Bigamous marriage

[DavidWW]

There was considerable confusion after the introduction of civil registration in 1855 as to the exact purpose of the RCE procedure, and just which types of situations and events should be recorded via an RCE entry.

I have a railway death from 1877 which I would in my ignorance expect to have an RCE entry. The DC mentions only the name, no profession, nor whether or not married, but has the age (where from?) if that´s all the info available. The date and where died are there plus a description of the injury and name of the doctor who performed the PM, then "Registered on the information of Melville Jamieson, Procurator Fiscal" This was sixteen days after the accident, which happened in Dunkeld, a fair way from home in Port of Menteith.

For me, not a conclusive DC with no mention of parents nor spouse, but the only explanation for my gr.grandmother´s stepfather´s disappearance. So far I have found no references in newspapers.

Thrall

If there ain't an oval stamp in the extreme LH column, then there ain't an RCE entry !!

Where there wasn't a member of the immediate family, or a doctor/nurse, or a "friend", or a neighbour who was prepared to act as the informant to to the registrar so that the death could be entered in the Register Book of Deaths, then it's not uncommon to find the informant being the local Procurator Fiscal.

David

[Thrall]

If there ain't an oval stamp in the extreme LH column, then there ain't an RCE entry !!

Thank you David, there ain´t!

This DC is all the same an enigma, to me at least. The authorities found the identity and age of the unfortunate victim, but did not have, or did not register his marital condition, occupation, or his parents´names. I would have thought that this information was all known by the same person(s) who supplied the name and age, so why does it not all appear? He was an elderly farmer (73) who sustained head injuries. Head out of carriage window?
Obviously one of those mysteries that will remain with me as long as I am curious. No quips please.

Thrall

[ninatoo]

Thanks also from me David. I received your email at the alternative address which loaded perfectly.

Nina

[LesleyB]

Hi Thrall

I would have thought that this information was all known by the same person(s) who supplied the name and age, so why does it not all appear?

I have a few deaths where a neighbour has been the informant - often they will know the name of the deceased and the approx. age but would have no clue as to parents' names or if the elderly person was a widow/widower for example. It maybe depends how long they had been neighbours and how well they knew each other in these kind of circumstances I think, and also, especially in some country areas, a "neighbour" could live at quite some distance away.

Best wishes
Lesley