I’ve always felt that every death certificate tells a story about what the persons life was like. On March 1 1847 my ancestor Jane Hinderwell (born Owston) passed away in the East End of London. It wasn’t specifically stated, but her cause of death ‘bed sores’ led one to wonder! A bed sore is a by-product of long confinement to bed and in itself is ‘ghastly’! To have bed sores to such extent as to cause death is incredible! Without access to a medical diagnosis for Jane further complicates the matter. Back in 1847, it’s possible she never had any illness identified. It’s very possible she had had a stroke or maybe she had an accident that left her incapacitated? Whatever the truth of the matter was for her, the poor lady had a miserable fate.
