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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Ross & Cromarty => Topic started by: K8T on Thursday 26 April 18 22:28 BST (UK)
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I have a copy of the death certificate of John Surman. His death place states Invergordon Pier and death was through drowning - body not recovered.
Does anyone know if there would have been an inquest or a newspaper report related to this? Would there be records /local newspaper which can be accessed on the internet?
I would be grateful for any assistance
Thanks
K8t
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No inquests in Scotland - but there have been some sort of Court of enquiry by the Royal Navy if he was a serving seaman. As it was during WW1 and Invergordon was a strategic location, it is unlikely there would have been any newspaper coverage - but you never know. Worth checking with the on-line newspaper facility www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk - but it's a subscription service, although you could do a search and see if there are any possible results worth paying to view!
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There is nothing I have found in a Newspaper (britishnewspaper archives) and there is no RCE associated with his death. The local Procurator Fiscal was the informant on his death so I suspect some form of an inquiry was made given he was a seaman and likely not a resident. If there is one it would lay within the Sherriff Court archives.
Don
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Not commemorated by CWGC so would appear to be a civilian.
Imber
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Many thanks to you all for your assistance. I know he was not a civilian but awaiting a report on the vessel he was on called 'Doria'. Thank you DonM for looking in the newspaper archives, that is a great help. I guess there must have been an inquiry of sorts as you suggest.
Thanks again
K8T
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The Doria was a 150 ton tug built at Dartmouth in 1909. The ship number (125767) is recorded in the Deaths at Sea records for John Surman.
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Transcribed crew list for the Doria for early 1915: http://1915crewlists.rmg.co.uk/document/109526
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There's this snippet reference in Google Books:
"T10925/16 Tug Doria. Weekly order as to watch on deck, enquiry for certain man, and regarding drowning of man."
https://goo.gl/Ch6FzV
The document referred to is at the National Archives http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6642766
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There is nothing I have found in a Newspaper (britishnewspaper archives) and there is no RCE associated with his death. The local Procurator Fiscal was the informant on his death so I suspect some form of an inquiry was made given he was a seaman and likely not a resident. If there is one it would lay within the Sherriff Court archives.
Don
The PF would have been involved as this was a death in a public place - the "inquiry" may have been simply an interview of witnesses (precognition)to establish the circumstances. There is no RCE as the PF is the Informant - there would only have been a need to correct an entry if the death had been reported to the Registrar before the PF had finished with witnesses. Unfortunately very few of these PF Records survive unless they are considered of major public interest.
It's possible that there could have been an FAI (Fatal Accident Inquiry) but these are rare, even today although convened if required by legislation (e.g. employment law) or if deemed "in the Public Interest" and given that this occurred in wartime the latter is unlikely to have been an influencing factor.
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Wow thanks ShaunJ. That info is a great help. I already had the crew list but havve now ordered the document from National Archives. Hopefully it will give a more detailed account.
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Thank you for expanding on the PF involvement Falkyrn. Courts are very different depending on which country they are held I guess. Maybe the National Archives document will shed some light.