Migratory Suicide in the Province of Quebec,Canada (1890–1940): The Importance of Movement and the Post-Death Cost of Exclusion

Abstract

While suicide tourism or the death of persons who end their life while ‘out of town’ has been explored, there are no works that focus specifically on migratory suicide—that is, on persons ending their life without assistance after travelling, to a place where they are (1) not residents and (2) have no communal ties, for the purpose of doing so. We here explore migratory suicide’s occurrence and the lives ended as a result in the province of Quebec, Canada, during the years 1890–1940. The historical tendency of Quebec coroners to attribute suicides to impermanent forms of mental deterioration is found to be less pronounced in instances of migratory suicide, though the number of related farewell letters exceeded the provincial norm. The importance of movement and conditions of exclusion in facilitating death by suicide and influencing post-death protections are emphasized.