Years ago in the 60's, if u commited suicide, on ur death certificate did it mention...?

Question

you were mentally distured??

I ordered my gret grandfathers who died in 1964 and it said he killed his self by coal gas, after having a mental disturbance.

I thought he might of had a nervous breakdown, but some 1 told me back in those days even if they didnt know what u were like mentally, if u commited suicide, they would put u were mental.

is that true?

Answer 1

I've got at least four death certificates that were suicides.  All have the cause of death as "suicide while the balance of their mind was disturbed" or similiar.

The main reason was apparently because a verdict of deliberate self-murder meant a persons estate could be seized by the crown, whereas if a person was judged insane at the time, his family could keep their estate.  Juries usually tried to pass the "balance of mind" verdict even if there was no evidence of such a thing, as this made life a bit easier for the deceaseds family and vicars were more inclined to bury such a person in consecrated ground.  You could still get prosecuted for suicide in the UK right up until about 1960, though the bit about being buried at a crossroads with a stake through your heart and all your lands being given to the crown were repealed many many years earlier.  The verdict of "unsound mind" has remained though.

Answer 2

believable

Answer 3

Unfortunately yes. The thinking behind it was that you wouldn't take your own life if you weren't mentally disturbed. However, your great grandfather's certificate said "after having a mental disturbance" which would suggest that something happened that took him over the edge. Being mentally disturbed and having a mental disturbance are two very different terms. The former means a long term or permanent mental condition whereas the latter means a temporary disturbance usually brought on by a traumatic event.

Answer 4

Very possibly, mental health issues back then were very taboo and only now are they starting to be more recognised as serious conditions so it is very possible!

Answer 5

I lived in the 1960s, yet have never seen my death certificate. I don't know what would be put on it.

In many cases today, suicides are brought about by mental disturbances.

Answer 6

Remember that at that time Suicide or attempted suicide was a criminal offence and you could not be buried in consecrated ground.

Answer 7

Took their own life while the balance of their mind was disturbed, was how it was phrased.

That was in the days when it was an offence to attempt to take your own life and if the attempt failed you were charged and taken to court!

Answer 8

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrend...

Shows that death by coal gas poisonning was fairly popular but decreased as safe gas was introduced.There are more facts there if you are interested.

Wikipedia says

Under English criminal law, the Suicide Act 1961 decriminalised the act of suicide so that those who failed in the attempt would no longer be prosecuted.

I agree it appears that he was suffering from a blip rather than a sustained MH problem.

Answer 9

dead right....