Statutory declaration to Registrar

[Mary from Italy]

Just received an interesting death cert for my BiL's tree, and I have a couple of questions.

The deceased, WP, was separated from his wife A, and living with a widow called LW. On the electoral rolls she's down as LW, but on the death cert, she calls herself LP, widow of WP. However, there's a marginal note on the cert, dated a couple of months after the death, which says "omit 'widow of deceased', the true name of the signature in col. 7 being 'W'. Corrected on ... (date) on production of a Statutory Declaration made by LW otherwise P and AP".

So the wife (who lived in another town) presumably found out about his death, and got the registration changed. I'm wondering:

- why did she do that? The only reason I can think of is that she wanted a widow's pension, but the death was in 1932 - did widows' pensions exist then?

- will the GRO provide a copy of the Statutory Declaration?

[Nell]

Could be pension - could be an insurance payout she was after. Or maybe she wanted to prove that she was a widow to get some other benefit.

Old age pensions were introduced in 1911. Of course WP could have had a private pension. He may have been supporting his wife financially, even though he'd deserted her. There's also the winding up of his estate and the possibility he left a Will. As his legal wife she would have entitlement to his estate.

The Statutory declaration might be verbal, rather than a written document. The actual certificate has been corrected, which would be proof. If there is a record of the SD other than on the cert, my bet is that its kept with the relevant register office.

[Olde Crone]

Mary

She may have done it just because she was furious about "the other woman" passing herself off as wife/widow when she wasn't.

OC

[Mary from Italy]

I doubt if he had a private pension or insurance - he worked as a cleaner. I shouldn't think he left a will, but now I think about it, I haven't checked.

I don't think he supported his wife and kids either; so far as I can gather from the censuses, she lived with a couple of other men (officially as a lodger, but their wives were never there...), possibly because she needed someone to support all the children.

I hadn't realised the old age pension was introduced as early as 1911 - I wonder if that was it, then?

[Mary from Italy]

The Statutory declaration might be verbal, rather than a written document.


Really? I didn't know that was possible.

If there is a record of the SD other than on the cert, my bet is that its kept with the relevant register office.

Yes, I might try an e-mail to the RO to see what they say.

[Nell]

Well a declaration can be made verbally. Not sure about the "statutory" bit, but my father registered my birth by declaration as he went to our local register office and not the one in the district where I was born.

[Mary from Italy]

A statutory declaration's like an affidavit - I don't think it can be done verbally. And it says on the cert "on production of a Statutory Declaration", which makes it sound like a document.

[Nell]

Good point.