Descendants of John Ramsdale (b.1689 - d.1736)

Causes of Death and Life Expectancy Statistics

Name	Date of Death	Age	Relationship [21]	Place and Cause of Death
George RAMSDALE	Friday, 3rd February 1843	8	2nd Great Grand Uncle	14 Cox Street, Birmingham: diseased liver [1]
Maria LEES (née RAMSDALE)	Thursday, 27th May 1847	27	2nd Great Grand Aunt	85 Northwood Street, Birmingham: diseased heart [27]
Esther HARBORNE (née RAMSDALE)	Tuesday, 5th June 1849	27	2nd Great Grand Aunt	14 Cox Street, Birmingham: phthisis [26]
Mary Ann RAMSDALE	(1853)	17	2nd Great Grand Aunt	(not yet known: Mar, 1853, West Bromwich, 6b 451)
Thomas PERKS	Saturday, 24th June 1854	50	3rd Great Grandfather	Driffold Lunatic Asylum, Sutton Coldfield: drowning whilst in a state of temporary insanity [32]
Martha RAMSDALE (née JOHNSON)	Tuesday, 30th March 1858	67	3rd Great Grandmother	14 Cox Street, Birmingham: phthisis [15]
Samuel RAMSDALE	Friday, 15th April 1859	68	3rd Great Grandfather	11 Court, Great Russell Street, Birmingham: (1) disease of the heart (2) rheumatism [13]
William HORTON	Monday, 8th September 1862	30	2nd Great Grandfather	Myring Place, Sutton Coldfield: phthisis [7]
Ann Maria RAMSDALE	Sunday, 28th June 1868	2	1st Great Grand Aunt	Park Road, All Saints, Birmingham: (1) rubeola and (2) 9 days pneumonia [2]
Samuel RAMSDALE	Friday, 9th October 1891	64	2nd Great Grandfather	Back 340, Park Road, Birmingham: (1) paralysis and (2) exhaustion [12]
Mary Ann RAMSDALE (née HORTON)	Wednesday, 14th June 1899	38	1st Great Grandmother	General Hospital, St. George, Birmingham: (1) ulcer of leg, (2) pyaemia and (3) exhaustion [3]
George MASON	Thursday, 31st October 1901	73	2nd Great Grandfather	Farmington: fracture of the skull the result of having been accidentally crushed between an engine and a threshing machine [33]
Charlotte CHATER, formerly RAMSDALE (née EVANS)	Sunday, 20th December 1908	76	2nd Great Grandmother	3 Queens Head Lane, Handsworth: (1) senile decay and (2) cerebral apoplexy [25]
George CHATER	Wednesday, 12th October 1910	78	2nd Great Grandfather-in-Law	16 Milestone Lane, Handsworth: (1) natural causes, (2) heart failure the result of a chill [30]
Charlotte Rosina CHATER (née RAMSDALE)	Tuesday, 7th March 1916	45	1stGreat Grand Aunt	16 Milestone Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham: (1) cardiac disease and (2) anasarca [24]
Sophia MASON (née NEWMAN)	Wednesday, 8th April 1925	67	1st Great Grandmother	84 Brougham Street, Birmingham: carcinoma of liver (no post mortem) [6]
James WYATT	Wednesday, 25th May 1927	52	Great Grand Uncle-in-Law	General Hospital: mediastinal lymphosarcoma [31]
Fanny RAMSDALE (née PULLEN)	Wednesday, 19th February 1936	63	Grand Aunt-in-Law	4 Back Street, Lennox Street, Birmingham: carcinoma of sigmoid [4]
George Samuel RAMSDALE	Tuesday, 23rd August 1938	79	1st Great Grandfather	81 Alexander Road, Soho, Birmingham: (1) coronary thrombosis, and (2) arterio sclerosis [34]
George MASON	Saturday, 4th March 1939	82	1st Great Grandfather	1 Western Road, Birmingham: (1) cardio vascular degeneration, (2) senility [9]
Joseph SHRIGLEY	Sunday, 16th June 1940	68	1st Great Grandfather	117 Oakdene Road, Orpington, Kent: (1) cerebral haemorrhage, (2) hypertension [20]
George Frederick RAMSDALE	Saturday, 25th April 1942	55	Grand Uncle	General Hospital, Birmingham: cerebral thrombosis [17]
Caroline Emily DYSON (née RAMSDALE)	Thursday, 14 January 1943	52	Grand Aunt	77 Dudley Road, Birmingham: acute pneumonia [22]
Emily Eliza WYATT (formerly DONOGHUE née Emma Eliza RAMSDALE)	Saturday, 6 March 1943	68	Grand Aunt	92 Teddington Grove, Handsworth, Birmingham: (a) angina pectoris and (b) arteriosclerosis [23]
Rebecca Jane SHRIGLEY (née NORMAN)	Wednesday, 13 March 1957	79	1st Great Grandmother	152 Meadway, Hayes: (1) cardiac failure (2) chronic myocardial degeneration [8]
Isabella ARTHUR (née SHRIGLEY)	Tuesday, 26th July 1960	55	Maternal Grandmother	Brompton Hospital, Kensington, London: (1) carcinoma of liver (2) carcinoma of lung [10]
Sidney Joseph RAMSDALE	Sunday, 19th November 1967	70	Grand Uncle	92 Teddington Grove, Perry Barr, Birmingham: (1) general carcinomatosis (2) carcinoma of pancreas [16]
Charles Samuel RAMSDALE	Wednesday, 8th March 1972	80	Grand Uncle	3 Conway Close, Shirley, Solihull: (1) coronary thrombosis (2) coronary arteriosclerosis and (3) chronic bronchitis [14]
Elsie RAMSDALE (née MASON)	Thursday, 15th May 1975	78	Paternal Grandmother	East Birmingham Hospital, Bordsley Green, Birmingham: (1) bronchopneumonia due to recumbency following fractured left femur (2) fall at home (3) accidental death [5]
George ARTHUR	Tuesday, 27th May 1980	76	Maternal Grandfather	"Walter's Gift", Start Hill, Great Hallingbury, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire: (1a) haemorrhage, (1b) ruptured atheromatous, aortic aneurysm, (2) pulmonary emphysema, carcinoma of oesophagus [18]
Millicent Anne RAMSDALE (née ASHBOLT)	Tuesday, 23rd December 1980	87	Grand Aunt-in-Law	Swallows Meadow Home, Shirley, Solihull: (1a) cerebral thrombosis and (b) generalised arteriosclerosis [29]
William James RAMSDALE	Friday, 15th January 1982	88	Paternal Grandfather	East Birmingham Hospital, Little Bromwich: bronchopneumonia [11]
Dorothy Mary RAMSDALE (née DONOGHUE formerly WYATT)	Wednesday, 17th July 1991	93	Grand Aunt-in-Law	Dudley Road Hospital, Winson Green, Birmingham: (1a) septicaemia, (b) gangrene of right leg and (c) peripheral vascular disease [28]
Mary Thornton RAMSDALE (née ARTHUR)	Saturday, 20th August 2005	74	Mother	Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Wonford, Exeter: (1) bilateral bronchopneumonia, (2) left sided rib fractures - verdict natural causes [19]
Robert William RAMSDALE	Tuesday, 25th January 2011	83	Father	(1) bronchopneumonia, (2) chronic kidney disease

Footnotes

[1] Son of Samuel Ramsdale, screw forger. Martha Ramsdale present at death at 14 Cox Street.

[2] Measles was historically called rubeola. Complications with measles are relatively common and include pneumonia. Her mother, Charlotte Ramsdale (nee Evans and illiterate), was present at the death. at Park Road, Birmingham. Deceased described as the "daughter of Samuel Ramsdale, an Ironmonger Porter".

[3] Mary Ann Ramsdale: A post mortem was carried out. Pyaemia is a type of septicaemia that leads to widespread abscesses of a metastatic nature. It is usually caused by the staphylococcus bacteria by pus-forming organisms in the blood. Apart from the distinctive abscesses, pyaemia exhibits the same symptoms as other forms of septicaemia and was almost universally fatal before the introduction of antibiotics.

[4] Wife of paternal Grand Uncle George Frederick Ramsdale "a house carter". Part of the large intestine or colon. Informant was S. G. Pullen, son, 2 Back 107, Berners Street, Lozells.

[5] "Certificate received from G. Billington, Coroner for Birmingham District. Inquest held 19th May 1975". Bronchopneumonia is a type of pneumonia characterised by an inflammation of the lung generally associated with, and following a bout of, bronchitis. This is a specific type of pneumonia localised in the bronchioles and surrounding alveoli. Outward clinical symptoms can include fever, coughing, chest pain, chest congestion, chills, difficulty with breathing and blood-streaked mucus which is coughed up. The severity of the illness will depend on the type of bacteria or infection causing the illness, as well as the overall health of the person who has bronchopneumonia. Upon diagnosis, most people will be treated at home with antibiotics. If the patient is suffering from dehydration or has a severe case of bronchopneumonia, he or she may be treated in the hospital where the illness can be more closely monitored. With appropriate treatment, most people recover fully within a couple weeks. Bronchopneumonia is more common in elderly people who can die from bronchopneumonia if they do not get appropriate treatment.

[6] "Wife of George Mason, an asphalter". Informant was G. A. Mason, son, of 32 Headingly Road, Handsworth, Birmingham.

[7] "Cordwainer Journeyman". Informant was Jane Perks (illiterate) who was present at the death "near the rectory" at Whitehouse Common, Sutton Coldfield. Phthisis is the old name for Tuberculosis of the lungs (from the Greek, phthinein, to waste away), a disease characterised by the wasting away or atrophy of the body or a part of the body.

[8] Widow of Joseph Shrigley, coal hewer (retired). Informant was R. J. Bicknell, daughter, of 94 Salisbury Road, Bromley.

[9] Asphalter (journeyman, retired) of 84 Brougham Street, Birmingham 19. Informant was G. A. Mason, son, of 32 Headingley Road, Birmingham 21.

[10] Given name was "Annie Frances O'Dell otherwise Isobel Norman ARTHUR" of 17a Barclay Road, Fulham, wife of George Arthur, a Postman (GPO). Informant was George Arthur "widower of deceased of 4 Hawthorn Gardens".

[11] Name and stated occupation stated "Printer (retired)" of Jubilee House, Auckland Drive, Birmingham 36. Informant was Robert William Ramsdale, son, of Walter's Gift, Start Hill, Great Hallingbury, Hertfordshire. William James' wife, Elsie, also died of Bronchopneumonia - see note 5 above.

[12] Occupation stated to be "Ironmonger Porter". Informant was Charlotte Ramsdale (illiterate) widow of deceased present at the death at Back 340, Park Road.

[13] Occupation stated to be "Mathematical Instrument Maker Master". Informant was Charlotte Ramsdale (illiterate) who was present at the death at 11 Court, Great Russell Street, Birmingham.

[14] Date and place of birth stated to be 17 July 1891 at Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. Occupation and usual address given as Printers Cutter (retired) of 3 Conway Close, Shirley, Solihull. Informant was Hazel Olive Dabson (daughter) of 96 Arbury Hall Road, Shirley, Solihull.

[15] Described as wife of Samuel Ramsdale a Surgical Instrument Maker. Informant was Mary (?) (illiterate) who was present at the death at 3 Court, Cox Street. Phthisis is the old name for Tuberculosis of the lungs (from the Greek, phthinein, to waste away), a disease characterised by the wasting away or atrophy of the body or a part of the body.

[16] Occupation "Security Officer (retired)". Informant was Sheila M Ramsdale, daughter, also of 92 Teddington Grove, Birmingham 22. Carcinomatosis is a term sometimes used to describe a cancer that has spread widely to affect a number of different parts of the body.

[17] Occupation "house carter … of no fixed abode". Informant was W. J. Bates, his step daughter, of 375 Farm Street, Birmingham 19. Age stated on death certificate to be "61" which is incorrect but consistent with his age stated on his marriage certificate (35), which discrepancy is probably attributable to the fact that his wife, Fanny PULLEN, was age 42 when they married and the couple attempted to disguise this age gap (13 years). The GRO Birth Registers have only one George Frederick Ramsdale born in England and Wales between 1870 and 1890. If correct (most unlikely), George Frederick Ramsdale was born in 1881 for which (1) there is no official birth or baptism record and (2) is inconsistent with all the census returns in which George Frederick is recorded as living under the same roof as his father (1891, 1901 and 1911). George Frederick Ramsdale was actually born on Sunday, 23 February 1887 and was age 55 when he died on Saturday, 25 April 1942. One explanation is that "1881" and "1887" look similar if handwritten and this similarity could have misled the registrar - the couple were married by licence at the Birmingham Register Office on Thursday, 31 October 1916, at the height of the Battle of the Somme …

[18] Occupation "retired soldier and post office employee" of "Walter's Gift" etc. Informant was Mary Thornton Ramsdale, daughter of the deceased. Emphysema is a chronic lung condition in which alveoli, or air sacs, may be destroyed, narrowed, collapsed, stretched or over-inflated. Over-inflation of the air-sacs is a result of a breakdown of the walls of the alveoli, and causes a decrease in respiratory function and breathlessness. Damage to the air sacs is irreversible and results in permanent "holes" in the tissues of the lower lungs. The most common symptoms for pulmonary emphysema may include shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, anxiety, sleep problems, heart problems, weight loss and depression. The symptoms may resemble other lung conditions or medical problems. Emphysema occurs very gradually. The lung has a system of elastic fibres which allow the lungs to expand and contract. Pulmonary emphysema occurs when a breakdown in the chemical balance that protects the lungs against the destruction of the elastic fibres occurs. There are a number of reasons for the breakdown in chemical balance: smoking, exposure to air pollution, irritating fumes and dust at the workplace and a rare inherited form of the disease called alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency-related pulmonary emphysema, or early onset pulmonary emphysema.

An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling (dilatation or aneurysm) of the aorta, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location. While the stretched vessel may occasionally cause discomfort, a greater concern is the risk of rupture, which causes severe pain, massive internal haemorrhage and, without prompt treatment, results in a quick death.

Cancer of the oesophagus or gullet develops as a result of cell changes in the lining of the oesophagus. There are two main types of cancer of the oesophagus: squamous carcinoma, which is more common at the upper end of the gullet, and adenocarcinoma, which is more common at the lower end, particularly around the junction between the gullet and the stomach.

It is thought that smoking and alcohol, among other things, can contribute to cancer of the oesophagus. (There is some evidence that spirits are the most dangerous type of alcohol to drink in connection with this particular type of cancer.) This could account for the marked regional variation within Europe. For example, cancer of the oesophagus is twice as common in eastern Scotland as it is in the south of England. The disease is three times more common in men than in women and is more common in people over the age of 60.

An atheroma (plural: atheromata) is an accumulation and swelling in artery walls that is made up of cells (mostly macrophage cells), or cell debris, that contain lipids (cholesterol and fatty acids), calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue. In the context of heart or artery matters, atheromata are commonly referred to as atheromatous plaques. It is an unhealthy condition, but is found in most humans. Atheroma continue to be the number one underlying basis for disability and death, despite a trend for gradual improvement since the early 1960s (adjusted for patient age). Thus, increasing efforts towards better understanding, treating and preventing the problem are continuing to evolve. For about 65% of men and 47% of women, the first symptom of cardiovascular disease is heart attack or sudden death (death within one hour of symptom onset)

[19] Retired teacher. Inquest held 11 January 2006. Certificate amended to substitute "usual address" from Lymewood Care Home, Woodhouse Lane, Uplyme, Lyme Regis, Devon to "Winkfield", Swan Hill, Colyford, Colyton, Devon.

[20] Occupation retired coal miner. Informant was John Shrigley, son, 100 Salisbury Road, Bromley Common. A cerebral haemorrhage (or intracerebral haemorrhage – "ICH"), is a subtype of intracranial haemorrhage that occurs within the brain tissue itself. ICH can be caused by brain trauma, or it can occur spontaneously in haemorrhagic stroke. Non-traumatic ICH is a spontaneous bleeding into the brain tissue. Intracerebral bleeds are the second most common cause of stroke, accounting for 30-60% of hospital admissions for stroke. High blood pressure raises the risk of spontaneous ICH by two to six times. Risk factors for male ICH include hypertension, diabetes, current cigarette smoking, alcoholic drinks (≥2/day) and caffeine.

[21] Relationship to David Robert Ramsdale.

[22] Although place "where died" was 77 Dudley Road, Caroline Emily Dyson's residence and occupation is described as "of 81 Alexandra Road, Birmingham, wife of Emmanuel Dyson Corporation Omnibus Conductor". The informant was Emmanuel Dyson, widower of the deceased of 81 Alexandra Road, Birmingham 21.

[23] Emily Eliza WYATT (formerly DONOGHUE née Emma Eliza RAMSDALE) died at 92 Teddington Grove, Handsworth, Birmingham on 6 March 1943 age 68. On her death certificate Emily Eliza WYATT is described as the widow of James Wyatt, tram driver, and her cause of death was (1) angina pectoris and (b) arterio sclerosis. Her daughter, D. M. RAMSDALE (Dorothy Mary DONOGHUE) then age 43, was present at her death.

Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is severe chest pain due to ischemia (a lack of blood and hence oxygen supply) of the heart muscle, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary arteries (the heart's blood vessels). Coronary artery disease, the main cause of angina, is due to atherosclerosis of the cardiac arteries. The term derives from the Latin angina ("infection of the throat") from the Greek γχόνη ankhone ("strangling"), and the Latin pectus ("chest"), and can therefore be translated as "a strangling feeling in the chest". There is a weak relationship between severity of pain and degree of oxygen deprivation in the heart muscle (i.e., there can be severe pain with little or no risk of a heart attack, and a heart attack can occur without pain).

Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries. Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening (and loss of elasticity) of medium or large arteries (from the Greek Arterio, meaning artery, and sclerosis, meaning hardening).

[24] Anasarca, also known as "extreme generalized oedema" is a medical condition characterised by widespread swelling of the skin due to effusion of fluid into the extracellular space. It is usually caused by either congestive heart failure, liver failure (cirrhosis of the liver) or renal failure/disease and severe malnutrition/protein deficiency. On the certificate of death Charlotte CHATER is described as the wife of James Frank CHATER (commissionaire). James Frank CHATER (widower of deceased) was also the informant residing at the same address.

[25] The informant was James CHATER, step son, of 16 Milestone Lane, Handsworth.

Apoplexy is an outdated medical term, which can be used to mean "bleeding" in a cerebrovascular accident. It can be used non-medically to mean a state of extreme rage or excitement. The word derives from the Greek word apoplēxia (ἀποπληξία). Historically, the word "apoplexy" was also used to describe any sudden death that began with a sudden loss of consciousness, especially one in which the victim died within a matter of seconds after losing consciousness. The word "apoplexy" may have been used to describe the symptom of sudden loss of consciousness immediately preceding death and not an actual verified disease process. Sudden cardiac deaths, ruptured cerebral aneurysms, certain ruptured aortic aneurysms, and even heart attacks may have been described as apoplexy in the past. The term "apoplexy" is used to describe bleeding within internal organs. In such usage it is coupled with an adjective describing the site of the bleeding. For example, bleeding within the cerebrum (which is the affected area of the brain) is called cerebral apoplexy.

[26] The informant was her father, Samuel RAMSDALE (illiterate) also of 14 Cox Street, Birmingham, who was present at the death. Phthisis is the old name for Tuberculosis of the lungs (from the Greek, phthinein, to waste away), a disease characterised by the wasting away or atrophy of the body or a part of the body.

[27] Maria LEES (née RAMSDALE) is described as the wife of Thomas LEES (office clerk). The informant was Martha RAMSDALE (illiterate) of 14 Cox Street who was present at the death.

[28] Dorothy Mary RAMSDALE (formerly WYATT née DONOGHUE) is described as the widow of Sidney Joseph RAMSDALE (retired security guard). Her usual address was 92 Teddington Grove, Birmingham 42. The informant was Ian James HOPPER, grandson of Dorothy, also of 92 Teddington Grove.

[29] Millicent Anne RAMSDALE (née ASHBOLT) is described as the widow of Charles Samuel RAMSDALE (printer). Her usual address was Swallows Meadow Home, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands. The informant was Jessie Dorothy HINDE, daughter of Millicent, of 15 Highters Road, Birmingham 14.

[30] Formerly a jobbing gardener. Death certified by the Coroner for Staffordshire after an inquest.

[31] Occupation and address at time of death were, respectively, tram motor man and 88 Victoria Road, Handsworth, Birmingham. The death was the subject of a post mortem and the cause of death certified was mediastinal lymphosarcoma (5 months). E. WYATT (Emma Eliza WYATT, née RAMSDALE), widow of the deceased also lived at the 88 Victoria Road address.

Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphatic cells of the immune system and presents as a solid tumour of lymphoid cells. It is treatable with chemotherapy, and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease. These malignant cells often originate in lymph nodes, presenting as an enlargement of the node (a tumour). Lymphomas are closely related to lymphoid leukaemias, which also originate in lymphocytes but typically involve only circulating blood and the bone marrow (where blood cells are generated in a process termed haematopoesis) and do not usually form static tumours. There are many types of lymphomas, and in turn, lymphomas are a part of the broad group of diseases called haematological neoplasms.

Thomas Hodgkin published the first description of lymphoma in 1832, specifically of the form named after him, Hodgkin's lymphoma. Since then, many other forms of lymphoma have been described, grouped under several proposed classifications. The 1982 Working formulation classification became very popular. It introduced the category non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), divided into 16 different diseases. However, because these different lymphomas have little in common with each other, the NHL label is of limited usefulness for doctors or patients and is slowly being abandoned. The latest classification by the WHO (2001) lists 43 different forms of lymphoma divided in four broad groups.

Although older classifications referred to histiocytic lymphomas, these are recognized in newer classifications as of B, T or NK cell lineage. True histiocytic malignancies are rare and are classified as sarcomas.

[32] Occupation labourer. The informant was George Bodington, warden and coroner, Driffold Lunatic Asylum, Sutton Coldfield.

Bodington Gardens, Birmingham Road, Maney commemorates the eminent Sutton Coldfield personage George Bodington.

Born in Buckinghamshire in 1799 and educated at Magdalene College, Oxford George Bodington became a physician and GP in Erdington (parish of Aston) Warwickshire. He was also a local politician and served on the Sutton Corporation for forty years (having, as was customary, been appointed for life). His great professional interest was pulmonary disease and in 1836 he acquired the asylum and sanitorium at Driffold House, Maney (now the Empire cinema).

He was a pioneer in his field and was the first to suggest dry frosty air as a cure for tuberculosis. He was not taken seriously by his contemporaries, lost interest in the subject and turned to the treatment of insanity. In 1851 the local census recorded eleven "lunatics" and six staff including the doctor and his family at Driffold House. Records show that the asylum held between 16 and 24 patients at a time, from 1845-1868. They were aged from 18 to 88 and most were female. Five who were noted in the 1851 census were still there a decade later. He died aged 83 in 1882 (cause of death tuberculosis).

[33] Occupation farm labourer. Death certified by J. Waghorne, coroner for Gloucestershire (Upper Division) following an inquest held on 2 November 1901.

Period photograph of a threshing machine and steam engine

[34] Occupation retired newsvendor of 81 Alexandra Road, Soho, Birmingham. The informant was his son, William James Ramsdale (age 43), whose residence is stated to be 43 Haseley Road, Birmingham. George Samuel died at 1 Western Road (the Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary - "you only left Western Road in a box!"). The death was certified by L. Nagley M.D. After the Introduction of the NHS in 1948, Birmingham Workhouse became Summerfield Hospital and continued to develop as a geriatric centre. In spite of the change in name to Hospital, buildings were set apart for the able-bodied elderly paupers which was called "Part III Accommodation", and the "tramps and casuals", called "Part II Accommodation". These units continued for many years. Dr. Ellis, the Chief Medical Officer, appointed Dr. Nagley to Western House in 1937, and although the appointment was initially for one month Dr. Nagley stayed for over forty years. A report in the Birmingham Daily Post for 22nd April, 1890 described the relationship between the Workhouse and the Infirmary:

"Patients … after medical examination are allocated according to their ailments to the different wards in the main building. Persons suffering from smallpox, scarlet fever and similar complaints are not allowed to pass the receiving house, but are sent to the City Infections Hospital whilst those afflicted with contagious diseases such as erysipelas, ophthalmia and minor infectious diseases such as measles, are transferred at once to wards in a detached building in the Infirmary grounds.

"There is only one way, officially speaking, into the Infirmary, and that way lies through the Workhouse Gate, for it is only as an adjunct to the Workhouse that the Infirmary is recognised by the Poor Law. A patient who is not an inmate of the older institution (the Workhouse) must be seen by the Workhouse Doctor and formally relegated by him to the Infirmary. The ambulance is then dispatched along the Infirmary Drive and stops under the archway of the receiving house, which stands on the boundary between the grounds of the two establishments.

Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary from the south-west (1930s)

Now only the entrance lodge survives, the so-called "Archway of Tears", and this is currently out of use. In 1911 Birmingham merged the adjacent Aston and King's Norton Unions to form an enlarged Birmingham Poor Law Union. The Birmingham Workhouse site later became Dudley Road Hospital. Almost all of the original Workhouse buildings have now been demolished.

From 1904, to protect them from disadvantage in later life, the birth certificates for those born in the Workhouse gave its address just as "1 Western Road, Birmingham", which address also appears on George Samuel's certificate of death issued in 1938.

Follow these links to view scanned images of each certificate of death:

Life Expectancy Statistics: Ancestors

Male and Female Ancestors

Name	Age
George RAMSDALE	8
Maria LEES (née RAMSDALE)	27
Esther HARBORNE (née RAMSDALE)	27
Thomas PERKS	50
Martha RAMSDALE (née JOHNSON)	67
Samuel RAMSDALE	68
William HORTON	30
Ann Maria RAMSDALE	2
Samuel RAMSDALE	64
Mary Ann RAMSDALE (née HORTON)	38
George MASON	73
Charlotte CHATER (formerly RAMSDALE née EVANS)	76
George CHATER	78
Charlotte Rosina CHATER (née RAMSDALE)	45
Sophia MASON (née NEWMAN)	67
James WYATT	52
Fanny RAMSDALE (née PULLEN)	63
George Samuel RAMSDALE	78
George MASON	82
Joseph SHRIGLEY	68
George Frederick RAMSDALE	55
Caroline Emily DYSON (née RAMSDALE)	52
Emily Eliza WYATT (formerly DONOGHUE née Emma Eliza RAMSDALE)	68
Rebecca Jane SHRIGLEY (née NORMAN)	79
Isabella ARTHUR (née SHRIGLEY)	55
Sidney Joseph RAMSDALE	70
Charles Samuel RAMSDALE	80
Elsie RAMSDALE (née MASON)	78
George ARTHUR	76
Millicent Anne RAMSDALE (née ASHBOLT)	87
William James RAMSDALE	88
Dorothy Mary RAMSDALE (née DONOGHUE formerly WYATT)	93
Mary Thornton RAMSDALE (née ARTHUR)	74
Robert William RAMSDALE	83
Average	62
Median	68
Standard Deviation	22.5

Male Ancestors (all dates)

George RAMSDALE	8
Thomas PERKS	50
Samuel RAMSDALE	68
William HORTON	30
Samuel RAMSDALE	64
George MASON	73
George CHATER	78
James WYATT	52
George Samuel RAMSDALE	78
George MASON	82
Joseph SHRIGLEY	68
George Frederick RAMSDALE	55
Sidney Joseph RAMSDALE	70
Charles Samuel RAMSDALE	80
George ARTHUR	76
William James RAMSDALE	88
Robert William RAMSDALE	83
Average	64
Median	69
Standard Deviation	21

Male Ancestors (died before 1950)

George RAMSDALE (d.1843)	8
Thomas PERKS (d.1854)	50
Samuel RAMSDALE (d.1859)	68
William HORTON (d.1862)	30
Samuel RAMSDALE (d.1891)	64
George MASON (d.1901)	73
George CHATER (d.1910)	78
James WYATT (d.1927)	52
George Samuel RAMSDALE (d.1938)	78
George MASON (d.1939)	82
Joseph SHRIGLEY (d.1940)	68
George Frederick RAMSDALE (d.1942)	55
Average	59
Median	66
Standard Deviation	22

Male Ancestors (died after 1950)

Sidney Joseph RAMSDALE (d.1967)	70
Charles Samuel RAMSDALE (d.1972)	80
George ARTHUR (d.1980)	76
William James RAMSDALE (d.1982)	88
Robert William RAMSDALE (d.2011)	83
Average	79
Median	80
Standard Deviation	7

Female Ancestors (all dates)

Maria LEES (née RAMSDALE)	27
Esther HARBORNE (née RAMSDALE)	27
Martha RAMSDALE (née JOHNSON)	67
Ann Maria RAMSDALE	2
Mary Ann RAMSDALE (née HORTON)	38
Charlotte CHATER (formerly RAMSDALE née EVANS)	76
Charlotte Rosina CHATER (née RAMSDALE)	45
Sophia MASON (née NEWMAN)	67
Fanny Ramsdale (née PULLEN)	63
Caroline Emily DYSON (née RAMSDALE)	52
Emily Eliza WYATT (formerly DONOGHUE née Emma Eliza RAMSDALE)	68
Rebecca Jane SHRIGLEY (née NORMAN)	79
Isabella ARTHUR (née SHRIGLEY)	55
Elsie RAMSDALE (née MASON)	78
Millicent Anne RAMSDALE (née ASHBOLT)	87
Dorothy Mary RAMSDALE (née DONOGHUE formerly WYATT)	93
Mary Thornton RAMSDALE (née ARTHUR)	75
Average	59
Median	67
Standard Deviation	24

Female Ancestors (died before 1950)

Maria LEES (née RAMSDALE) (d.1847)	27
Esther HARBORNE (née RAMSDALE) (d.1849)	27
Martha RAMSDALE (née JOHNSON) (d.1858)	67
Ann Maria RAMSDALE (d.1868)	2
Mary Ann RAMSDALE (née HORTON) (d.1899)	38
Charlotte CHATER (formerly RAMSDALE née EVANS) (d.1908)	76
Charlotte Rosina CHATER (née RAMSDALE) (d.1916)	45
Sophia MASON (née NEWMAN) (d.1925)	67
Fanny Ramsdale (née PULLEN) (d.1936)	63
Caroline Emily DYSON (née RAMSDALE) (d.1943)	52
Emily Eliza WYATT (formerly DONOGHUE née Emma Eliza RAMSDALE) (d.1943)	68
Average	48
Median	52
Standard Deviation	23

Female Ancestors (died after 1950)

Rebecca Jane SHRIGLEY (née NORMAN) (d.1957)	79
Isabella ARTHUR (née SHRIGLEY) (d.1960)	55
Elsie RAMSDALE (née MASON) (d.1975)	78
Millicent Anne RAMSDALE (née ASHBOLT) (d.1980)	87
Dorothy Mary RAMSDALE (née DONOGHUE formerly WYATT) (d.1991)	93
Mary Thornton RAMSDALE (née ARTHUR) (d.2005)	75
Average	78
Median	79
Standard Deviation	13

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