In previous blogs, the value of a death certificate has come to light. It goes without saying that a death certificate tells a small story about the loved one who has passed away. For todays blog, we learn of my ancestor, Richard Bielby, who passed away in 1838. We learn that he died from ‘cancer’, which was an interesting diagnosis from almost 200 years ago. Perhaps the attending doctor was skilled in the recognition of such a thing? Presumably, poor Richard just wasted and emaciated away until death? The certificate reveals that the death was reported by his son, Joseph, so fortunately for Richard, he wasn’t all alone. For an occupation, Richard was a ‘shepherd’ which truly was a unique detail to learn and he also lived to be 55 years of age. Such was good for his era as the average life expectancy was less than 40! We wrap up this blog by learning that Richard died on December 25, so it wasn’t much of a happy Christmas for the family.
