Ellen (born in 1855) was my great grandmother. She married Robert Melton Armitage in 1876 and they went on to have 12 children, of which 7 (3 boys and 4 girls) survived into adulthood, including my grandmother Emma Ivall nee Armitage (1883-1970). The article about Robert on this blog contains information about their lives together and his suicide in 1910.
It has recently become possible to order a digital image of
a death register entry from the General Record Office website for only £2.50.
This covers deaths in England and Wales from 1837 to 1957. I used this service
to obtain information about Ellen’s death.
The death register shows that Ellen died on 12 May 1913 aged
57 at 92 Milton Road, Stoke Newington. She was the widow of Robert Melton
Armitage, a milkman. The cause of death was asphyxia due to oedema of the
larynx. A post mortem was performed and the death was certified by R Guthrie,
Deputy Coroner for North East London, after an inquest held on 14 May 1913.
Oedema is a build-up of fluid in the body which causes the
affected tissue to become swollen. Laryngeal oedema is a common feature of
acute inflammation, but it is particularly important because swelling of the
epiglottis and vocal cords can obstruct the laryngeal orifice, resulting in
asphyxiation. Laryngeal oedema can be caused by trauma, improper endotracheal
tubing, inhalation of irritant gases (e.g., smoke), local inflammation and
allergic reactions.
I looked for a newspaper item reporting the inquest, but did
not find one.
Ellen was buried in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington. This
is a large cemetery opened in 1840 where about 200,000 people are buried. The
section of the cemetery where her grave is located was overgrown when I went
there and I did not find a headstone with her name on it. It is quite likely that
her grave is unmarked. The grave of William Booth, founder of the Salvation
Army, is nearby.
