Genealogy Chat

Thanks Joy and Jill. - have made a note of your advice.

I found details of one inquest in Lloyds Weekly Newspaper - it wasn't reported in the local papers though.

It was on that site you can access via libraries.

Jill

And do try contacting the relevant records offices just in case the documents have survived. I have copies of them from a records office in Suffolk for inquests into the deaths of three of my ancestors.

Thanks. I had a feeling it would be difficult. Will try the old papers route.

I appreciate your help.

Jean

Coroners have the Legal right to destroy their records after 15 years,or could just be disposed of on the death of a Coroner,therefore many won't have survived.
There was / still is a long closure rule on these records,"usually" around 75yrs & so any that have survived might not yet be made available to the public for viewing,any old ones still within the 75yrs that have survived might be made available to view but this would be at the discretion of the various records offices.
I learned all of this from my own research & from articles written in the regular uk Genealogy magazines.

I have not been allowed to view the Coroners records of 1989 for my late sister because of the closure rule,& as it is now more than 15yrs since her death,so if the Coroner of the time has since died, then her records may by now have already been destroyed,if they are still around in 75yrs time I won't get the chance to view them as I will be long gone by then.
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Your best source for finding out about Inquests are the old local newspapers of the relevant town which can usually be searched at the library of the said town.
If you cannot do the search yourself the staff will usually do this for you but may make a charge for doing so,give as much information as possible.

Joan.

I have several suicide deaths in my tree that show an inquest took place but have never managed to locate Coroner records for any of them.
All my Inquest information has come from the Local newspaper reports,but be aware that "some " do get missed, 3 of my cases don't seem to have been reported in the papers!

Is it possible to obtain copies of inquests?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Jean