Old French death certificates

[Hoddy]

I would like to know the cause of death of an Englishman who died in Cannes in 1866. Does anyone know if it would be possible to obtain his death certificate and if it would contain a cause of death ?

Hoddy

[pachapapa]

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F1444.xhtml

[tinabee]

You might find helpful info here

http://www.ancestry.fr/

 

[Chrissie]

I have three English people who died in France in the 1880s.  Each of them had a death certificate issued by the English consul and so I acquired these through the (then) PRO in London.  The certificates were useless from a practical point of view as they gave nothing except name, age and place of death.  Even the "informant" was the consular official.

Maybe local newspapers might have an account if it was an accident or whatever?

Chrissie (81)

[Hoddy]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. This was not a member of my family; he was a local aristocrat. His death was reported in the Times as well as the local paper and although both comment on his youth neither of them mention a cause of death.

I'm guessing at TB and that he was in Cannes to try to improve his health.

I'll let you know if I can turn anything up.

Thanks again.

Hoddy

[Les]

From Clair's sticky, Dealing with death in France.

"A certified copy of the entry is usually issued immediately if all

necessary details are available. No fee is charged for the medical

certificate or for the registration. French death certificates, however,

do not show the cause of death. In France there is no central registry

corresponding to the General Registry Office in the United Kingdom."

SOURCE

[Loiseau]

I would write to the Mairie in Cannes, giving the details you know:  name, date of death.   They could hopefully send you a photocopy of the entry about the gentleman's death.   I have done this for a relative's death in Normandy during the late 19th century.

The entry would most likely just be a few lines, from which you might get the address, age, name of informant.  But, as stated above, you won't get a cause of death.

Angela