For someone with such a gloomy last name, William Newman Death brought quite a few bundles of joy into the world. Start by finding William and the names of his family members in West Ham, Essex, England, on the 1911 England & Wales Census.
One of Mr. Death’s progeny went on to marry into another family with an equally grim surname.
What was the surname?
Start by finding William Death in the 1911 UK Census. Collect the names of his family members and search them, one by one, in the Marriage and Divorce collections until you find Daniel N. Death, who married Ms. Graves. When you view the record and click “Find Spouse,” you’ll see her first name was Maud. What are the odds they gave their children hyphenated surnames?Marriage RecordCensus Record
Put on your white lab coat and prepare to save some lives.
It’s the late 19th century and the new California State Board of Public Health is reviewing mortality schedules for each district in the state. As you look over your jurisdiction you notice something interesting about the town of Calaveras in Calaveras County in 1850.
Assistant Marshall John W. Jones reported that “this district is remarkably healthy.” And he was right—just two conditions were deemed responsible for the majority of the 60 deaths there that year.
In your report back to the powers that be, you wisely suggest the district invest in privies and a sheriff as a way to save lives in the future.
What were the top two causes of death in the town of Calaveras in 1850?
Answer: Dysentery, shot
Look at the cause of deaths listed on the 1850 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedule. “Dysentery” and “shot” take the top two spots, although “stabbed” and the catch-all “murdered” are close behind. Interestingly, while most of the deceased were miners, the second most common job of the Calaveras dead in 1850 was “gambler.”U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850–1885
You might not have heard of Fleetwood Lindley before, but he has a macabre claim to fame—a creepy honor that gives him a special place in history.
Determine Fleetwood’s connection to history (you can find details in the Stories & Publications collections on Ancestry.com) AND which member of Fleetwood’s family played an important role in earning this claim to fame.
Clue: Sometimes starting with minimal information (in this case a name) can get you the answers you want. Don’t be afraid to look beyond the first page of search results.
What was the historical connection? And which relative helped him secure this claim to fame?
Answer: He was the last living person to have seen Abraham Lincoln’s body. His father helped him.
Fleetwood Lindley, who was born 22 years after President Abraham Lincoln died, was the last living person to see Lincoln’s body. He earned this honor because of his father, who was an honor guard at a 1901 ceremony in which the body in Lincoln’s tomb was verified to be Lincoln.Danville RegisterIndependent
Monsieur Andre Chenier was a French poet of some renown. But not everyone appreciated his passionate prose. In fact, at the time of his death in France, his words were definitely coming back to haunt him.
How did M. Chenier die?
(Clue: Use his name and location to first find the date of his death.)
Answer: He was guillotined.
You’ll know you have the right Andre Chenier by checking for the occupation on his death index. Then dig a little further using the information in the death index. And in a flash, you’ll discover Chenier’s unfortunate, but fast, demise—by guillotine in 1794.Guillotine RecordDeath Index
Before the candles on the cake were even lit, Mr. John Gordon Ramsey’s birthday celebration took a tragic turn. Despite the exotic Brazilian setting of his party, it was certainly the worst birthday he ever had.
Who died and how?Start looking for the answer here.
Answer: He died from congestion after a hearty birthday meal.Death Record
Don your Scotland Yard hat for this challenge.
Cora Crippen (a.k.a. Belle) has been found dead by poisoning in 1910. The prime suspect is her husband, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. The bad doctor and his mistress, Ethel Le Neve, are rumored to have fled London and have boarded a ship from Antwerp to Quebec, traveling under the names John Philo Robinson and John George Robinson (Miss Le Neve is disguised as a boy).
In order to overtake them and apprehend the dastardly duo, you need to figure out exactly where they are.
What is the name of the ship they are aboard?
Answer: The SS Montrose
Search under the aliases in the immigration and travel collection and you’ll find both a passenger list and a wonderfully detailed manifest in Border Crossings: from Canada to U.S. You don’t have to read far to see you’ve found your men, er, man and woman.
As any good inspector knows, there is more to the story, and if you dig a little further you’ll find it. If you search our death collections, including probate records, you will find Dr. Crippen was returned to England, and died in Pentonville prison, Middlesex on November 23rd, 1910. He left his remaining possessions to his mistress, Ethel Clara Le Neve.Border CrossingsProbate Record
It’s February 6, 1925 and there’s a drama unfolding on the pages of the Charleston Daily Mail. William Floyd Collins is trapped in Sand Cave, near Cave City, Kentucky. He’s been there since January 30.
The country has been riveted by the daily reports on the story—and today is an especially poignant. This was supposed to be William’s wedding day. But instead, his betrothed, Alma Clark, waits at the mouth of the cave for news of his rescue.
How does this story end?Start looking for the answer here.
Frederick Dethlefsen was born in 1866. And that’s all we can tell you about him. Using records on Ancestry.com, give us the details that could have been included to write his obituary: birthplace, occupation, lodge or organization he was associated with, his sons’ names, and whether or not his wife predeceased him.
(Clue: All the answers can be found in just one record)
Long before you read him in college lit class, Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) had made such a name for himself as a poet and author that his funeral was held in Westminster Abbey. His executor wanted Hardy buried there, in Poet’s Corner, with the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer and Charles Dickens. Hardy’s own wishes were to be laid to rest in tiny Stinsford, Dorset, England, near his first wife and parents.
Where does Thomas Hardy RIP?
Clue: Be sure to view the image associated with the record.Start looking for the answer here.
Answer: Both Westminster Abbey and Stinsford
Hardy’s ashes were interred in Westminster Abbey, but his heart was buried in Dorset.
To find this remarkable answer, start by entering what you know about Hardy in the search fields — his name, birth and death years, and England for a location. You can narrow down the locations further by entering Dorset, England, as an educated guess. You’ll find the answer in the Dorset, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813–2001, collection. View the record and you’ll see an explanatory line: “His ashes rest in Westminster Abbey, his heart lies here.”Deaths and Burials Record
Legendary railroad engineer John Luther “Casey” Jones was the only person to die when his passenger train crashed outside of Vaughn, Mississippi, in the early morning hours of April 30, 1900. His heroism saved the lives of everybody else on board, including his fireman, when Casey told him to jump.
A train crash couldn’t kill the fireman. What could?
Clue: Click here to first find the fireman’s name in the papers at newspapers.com.Start looking for the answer here.
Simeon T. “Sim” Webb died of broncho-pneumonia at the grand old age of 83. Casey’s selfless heroism gave him the opportunity for a long life and the chance to raise a family. The only hint of his dramatic past on his death certificate is his occupation: “Fireman.”
To find the answer, start a search by entering the information you gleaned from the newspaper article — Simeon Webb died at 83. The article was dated 1957, so we know when he died, and some simple arithmetic gives us his birth year. We also have the location of Memphis. His death certificate, found in Tennessee, Death Records, 1908–1958, lists cause of death along with a wealth of other family history details, including his parents’ and daughter’s names.NewspaperDeath Record
John Gracsok died of injuries to the skull caused by a blunt instrument. Was it murder or justifiable self-defense? Who was the suspect? What was the motive.
Who cracked Gracsok’s skull?
Clue: It’s always worth looking beyond the first page of a record.Start looking for the answer here.
Answer: Murder, son, property
Gracsok is an usual name. In fact, a search for John Gracsok brings up only one record on Ancestry.com in the Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1834–1974, database. These records often include both a form and other supporting materials, such as correspondence, and they can be full of interesting details about an ancestor.
The image linked to John Gracsok is the Report of the Death of an American Citizen form. It lists the cause of death as murder. But it is only one page in Gracsok’s file. The two images before the report explain that U.S. authorities learned of Gracsok’s death only after reading about the murder in the local newspapers.
The two images following the report are a translation of the local district office’s report on the murder, which explains that an altercation between Gracsok and his son supposedly began when the son would not stop whistling. The son claimed he killed his father in self-defense after Gracsok attacked him, his mother, and his young son with hot wax, but local authorities believed otherwise, since the blows came from behind. The final page of the report lists the supposed motive: “The son desired that the farm be turned over to him which the father refused to do.”Death Report
Not 100% sure? Even a guess can help.
Need more help? Learn where to begin in our getting started tutorial.
Death certificates record information pertaining to a person’s death.
Name, residence, place and date of death, birth date and place and cause of death can be listed on death certificates; Additional details may include occupation and the names of a spouse, parents, or children.
Pay attention to the informant, who may be a relative, neighbor or friend.
Information about deceased’s occupation, age and family may not be entirely accurate because it was reported by the informant, not the deceased. Search for other records to verify details.
Both parents are listed with their birthplaces. The mother’s maiden name is included.
Occupation could lead to occupational or association records or could explain earlier work-related migration.
Informant is the person who provided information about the deceased. Research may reveal how they’re connected.
If institutionalized, there may be related records, additional details on a census form, or possibly an entry on the 1880 Defective, Dependent and Delinquent schedule.
Contact the cemetery directly for burial records and to inquire about other family members interred there. Also search the Death, Burial, Cemetery and Obituaries collection on Ancestry.com to find additional records.
Death indexes include selected details from death certificates.
Death indexes typically provide at least a name and date of death. They may include other details as well.
Use details from a death index to order an original death certificate from the issuing authority.
Details in a death index are taken from death certificates, where information was provided by an informant and not the deceased. Search for other records to verify facts.
Always check the Page Tools box. You may find an easy way to obtain a copy of the original death record.
Even a sparse index often contains the information needed to order a death certificate. However, in some instances you’ll also have to prove your relationship to the deceased to obtain the death certificate.
Suggested Records may provide quick links to related records with more details.
The SSDI lists death and other information for persons who applied for Social Security benefits. Most people in the file died after 1962.
Death date and the final address on file with the Social Security Administration, plus other details that may point to the location of death records and more.
Use information listed to order the original Social Security application, which may contain maiden name, place of birth, father’s and mother’s full names, place of employment at time of application and more.
You’ll find help for ordering the original Social Security application under Page Tools. It includes a link to automatically generate a request letter with information about the deceased (note: request must include fee paid to the Social Security Administration).
Use to verify you’ve found the right person and match against census info, birth records and death records.
Last address on record with Social Security Administration. May be final residence of deceased or of a surviving spouse. Use to uncover more records and possibly a death certificate or funeral home record.
Coupled with “Last Benefit” location, may be useful in locating a death certificate or obituary.
Location where a Social Security number was issued can help you track down an ancestor in a previous year.
Mortality schedules list people who died in the year prior to certain census years (1850–1885). At times, they’re the only death record available.
Name, age, gender, color, marital status, place of birth, month and cause of death and occupation. Additional details may include immigrant parentage and whether free or a slave.
Browse through the family’s district for clues about other relatives, natural disasters or epidemics. Newspaper articles and court documents may have been created for deaths with unusual causes.
Certain details may not have been accurately reported to a census taker.
Matching “family number” or last name could indicate a relationship. Search previous census years, birth records and households associated with this mortality schedule to learn more.
Look over the record to catch additional interesting details that may not be indexed. Here we learn “Frank Snow was a woman of ill fame.”
Location of deceased person’s household can be a clue to look for newspapers or property records. Remember, though, that this is just a report from the household. The individual may have died elsewhere.
Unusual causes of death may be a clue to search for a newspaper article, court case or a coroner’s report.
An online search can reveal the story behind archaic names for illnesses. “Gravel” was the term used for kidney stones.
More than 13,000 people killed during the French Revolution are listed, but not all were guillotined—some were hanged, drowned or killed by firing squad.
Names, approximate date of death, approximate birth date, age at death and city of residence. Note that these records are written in French but include easily translated words.
Connect details in small collections to other Ancestry.com records linked to the locations where family members lived and died. Click the map at the bottom of the Search page to find all collections from France on Ancestry.com.
Dive into your old French history textbook to see who was guillotined. Just like Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, there’s a good chance you’ll find them in this collection.
Approximate date of death and city of residence can lead to additional death records on Ancestry.com. Search the Card Catalog to see what else is available.
A history lesson, too! The French Republican Calendar was in use only from 1793 to 1805.
Outside the U.S., birth records can extend far back in time. Review birth record availability for France to see if any include this time period.
Approximate date of death and city of residence can lead to additional death records on Ancestry.com. Search the Card Catalog to see what else is available.
Save the record to your Ancestry.com family tree so the details can be used by Ancestry.com to help you find additional records.
Obituaries are published memorials of a person’s life with details about death; death notices are simple postings of deaths.
Funeral and burial information as well as surviving family members are often included in obituaries, as are occupation, church affiliations, military service, education, birth information, cause of death and more.
Can’t find an ancestor’s obituary? Search for a sibling’s, which may contain similar family details. Use dates of death from obituaries and notices to search for a death certificate.
Obituaries and death notices may have been published in more than one newspaper. In small towns, check the nearest big-city newspaper, too.
Even the smallest notices can include clues, like this one, indicating Bing Crosby was a Friar. Research uncovers his affiliation with the Friars Club of Beverly Hills.
You’ll find three clues in this very brief death notice:
Newspaper title and death date can be used to locate the published obituary, which will help piece together the indexed information shown here.
Locations may indicate places where the deceased or the deceased’s relatives lived. Look for a link on the index page to read the full obituary.
The surname “Novak” appears three times in this obituary—it could be a clue to a maiden name or another family line.
Detailed death certificates for American citizens who died overseas between the years 1835 and 1974. Active military personnel are not included.
Date, place and cause of death, plus additional details including occupation, last-known U.S. residence, disposition of remains and names of friends and family members who were informed of the death.
Look for a passport and passenger list in the Immigration and Travel collection. An obituary may have been published in the last-known residence.
Most files in this collection contain multiple pages. Use the arrows at the top of the record-view screen to move forward and backward. Read everything.
If the record says ‘naturalized,’ it’s an indicator that citizenship documents exist.
Disposition of effects lists the person who was initially in possession of the deceased’s personal belongings. His or her family may still own photos or mementoes today.
Look for an obituary or death notice in the birthplace, the last residence and the towns where other relatives lived.
Research all family members listed to determine how they’re related and if they have more information.
Use the arrow buttons to move forward through the file. Most have multiple pages of information.
Funeral home records include details about the funeral and the deceased. Photos of grave markers(tombstones) are frequently uploaded by Ancestry.com members in the Public Member Photos collection.
Funeral home records may list cause of death and related details, plus occupation, age, residence and who paid for the funeral. Tombstones may list dates of birth and death. Other family members may be buried nearby.
Decipher tombstone symbols—they can be clues to occupations, fraternal organizations, beliefs and religious affiliations.
“Charged to” is likely a relative. Researching this person can reveal more about how the two were connected.
Search for census records and city directories associated with the place of death and other addresses listed.
Place of birth and age may be included, both of which can lead to a birth record.
While Amelia’s tombstone doesn’t include a lot of detail, it does state the name of her spouse—a clue to help uncover a marriage record and other documents.
Research all symbols. They may merely be decorative or they could be clues about the person’s life.