inquests Archives - Cumbrian Characters

Dead but no one noticed: sleeping arrangements 1800s

Posted on October 10, 2021October 10, 2021 by Harriet

Sleeping arrangements in bygone times could see servants sharing a bed with their employer. As this curious 1835 inquest hearing records. ‘Suicide not noticed for 16 hours by woman sleeping next... Read More

Attitudes to suicide down the centuries

Posted on January 13, 2019January 22, 2021 by Harriet

Attitudes to suicide is a tricky topic to cover. I have seen the impact it can have on those ‘left behind,’ and witnessed reactions and attitudes in modern Britain. This piece on attitudes to su... Read More

Curious deaths – death certificates and family history

Posted on June 8, 2018January 22, 2021 by Harriet

Cause of death is a key feature of death certificates, not only for family (and the state) at the time, but also for social and family historians. Knowing an ancestor died of TB helps us to ‘know’... Read More

Cumbrian Characters

Family history is so much more than names and dates

Tag: inquests

Curious deaths – death certificates and family history