Don Phillipson wrote:

"David Hill" wrote in message
...

A cousin of mine lost her daughter to cancer a short while ago.
She raised the following question.
A man who loses his wife is a widower, a woman who loses her husband is a
widow, a child who loses a parent is an orphan. Why is there no word in
the English language for a parent who loses a child?

Perhaps because before 1900 this was so common: most
parents lost at least one child to illness, i.e. bereavement was
normal and required no special word.
Back in the days of my youth, I took part in a Historical Survey of a
mining area in Cornwall, and one of the things we did was to survey the
local graveyards for the years 1720 -1890.. We were all struck by the
number of gravestones listing the names of children who had died in
infancy and we buried in the family plot. In one case, 13 children 11 of
whom died in infancy.
One grave, which I shall never forget in St Cleer graveyar near to
Liskeard, was dedicated to the memory of a girl who died aged 16 years
of age. It bore the following epitaph.

"Pray spare a thought as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I.
As I am now, so will you be,
So be prepared to follow me"

All food for thought. It was a very harrowing experience.

Peter

--
It is necessary for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.

Attributed to Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797