Genealogy Chat

Hi,

I'm looking for advice. My great, great grandmother was found dead in 1921. Is there any way I can get info as I know on 1st March 1921 an inquest was held. Her death cert was from Marylebone, London. Her name is Harriet Eliza Callen. She went by Eliza Callen. She was 52 years old.

Thanks

David

What does the DC say is the cause of death? That's the only official reason you'll get.

GRO reference in case you need to order it

ELIZA
Last name CALLEN
Gender Female
Birth year 1869
Age 52
Death quarter 1
Death year 1921
District MARYLEBONE
County London
Volume 1A
Page 657

Although there doesn't seem to be any reference on the BNA, there might be a report in a local paper. Suggest you contact the nearest local library to her home address which has a Local Studies section, or possibly the London Met Archives.

Hi,

Thanks for replying. She died from Lobar Pneumonia & Incompetence of Aortic Valves. Just wondered if there was more to it.

Have you tried the nearest reference library to where she lived? They may have back copies of local newspapers where there might be a write up of the inquest which could give more details. In those days the newspapers would report inquests either on the actual day or the day after the event so it wouldn't take long to check.

EDIT - after reading your last post I would say it was more likely that it was natural causes. The coroner would have got involved if she had not seen a doctor in the weeks leading up to her death - much the same as would happen today.

Kath. x

Thanks Kath, I'll look into local reference library to where she lived.

Natural causes - Heart failure and Pneumonia.

Lobar pneumonia is an acute exudative inflammation of an entire pulmonary lobe, produced in 95 % of cases by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci).
(Pulmonary refers to the lungs)

Aortic Valves are in the heart

She could have had undiagnosed heart problems for years

Found dead where please? If she was at home, it may be just a case of she hadn't consulted a doctor when she became ill. No NHS in those days and people were often reluctant to send for a doctor. The inquest may have been because her death was unexpected. Did she live alone? I have a couple of death certificates that give the time last seen alive rather than the time of death.

Hi,

Thanks for replying. I believe she died at home. I just thought it was strange that an inquest was made but given the facts you and others have mentioned it doesn't seem that strange.

I think she was separated from my great, great granddad and living on her own.

In 1990, my brother collapsed in a hotel where he had gone for the weekend.

He was taken to A&E at the nearest hospital, which happened to be in another judicial jurisdiction.

He lived in yet another jurisdiction.

He was due to go to hospital less than 2 weeks later to determine the next stage of treatment for his very wonky heart ........... replacement of valves, or whatever.

Despite this, a coroner had to determine whether there needed to be an inquest, and in which jurisdiction it should happen. The final decision after 8 days was that there was no need for an inquest as he had seen a doctor within a certain number of weeks AND the pending hospital appointment.


so, no, nothing suspicious about how your ancestor died except that she died alone and had not seen a doctor within a stated period of time.