Hello During some research we have found a family member born in 1906 whom we understand to be one of triplets. Only two were born alive and one was stillborn and they were born at home. We have checked birth and burial records which show the two, but we know that the other baby would not be in there. We have looked for the burial records but there is nothing that shows. I know that sometimes a stillborn baby was slipped into an adults coffin (usually female) so not causing any further burials or fees. My question is would there be any records ie at a local undertakers of this? All involved have now passed on and only the son of one of the surviving children is alive and knows nothing further. Ingrid Billings

Hi Ingrid, In the early 20th century attitudes to still-born babies were very different from nowadays. Even up to the 1970's, when my sister had a stillborn child, it was felt better if the mother never saw or held her dad baby and it was simply taken away. My sister only knew about the burial when she got the bill for it some weeks later - it was all arranged by the hospital. This would have been even more the case where this mother had two other (probably quite small and frail babies) to look after. In all probability the dead baby was taken away by the midwife or doctor who attended the birth, and as you surmised, buried in another cofffin. Since at that time there was no record of stillbirths, there would have been no requirement to record the fact. I would guess you are unlikely to find any record. Sad, isn't it. Anne On 5 Dec 2012, at 12:18, Ingrid billings wrote: > Hello > > During some research we have found a family member born in 1906 whom we > understand to be one of triplets. Only two were born alive and one was > stillborn and they were born at home. We have checked birth and burial > records which show the two, but we know that the other baby would not be in > there. We have looked for the burial records but there is nothing that > shows. I know that sometimes a stillborn baby was slipped into an adults > coffin (usually female) so not causing any further burials or fees. > > My question is would there be any records ie at a local undertakers of this? > > > All involved have now passed on and only the son of one of the surviving > children is alive and knows nothing further. > > Ingrid Billings >