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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: MadMarchMare on Thursday 30 March 06 21:31 BST (UK)
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I have come across a few death certificates while researching my family tree and some say "As A Result Of Precognition". I assumed that this was suicide, but then one cause of death was "cerebral haemorrhage"
Grateful for any help!
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Hi
My dictionary says:
precognition - sc law - preliminary examination of witnesses etc especially in order to know whether there is ground for trial
I guess this might mean a preliminary examination for coroner's inquest or equivalent if they are all sudden or unexplained deaths
Regards
SandraC
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Hi
Not sure if this will answer your question, but found it while googling!
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/p/precognition.html
Regards.....Steve
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OK, thanks for your help folks. Steve, hmmm, very interesting, but such a loooooong read ;D
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I thought I best send the full read as I was unsure how to put it all into my own words! ;D
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MadMarchHare,
Scotland does not have coroner's inquests.
However, cases of sudden, unexplained or suspicious death are investigated by the Procurator Fiscal. The PF carries out what is referred to in Scotland as a Precognition - which is (in this particular sense of the word), as SandraC said, a preliminary examination of witnesses and relevant people - in order to determine whether the matter should go to trial.
Precognitions are, of course, not limited to deaths but apply to any matter where there is a need to determine whether there should be a criminal prosecution. I have pages and pages of the records of a precognition in the case of a person who ended up being prosecuted for (and, in 1848, convicted of) the crime of forgery and uttering.
You can read more about the Office of the Procurator Fiscal at:
http://www.procuratorfiscal.gov.uk/About
Regards,
JAP
PS: The above site has a search facility. If you search for 'precognition' it leads you to a PDF document which explains modern day precognitions.
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Thanks Jap, the muddy waters are beginning to clear ...!
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Hi did you get any further with the 'Result of precognition'. I have found a member of my families death registration with this on it. No other cause of death and the death was registered by the chief constable. Also says ' in a drain in barefoot' … which makes no sense at all.
thanks for any enlightenment you can give
Jax
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Can you post an extract from the death certificate so we can see if we can make out the bit that makes no sense?
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Hi did you get any further with the 'Result of precognition'. I have found a member of my families death registration with this on it. No other cause of death and the death was registered by the chief constable. Also says ' in a drain in barefoot' … which makes no sense at all.
thanks for any enlightenment you can give
Jax
Where a death occurs in a public place the Procurator Fiscal has a duty to investigate. The preliminary investigation would have been carried out by the Police and a report of their findings submitted to the Fiscal. Upon receipt of the report the Fiscal could decide to investigate further and in this capacity would formally interview the witnesses (the precognition) before deciding upon any further action.
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Is there any stamp or annotation at the side of the death entry showing that there is an RCE (entry in the Register of Corrected Entries)? If so, there should be a "button" above the death entry image on Scotland's People which you can press to see the entry which will be free of charge. It may have nothing different from the original entry but there may just be something different on it. It is quite common for there to be an RCE in the case of a sudden or suspicious death.
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Regards to Precognition i have come across a relatives death cert citing same and a RCE then states that death was due to asphyxiation due to overlaying as this relative was only 2 months old i presume that one of the parents has rolled over them in bed and as it had been reported as a sudden unexplained death then the PF conducted a Precognition to determine if a crime had been committed.
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I have copies of the precognitions taken from witnesses to the May Island disaster of 1837 in the Firth of Forth, when one of the fishing boats taking day trippers on their annual jaunt to the May overturned, and several women and girls were drowned. The procurator fiscal decided there was enough evidence to try skipper John Sutherland for manslaughter at the High Court in Edinburgh, but so many of his fellow skippers stepped up to praise his character and his seamanship that the judge told him he could leave the court without a stain on his name. The fiscal, who lived in Anstruther, was persona non grata with the local fishermen after that.
The precognitions are useful for amateur genealogists like me because each person interviewed has his age given and we are told which boats they were in, or owned. Useful when so many men in the fishing community had the same surname.
Harry