Genealogy Chat

see below.

Don't need to see below. Inquest records are confidential for about 75 years I think. Before that, you may get coroner's records from the coroner's office or the records office although many are destroyed. But whenever the suicide occurred, you should be able to get a report of the inquest (and also possibly finding of the body) from the local newspaper archives, generally at county records offices/local history centres/library services. The date of the inquest would be on the death cert which makes it easy to find the right issue of the paper. nell

I have just received the death certificate of my gg grandfather (only 1 week from ordering), and family stories appear to be true. He committed suicide in 1915 by drowning. The cause of death suggests he was of unsound mind, and an inquest took place 2 deaths after his body was discovered. He died in Lepton, Yorkshire, and the inquest was held in Pontefract. I was wandering where I go from here to find out more about him - inquest documents, any medical records etc. I am going to try and contact the local records office tomorrow to see if they have newspapers from 1915 - I am sure that this would have appeared in the news had there been.

My GGF committed suicide in 1912 and there were no inquest records available. A very kind soul then found the newspaper article reporting the inquest. It was a sad story of a man whose business faced bankruptcy. But it was the detail that was fascinating - the witness statements. It had my GGM (who I now learn my GM blamed for GGF insolvency due to her penchant for finery and for younger men 'friends - I didnt even know GGF had committed suicide til I sent for his death cert - it had been a family secret all these years). So in this report my GGM was saying he had been anxious of late over money worries and she had left him asleep on the sofa at 11 o clock and couldnt find him in the morning - and so on, it gave a great insight into the family. I hope you find your newspaper report too.