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Cant find death record

  • 10-01-2020 12:43pm
    #1
    wellboss
    Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭


    Hello,

    I am looking for guidance on trying to track down my relatives death records. Both of my great great grandparents were alive in their 80/90s in the 1901 census, however they appear to have died before the next census. However I cannot seem to find any record of their deaths on the national civil or church records for that time.

    Was it common that deaths were not recorded back then? The lived in the country but it wasn't particularly isolated, 4-5 miles on a main road from Enniscrone to Ballina in Co Mayo.

    I have searched all variants of their names that I can think of but unfortunately still no records coming up.

    Any Ideas or reasons that may explain this?

    Thanks in Advance


Comments

  • #2
    Hermy
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 11,300 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hermy


    If you'd like to provide some details of who you're looking for maybe one of us can have a look for you.

    Sometimes it's just down to spelling errors in the transcriptions.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • #3
    threetrees
    Registered Users Posts: 1,219 ✭✭✭threetrees


    Have you searched based on first names only? I have a few records where the surname wasn't transcribed correctly and it wouldn't have occurred to me to even consider the name that was transcribed.

    Sometimes you have to go through a lot of records to find the one you need.


  • #4
    pedroeibar1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    wellboss wrote: »
    ..............Was it common that deaths were not recorded back then? .................I have searched all variants of their names that I can think of but unfortunately still no records coming up.

    Any Ideas or reasons that may explain this?


    Do not give up too soon! Have you done a newspaper search? Done a wider GRO search (died in a hospital in Galway, for e.g.) Looked at Findagrave? Looked at local cemeteries? Checked if there is a local history /Facebook group to ask? That couple was too old to be on a visit to a son/daughter in England so it’s likely they died in Ireland.

    If, after extensive searching you would have to resign yourself to non-registry. From 1864 when registration was introduced it was acknowledged that there was significant under-recording of all BMD events. The Registrar General for Ireland repeatedly drew attention to this in his annual reports.

    In his first Annual Report relating to 1864 he stated:
    “I consider that many Births, Deaths, and Marriages have not been registered... notwithstanding the exertions made to induce a general compliance with the law throughout the country, numerous cases of neglect to register births and deaths have been reported to me by the District Registrars” (p. 16).

    Years later, in the sixteenth Annual Report (for 1879) a new Registrar, commenting on the rise in deaths recorded in that year, stated:
    “The excess in the death-rate [in 1879] is not altogether owing to the increased mortality which it implies, much of it being due to the improvement in registration effected through the Burial Returns obtained under the Public Health (Ireland) Acts, 1878-9, the provisions of which, authorizing these Returns, were put into operation in the course of the year...” (pp. 5-6).

    Mainly due to the tightening up of the regulations surrounding an improved social welfare system in the 1930’s forced compliance with births and marriages, but registration of deaths has always been a problem – I recall one study of mortality tables highlighting the non-reporting of deaths was particularly high as late as the 1990’s – over 10% in some counties, and the West was worst.

    The main work on the subject is Dean, G. and C . Mulvihill , 1972. "The registration of births and deaths in Ireland", Journal of the Irish Medical Association, Vol. 65, No. 5, 101-105.


  • #5
    wellboss
    Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭wellboss


    Thanks for your replies.

    The Names are
    Michael Reape/Rape/Ralph(e)/Reeps
    Margaret Reape , variations as above

    Both lived in Farrangarode, Co Mayo in 1901, their son John is still on the land in 1911 married and with one kid. As you say unlikely to have gone to live with another relative and there is a story that he died in his garden when he was 100. What truth is in that I am not sure.

    http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Ardmaree_North/Farrangarode/1570343/


    Will give the first names a go, thank god there were only a few people named margaret and michael back then :eek::eek:

    With regards local graveyard records, I know where my great great grandfather is, Michael Reapes son. He is in a small unmarked grave in an overgrown graveyard beside Kilanly Church Co Sligo. This information was passed down from my grandfathers older sister who remembered the burial in 1921. As far as I know there are no official records for this graveyard, only the main one beside the Protestant church 100yrds up the road.

    Briefly did a newspaper search previously but it is something I could return to now that you mention it. The local library does have local papers from that time.


  • #6
    KildareFan
    Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭KildareFan


    Strange that both Margaret & Michael were clearly listed as aged 89 in the 1901 census & their son john was 35 which means that both were aged 54 when John was born....


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  • #7
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    For reference, here's the census:

    http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Ardmaree_North/Farrangarode/1570343/

    I find the ages of the parents suspiciously old. Have you looked for the deaths of much younger people?
    Also, note they were illiterate and Irish speakers. Their age could have been written wrong and they might not have realised.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • #8
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Using Grenham, the 3 main variants seem to be Reap, Reape, Rape.

    Almost exclusively a Mayo name with very little use. Searching all deaths 1901-1911 countrywide with those variants only throws up about 40 names total but no Michael or Margaret over 50.

    However, have you discounted this Margaret Reape death aged 83 in 1917?
    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1917/05219/4444029.pdf

    It's in Rathreedaun, which looks to be about 11km from Farrangarode.
    There's a 69 year old Michael living there in 1911.
    http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Kilgarvin/Rathreedaun/700808/

    And a death of a Michael Reape aged 89 in 1915 in the same place.
    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1915/05278/4465560.pdf

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • #9
    leck
    Registered Users Posts: 1,357 ✭✭✭leck


    wellboss wrote: »
    Hello,

    I am looking for guidance on trying to track down my relatives death records. Both of my great great grandparents were alive in their 80/90s in the 1901 census, however they appear to have died before the next census. However I cannot seem to find any record of their deaths on the national civil or church records for that time...
    Hi wellboss, I see you had a similar thread a few years ago on this search. Covers a lot of the same ground that's being gone over again in this thread.


  • #10
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Thanks for finding that Leck.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • #11
    wellboss
    Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭wellboss


    Hi,

    Thanks for your help again, yes I had queries a few years back but that was related to my great grandfather, I am searching for his parents death. I have all the other information sorted now. Just thought there may be something I was missing while searching the online civil records.


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