget about the implications of the difference between the two. That's not to say that the net-twitching neighbours wouldn't have had a field-day over it though!! Merry

Oh right, got yer so it meant he could be buried properly. Mmmm

But hang on everyone.........I thought that if you caused your own death whilst OF UNSOUND MIND that meant it WASN'T suicide?????? I thought that was why inquest juries usually brought in an ''unsound mind'' verdict (during this time we are talking about, suicide was a criminal offence, don't forget) - in order that the family would not have the ''shame'' of a suicide and a ''normal'' burial could go ahead. Merry

My GGF committed suicide in 1912. This had been a family secret and my aunt was horrified when she could see I was delving and getting close to the truth. The cert says hanged himself while of unsound mind He was a businessman in London so you would think it would be easy to find the inquest but no, nothing has come up.

Hi Ben I to was shocked and upset when i discovered my Gt, gt grandmother committed suicide, leaving behind 5 young daughters. The corners reports im told are destroyed after 25 years but i managed to find her death reported in local newspapers. They reported the cirminstances what led to her taking her own life. Sadly after a long search i still havent found were she was burried. Good luck with your search julie

Ben, Sorry this is not regarding this matter ......... it's re your other thread '1911 census release' What do you intend doing with all the name's that have signed your thread ? ......... are you going to print it out and hand the 'petition' to anyone in particular ? I would be grateful if you could let me (and everyone else) know please. Elaine :-)

I went to the churchyard of Letheringham village and couldnt find Jesse's grave. I just read that suicides were buried in the hours of darkness with no ceremony in an unmarked grave. I would imagine the grave was at the back of the church out of sight of the main graveyard.

Hi all Sue you are my saviour. Thanks for finding that out, and what he killed himself with. I had thought it might of been arsenic but it was strychnine. I would still like to know why he would be so depressed as to kill himself though. My grandfather Ronald Titshall was probably never told of how his grandad died. His dad was 10 at the time so would of known, and Jesse's wife lived until 1941 as my grandad was born in 1913. Obviously suicide is a very delicate subject to tell in a family. Ben

Hi Ben, You may be able to find out more by looking in the local newspapers for the week of the inquest. An inquest was held into my great grandfathers death and it was well reported in the newspapers. it was suggested I looked there when I enquired about the inquest report at the records office. Liz

Hello Ben, it is sad when this happens my gg/uncle committed suicide in 1895 age 24 although he threw himself under a train they did not bring in a verdict of suicide. I got the whole story from the local paper of that time and it was quite a full report , the things his father said about him and the people he worked with, and reading between the lines you could tell it was suicide it was a very sad story. Perhaps you can get a report of it in the local paper of the area at that time Margaret

Hi Ben, Your story is really sad, but at least he had fathered some children. Mandy

Hi I have just recieved the death cert today of Jesse Titshall my great, great grandfather who lived in the sleepy village of Letheringham in Suffolk and was a miller. His 1894 death cert says 'he poisoned himself due to being in an unsound state of mind at the time' He was only 43. The cert says an inquest was held. It would be nice to get hold of the coroners inquest records to get more info. Sad way to die. Ben