Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

The forum is free to join and you do not need to be a member of the society. You will receive an email to activate your account before you will be able to log in. Please check spam filters and junk mail folders for this email.
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 9:37 am

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:01 am 

Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:57 pm
Posts: 3
Hi,
I just got the interesting death certificate of my great great grandfather.

Cause of death is listed as "He was found dead having committed suicide by cutting his throat whilst insane from Excessive Drinking" and location is Queen's Park in Manchester (his residence is Great Marsden, Nelson).

Does anyone know where or how to find the inquest records?
I'd love to find out more about this.
(We think it sounds so unlikely that someone would slit their own throat.)

Thanks!
Meredith
California, USA

Full Transcript:
Registration District: MANCHESTER
1898 DEATH in the Sub-district of St. George in the County of Manchester
No: 438
When and Where died:
June 25th 1898
Queen's Park
Rochdale Road UD
Name and Surname:
Frederick Dyson
Sex: M
Age: 45 years
Occupation: a Joiner
Cause of death:
He was found dead having committed suicide by cutting his throat whilst insane from Excessive Drinking
Signature, description and residence of informant:
Certificate Recieved from Sidney Smelt Coroner for Manchester Inquest held 27th June 1898
When registered: Twenty Eighth June 1898
Signature of registrar: Eldred Milward Deputy Registrar


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:32 pm 
Spider Lady
User avatar

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:23 pm
Posts: 8183
Location: Staffordshire
You may need to apply to the Archives at Preston. If they don't have it, they should know where you would need to apply to. The other option is a newspaper report. They were quite detailed back then.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:43 pm 
Spider Lady
User avatar

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:23 pm
Posts: 8183
Location: Staffordshire
Does it say on the death certificate that his usual address was Gt Marsden? I ask because I have just found a newspaper report (of which I can provide you with a transcript later but I have to pop out shortly) and the newspaper report indicates that the Frederick Dyson who died of drink in Manchester was a native of Manchester. It begins......Frederick Dyson aged 45 of Park-street, Monsall.

Part of the suicide note (according to the news report) reads that he wishes to be buried in his native town of Manchester. It also gives the impression that he had no family except his mother and stepfather.

Could the death certificate be for the wrong Frederick Dyson?

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:19 am 
Spider Lady
User avatar

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 9:23 pm
Posts: 8183
Location: Staffordshire
My apologies, my mistake. I misread in my rush yesterday - he mentions 'wife and family at Nelson'. Here is the transcript.

Manchester Times
Friday 01 July 1898

Suicide of a Manchester Man
Extraordinary Letter

An inquest was held by the Manchester City Coroner (Mr. Sidney Smelt) on Monday, on the body of Frederick Dyson, 45, joiner, of Park-street, Monsall.- Edwin Smith, of Conran-street, Harpurhey, said that deceased, who was his stepson, on Thursday last had been drinking heavily. He called at witness's house and asked his mother for some money, but did not say anything about committing suicide.
A rather extraordinary letter, which was found upon the body of the deceased, was read by the Coroner. It ran as follows:- "My Mother lives at 199, Conran-street, and I have lived at 20, Park-street, Lilley-street, and my tools are at Samuel Wlakden's. 'Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.' I will not mourn, for He who gave me life also gave me the power to take it, and also the will when I was dissatisfied. My best friends have been the poor, you know about the others. I have been acknowledged as a good workman, and also industrious. But, the best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley. Ask my mother if she will look after my last rites, as I wish to be buried in my native town of good old Manchester, and cheerfully at that. Better now than to grow old and decrepit, and a burden in body, hoping that He who 'shapes our ends, rough hew them how He will.' will forgive all poor mortals who commit errors. For I have always had a better opinion of the kindness of the Omnipotent than some whom I have heard preach. The fact is, that in present circumstances, or as far as I can see, the future of life is not worth a struggle in the few remaining years of my life. My tools should be got and sold, or drawn to pay some money at the lodgings, which is not much, or which way may be thought best by my friends, shopmates, or relatives, or as my friend Joe may suggest. There is also my banjo down at the lodgings, which is worth 30s., and I daresay my chest of tools is worth £5 just as they stand second-hand. My wife and family live at Nelson. Good-bye to them and good-bye to Joe, and all the boys on the croft, and all friends. I am not afraid of death. My end has come, and I have had my innings. I am tired, but cheerful. Good-bye once more before I go to my long, long rest."
William Blackshaw stated that he found the body of the deceased behind some railings under a clump of trees as he was going to his work in Queen's Park at four o'clock on Saturday morning. -Constable Goddard, who was called to the body, said the man's throat was cut, and a razor was lying beside him. He appeared to have died without a struggle. -A verdict of "Suicide whilst insane, brought on by excessive drinking," was returned.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:17 pm 
Genealogist in Waiting
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:57 pm
Posts: 389
Location: Richards Landing, Ontario, Canada
What an eloquent letter he wrote. Certainly not the words of an insane person, but of a tired and depressed one. Fascinating look inside a man's thoughts as he prepared to leave this life. Considering he was a tradesman I would hazard a guess that he was well read, if not educated.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:04 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:06 pm
Posts: 479
Yes I agree, what an articulate man and a moving letter, weary but full of faith in the world he was going to.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:20 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:55 am
Posts: 13
I had a quick look at Nelson library but the Nelson Chronicle didn't carry the story.

The census shows that Frederick Dyson moved from Manchester and married Jane (Leech?) in 1876. By 1881 the couple were back in Harpurhey, Manchester with 2 children.

By 1891 they were on Bradley View in Nelson with 6 children. It appears that he left his family in Nelson who, in 1901, lived on Cumberland Street.

From at least the 1930s there was a firm called Dysons Joinery in Nelson. I know Jack Dyson (son of Frank) who was part of the firm and it appears that he might have been from the same Nelson family.

If this is the case then Meredith would still have relatives in Nelson.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group