Eleanor Edith Wells

   Cause of her death was Toxemia - Peritonitis.

  General Information:

It is noted on Eleanor's death registration that she and Enoch Blundell were residing in Whitby at the time of Eleanor's death.

Eleanor and her family had to have emigrated to Canada in or shortly after 1901 because the Wells family is listed in the 1901 British Census, residing #14 Minster Road, Hampstead, London.

  Research Information:

Eleanor is buried in Saint John's Norway Cemetery in Toronto along with her Mother, Mary (Harris) Wells and her sister, Mabel in Section #6, Range #1, grave 98-100. The stone was placed there by Eric Wells. Eric was Mary's youngest son and the brother of Eleanor & Mabel.

Both Eleanor and Mabel were married at their time of death. It is currently not known (Jan. 2008) exactly why the sisters were buried as "Wells'" as opposed to being buried under their married names. It is also not yet known (Jan. 2008) exactly when Eric purchased the stone and/or when it was placed there.

The headstones of John Barnard Harris (Mary Wells' younger brother) and his family and John's son, Joseph Harris (M.P), and his family are a mere two rows over. Both John's and Joseph's stones are of the large ediface type, yet Mary and her daughters have a marker stone set directly in the middle of a walkway - bear in mind that Mary and her daughters all passed away before John & Joe passed away.

Simply finding Mary's stone took several hours (over a span of 3 visits - the first two visits finding nothing) and when the stone was found it was underneath about and inch of dirt/grass - it had to be dug out so that it was readable.

  Medical Information:

Eleanor was ill for 3 days prior to her passing.

It is noted on Eleanor's death registration that she and Enoch Blundell were residing in Whitby at the time of Eleanor's death.

Peritonitis Definition:

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the membrane which lines the inside of the abdomen and all of the internal organs. This membrane is called the peritoneum.

Description:

Peritonitis may be primary (meaning that it occurs spontaneously, and not as the result of some other medical problem) or secondary (meaning that it results from some other condition). It is most often due to infection by bacteria, but may also be due to some kind of a chemical irritant (such as spillage of acid from the stomach, bile from the gall bladder and biliary tract, or enzymes from the pancreas during the illness called pancreatitis. Peritonitis has even been seen in patients who develop a reaction to the cornstarch used to powder gloves worn during surgery. Peritonitis with no evidence of bacteria, chemical irritant, or foreign body has occurred in such diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus, & porphyria. When the peritoneum is contaminated by blood, the blood can both irritate the peritoneum and serve as a source of bacteria to cause an infection. Blood may leak into the abdomen due to a burst tubal pregnancy, an injury, or bleeding after surgery.

Eleanor married Enoch Blundall on 29 Jan 1913 in Saint Clement's Church, Toronto, Ontario. (Enoch Blundall was born in 1848 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.)