Genealogy Chat

Hubbys ancestor died in 1841 at Boldre which is in the New Forest, Hants. He was a labourer and died in the parish where he had lived his whole life. He was 76 years of age and was survived by his wife. There was an inquest into his death, held by the coroner of Winchester. Unfortunately, after a prolonged search, no inquest documents or newspaper reports can be found to enlighten us further. The only clue to what this was all about is therefore the cause of death, which was ''water on the chest''. If he had pneumonia or some other chest infection, surely there would be no call for an inquest on a 76 year old poor man in the days before a Dr's cert was needed at death?? So, what else could ''water on the chest'' refer to?? All ideas greatfully received!! Happy Hunting - Merry x

Merry could he have drowned? Georgina.

Merry, Could Pleurosy (? spelling) be an option? Anne in North London

Merry, just one thing springs to mind, did he drowned? their would be a inquest for that. Roy

Only thing is, if it were pneumonia or a chest infection - then surely it would say that as the cause. Water on the chest - strange description! Could think of various funny options - but wouldnt be that crass this early in the morning! Can only think of drowning as a legit one that would require an inquest. Would the burial record have a informative vicar/clerk who may have added a bit of detail?

Well, that's what I wondered.........Oh I don't know.....somehow it doesn't ''feel right''.......... Anything else, anyone?? Or anything I should know about coroners procedures in those days?? He died 6th June and wasn't registered for death until 23rd, but he had been buried back on the 10th June. (Note he might have been in his coffin on the kitchen table when the census enumerator called!! Sorry, I digress.......................) Merry

lol Heather! Oooh, I just looked on Antiquus Morbus site Water on the chest = hydrothorax wozthat??? Sounds like water on the chest (hydro = water, thorax = chest)......am I going round in circles??!! Merry

Vicar not up to the proper standard! Just said he was an ag lab!! Nothing more. Merry

hydrothorax, Definition, Accumulation of serous fluid in one or both pleural cavities in other words water on the lungs http://mywebpages.*comcast.net/wnor/thoraxlesson2.htm Roy

What a pity the old vicar had moved. I'm fairly sure that it was Boldre registers that I was viewing, when I read that a young chap of 17 had died ' through drinking cold water when he was hot'. Sorry, - no help to you at all. Gwyn

Thanks Roy! I have just seen also that it's a side affect of severe cardiac failure which would be a slow progressive problem. That sounds reasonable, but why the coroner??? I can only think whatever the reason the coroner was brought in turned out to be somthing unfounded - like someone said he had been poisoned or something, but the coroner found he died of water on the chest instead. Who paid for all this? The parish? Merry

LOL Gwyn! It was also a different bloke who wrote, ''murdered by a soldier'' alongside the death entry for another of hubby's ancestors, at Boldre in 1815. That lead us to some really interesting social history, and the conclusion: ''It was a man's world'' LOL ............. young lady was......well, ahem.....a single lady earning her living.....soldier stabbed her when he didn't want to pay her......he was caught red-handed (literally), but he got off :o(( Merry

Just a thought. Is there anything enlightening in the records for his wife? You know... ' the widow of........ who died when........? Gwyn

Merry, There must have been something suspicious for the coroner to be involved, it may just be that he slipped in the bath and banged his head then drowned, so the bump on his head made them think their was foul play? did he have insurance? :-)) Roy

did he have a bath?!

Oh dear, we have wife's death cert, but have not seen the burial entry yet. It was 10 years later though.......... Roy!! Love that! Insurance.....shouldn't think they even had a bath! This family and their immediate neighbours caused all sorts of problems for The Poor Law people as they were living in one parish and working in the next one, so no one wanted to give them any relief when they were out of work as both parishes could think of an excuse. Therefore they were probably destitute at times. Still, things couldn't have been all bad - they must have been living in a healthy way despite their accommodation being described as ''nothing but dirt hovels'' by someone important (I forget at the mo), as they mostly lived to good ages and hardly any of their children died. Merry

LOL Heather!!!! It's not mentioned on the census! Merry

Water on the chest sounds like hydrothorax, which is water not actually in the lungs (as in drowning) but in the pleural cavity, which is the space between the membrane surrounding the lungs and the lungs themselves. If this fills up with fluid - possibly as the result of an injury - the pressure on the lungs prevents them from inflating and basically, you can't breathe. Same thing happens in pneumothorax, only then it is air in the pleural cavity which causes the problem. There's been a lot of it abou on TV dramas recently - you must have seen them, jabbing a hollow tube into someone's chest and miraculously they can breathe again! So, Merry, I would guess your chap had some sort of accident, which caused the hydrothorax, which did for him. That would explain the coroner. Tina

Sorry Tina, I missed your reply. That sounds more plausible than my idea - thankyou! Maybe I should watch more TV! LOL Merry

The cure for water on the chest? A tap on the knee!