Deaths and the Procurator Fiscal

[RJ_Paton]

In Scotland we do not have Coroners or Coroners Courts. Investigation into deaths is done at the instigation of the Procurator Fiscal for that Sheriffdom.

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/publications/me/death%20and%20pf.htm

Explains the procedure as it was a few years ago (1998) ..... little has changed since the 19th Century (although a few more categories of death are now reported).

Investigations into all sudden or suspicious deaths are the responsibility of the local Procurator Fiscal of the area in which a person died. The Fiscal’s role is similar to that of the Coroner in England and Wales, and the findings of their investigations are noted in the Register of Corrected Entries. You would usually find an entry in the margin of a death certificate referring to the Register of Corrected Entries (usually abbreviated to RCE or ‘Reg. Cor. Ent.’) giving a volume reference number. You generally find very little in these registers except the cause of death. For information on accessing the Register of Corrected Entries, contact General Register Office for Scotland.

[Robneve]

Is there a way to look up such deaths in the late 1800's ??

[Boongie Pam]

Hi Robneve,

I expect (Falkryn - please correct me if I'm wrong) it would be much the same as any death.  I think the death certificate would give a reference to the Register of Corrected Entries (RCE) you could use the reference number to look up the conclusion of any investigation.

I have an example in my tree of a baby who died at a couple of months old - that would of fallen into a reportable death.  The entry concluded it was a death of natural causes.

Pam
 

[Robneve]

Hi Pam.

You are quite right.  I never noticed it before but there is an entry to left of the certificate which refers to a corrected entry, Vol, 7 page 49, 7 June, 1893.

The death was on 23 May, 1893.

I do not know how to access this so I have asked Scotland's People for the answer.

Thanks for the help.

Rob.

[GordonD]

The corrected entry is not available through Scotlandspeople yet. It does say on the website that they plan to make them available online soon. They can be looked up at in person Register House in Edinburgh or you get the corrected entry when you order the extract of the certificate. I had a few RCEs that I was interested in and posted on here about a month ago. I was quite lucky that someone was going to Register House and kindly copied down the information from the microfiche for me.

[Robneve]

Thanks for the information.

I will order the extract since that is probably the best way for me to go.

Thanks again,
Rob