Inquests - England

[tuppence_123]

Does anyone know where I can find details of inquests that were held in 1947 (death in hospital) and 1950 (accident)?  My grandmother and great great grandmother both had inquests into their deaths and, while their death certificates give the cause of death, it would be interesting to see what was said in the inquest.  One death was registered in Paddington and the other in Hendon, Middlesex.  I've tried online newspaper achieves but had no luck so far.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cathryn

[stanmapstone]

You could apply to the coroner for the district, however under the Home Office Circular 250/1967, a schedule of destruction of coroners records is laid down, once 15 years old the records can be weeded,' that is destroyed or sampled by the individual coroner concerned'.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Coroner's records for London and Middlesex are held on deposit at London Metropolitan Archives, LMA  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01h3d/

Stan

[dawnsh]

Hi Cathryn

Very few local newspaper reports for the London & Middlesex area from those late dates are online.

If the Paddington death really was that newsworthy there might be a mention in the Paddington Newspapers held at The City of Westminster Archives.

Are you willing to post names and exact dates so that anyone visiting might be able to do a look-up for you?

[tuppence_123]

Thank you for those replies - I had heard that coroner's records were often destroyed after 15 years, but I guess I was hoping...

The exact names were:

1950 - Kathleen Edith Coombes.  This was my grandmother, who was only 36.  According to her death certificate she basically died from septicaemia on 12.8.1950 and the inquest was held on either 14th or 17th August (hard to read the writing).  She had been in hospital for 6 months and mum says that after she died there were rumours that there had been a medical instrument or swab left in her after an operation.  Kathleen was the one from Middlesex.

1947 - Frances Ada Stirrup. This was my great great grandmother, who was 94 at the time.  The ultimate cause of her death according to the certificate was pneumonia on 5.4.1947 and the inquest was held on 11th April.  We just find this one intriguing as there is quite a bit of detail on the death certificate.  As I say, it was pneumonia but "following fractures of right humerus and pelvis sustained...when she collided with a table being carried by...across the footpath and then fell".  This is the Paddington one.

Cathryn

[Vanoli]

Cathryn someone in NZ has asked me to help with info re their grandfather/great grandfather whose name was Frances Stirrup a shoemaker who was sometime in Hendon as had his family there.  Might your families be the same, do you think?  It's an unusual name.