Questions Regarding Old Newspaper Reports about Suicides

[Cell]

Hi,
I have a few questions regarding newspaper reports, and hope any of you can advice me on this.

I am looking for a report of a suicide in the papers which occurred on Midland railway line in Bitton ( in the year of 1896 - I have the exact date of when the suicide took place and the date the inquest took place from the death cert) , my questions are:
Did most suicides and the inquest which was held  get written about in the local papers? ie have any of you got a death by suicide  that was not found  in any of the newspapers?

Colindale newspaper archives - Have any of you used their online research service ,and if so in your opinion could you tell me if you thought they were very thorough  in their search , and generally how long did it take for them to find the article(s).

I've been humming and arring for a while now whether to bite the bullet and pay for a search of the papers held at Colindale (I can't get to Colindale myself as I'm in Aus) -at 50 GBP  for an initial search it seems very expensive to me to take a gamble (if the odds are extremely low ) that it may have been reported in the papers -so hence my above question about do most suicides hit the local papers.


Thanks for any opinions/advice

[julianb]

In general coroner's court hearings were reported in the local press.  An antecedent of my wife's died in similar circumstances, and there was local newspaper coverage of that inquest.   The bigger gamble will be whether appropraite newspaper editions have been archived


I've not used Colindale Archives, so sorry can't help on that one.

JULIAN

[Cell]

Thanks Julian,
I'm hoping that all suicide inquests were basically reported on, as 50 quid is bit steep to me for a search if most were not reported on and my chances are low of finding an article on it.

 I don't mind paying 50 pounds if the odds are high that most are reported- I'll take that gamble, but if not many were reported on  it seems like a big gamble to me to pay out 50 pounds for this search.

" The bigger gamble will be whether appropraite newspaper editions have been archived" - I hope they have.

I've been humming and arring about paying for the search at Colindale for ages now, I'm hoping the reports will shed some light on why he committed suicide (he was my G G Grandfather who took his own life at 73 yrs old-, leaving a wife and grown up children behind)

Kind Regards

[liverpool annie]

Hi Cell !

Why don't you post the details and see if anybody can help ...... BEFORE you pay 50 quid !! 

Annie 

[Cell]

Hi Annie,
ok here goes:
George Quarman
Death 1896 in the sub district of Bitton in the county of Gloucester.
Died on 6th February 1896 Midland Railway, Oldland Common, Bitton.
Cause of death: Suicide by placing himself on the line and letting a train pass over him whilst of unsound mind (I love the "Letting" bit )

Signature,description and residence of informant ;Certificate received from Edward Mills Grace coroner for the Lower Division of Gloucestershire.
Inquest held 8th February 1896."
Age 73 yrs
occupation general labourer.

Kind Regards

[julianb]

Have you looked on the Gloucestershire resources thread - this post

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,23837.msg273563.html#msg273563

is about Bitton resources, but you might want to wade through the other posts on the thread to see if there's any newspaper resources

Good luck

JULIAN

[jorose]

I would add that if £50 is the price that Collingdale themselves charge to do a lookup, then look into independent researchers - the price that an archive charges is almost always higher than the price you could get by shopping around local researchers.

I think it would probably be reported in the local paper - I don't think every inquest was reported but George chose a particularly dramatic means of throwing off the mortal coil.  I feel sorry for the train driver!

Although looking at the Collingwood indexes to what they have, there doesn't seem to be a paper for Bitton/Oldland area proper, you might have to try Bristol newspapers.

[carol8353]

Personally I'd try the Gloucester record office or local library. Google search them.

I have just had wonderful(free  ) service from the Hammersmith record office.

I mailed to ask if they knew which newspaper was around at the time,of my 3 x gt grandads death in 1880.......and they did a quick look up and copied and posted me what they found.Quite often they will search for less than 15 mins for free.

If you don't ask you don't get 

Good luck

Carol

[Cell]

Thank's for all the replies.
Carol, I've just  taken your advice and  I have just sent an email to Bristol library. If I don't get any luck from them, I'll try an email to Gloucestershire archives next.

It's worth a try anyway, at the least they may be able to answer me with one of my queries I have asked in my email to them(which titles would be the most likely to report on the event) .As Jorose said there doesn't appear to be any papers for Bitton - this is half the trouble that I've been having too, trying to work out which papers would cover Bitton's events- I think it would probably be Bristol papers too, but again I know nothing about which were the main newspaper titles for those paticular surrounding areas in those days

Thanks for all your help