Daily AncestorExposure
Exposure as a cause of death meant dying from cold, wet or weather without shelter, what we would now usually call hypothermia.
Death by exposure meant the person died because they were left unprotected from the weather, most often from cold. Today the usual medical term is hypothermia.
It is common for travelers, drinkers, the homeless and people lost in storms. A coroner may have recorded it after finding a body outdoors, so look for an inquest file or newspaper report.
As seen in a recordCoroner's inquest record, 1800s
Unknown man, about 50, found on the road, Exposure, January
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Daily Ancestor. "Exposure." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/exposure. Last checked 2026-10-01.