Genealogy Chat

Hi Johnathan He's down as a Tailor but I'm assuming that is because Sarah registered it and knew her husband's occupation! Lou

Nell Will make a note of that site, not come across it before. Looking at the cert again, it actually says informant 'E Bayley, In Attendance Middlesex Hospital' so quite possibly, yes, the information is less than accurate with regards to his occupation. Or as you say, he changed jobs. It doesn't appear that he was a self employed Tailor as there are no listings for him in Trade Directories for the 10yrs or so prior to his death so every chance he could have gone into another line of work. His son has a different occupation on every certificate and census from 1871 to 1901! Thanks for your help Lou

Lou this is what the wonderful site http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/indexbd.htm says regarding informants of deaths: 'Informant's Details Column 7 is the signature, description and residence of the informant The description of the informant has varied with time. In the early days, the informant was one of the following someone present at the death someone in attendance the occupier of a house the master or keeper of an institution The person present at the death or in attendance (which meant they had been nursing the deceased or in close contact with them during their illness) was also usually a relative, but the early registrations do not give the relationship of the informant to the deceased. By 1875 the relationship of the informant to the deceased was given - together with additional qualifications such as 'present at the death' or 'in attendance'. People not related to the deceased but present at the death still qualified, but only 'present at the death' would be shown. The occupier (usually the owner) of a house or institution (usually the master of the workhouse) still qualified but in addition the following had been added a person who found the body inmate of a house or institution - this was a person living at the same address who knew of the event person causing the burial person in charge of the body A relative of the deceased includes any relation by blood or by marriage so that - apart from the widow(er) of the deceased - daughters and sons, grandchildren, cousins, sons- or daughters-in-law, brothers- or sisters-in-law, second cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces, stepchildren and stepparents all qualify. The early registration will make no distinction between relatives by blood or by marriage so eg it will say brother whether it is a blood brother or a brother- in-law. Someone present at the death could simply have been the person who made a living by sitting with the dying and laying them out after death, or a close friend or neighbour and is not necessarily a relative. ****The more remote the relationship to the deceased, the less likely it is that the information they have given is accurate. ****' nell

Thanks Nell Finding my George Bibb on the 1851 census took me 2 years! I didn't come across any others in the meantime which is why I'm inclined to think it probably is the right person. The informant was a member of staff at the hospital who was 'present at death'. Wife Sarah was pregnant with their youngest child at the time George died so maybe that's why she didn't do it. Or was it usual procedure for a death in a hospital to be registered by a worker? All my others so far have died at home! Lou

I don't know if hospital records would survive - some are destroyed. But you'd need to contact the relevant Health Authority to establish where they are. Who is the informant on the death cert? Bear in mind people did change jobs etc. My grandfather is recorded as a blacksmith on his widow's death cert because the registrar thought it was the most interesting job out of a list my mother gave her! I also have several ag labs who are more genteelly described as 'gardeners' on their death certs. Is this the only George Bibb you've found? You could try assuming he is NOT yours and seeing if you can trace him as a shoe salesman on the census to establish he was a different person. nell

On his children's baptisms, his marriage cert and the 1851 census, he is stated as being a Tailor. The death cert fits as far as it is for a George Bibb aged 32 who died in Marylebone (wife Sarah widowed by the 61 census) but gives his occupation as Shoemaker's Salesman. He died in Middlesex Hospital of what translates as heart disease. Would there be any records I can access to establish that this is definitely my George? Thanks Lou

I've now received the death cert for what I hope is my George Bibb. See below