Inquest information - where can I find it?

[AngelaR]

After a long wait, some certificates have finally arrived from the GRO.

For the deaths, I expected the usual set of heart attacks and senility but was staggered to find a suicide 'during a temporary attack of insanity'.

Now the question is - where do I find the report on the inquest. I know they tended to appear in newspapers, but there's no really obvious choice for the area (Norton St Philip, Somerset in 1888). What I wondered is - are there official inquest records anywhere, or is it only in newspapers we might find them? Also, has anyone any guidelines as to what sort of newspapers would carry the report and where I might start looking.

Thanks

Angela

[suttontrust]

What about the local Record Office?  I know I've come across inquest reports in my local RO. 

[AngelaR]

Hi suttontrust

Thanks - I was wondering about that, but wasn't sure that they fitted into any of their published categories. I suppose I could be very brave and ask them

I'll have to get over being intimidated by record office staff some day....

Angela

[GRACELAND]

   Local records office is where i found the one i posted in the common room see "Gloucester suicide !" 

[AngelaR]

Hi Graceland

I read your entry on the suicide in the Severn - it was very moving

I suppose that's why I want to follow this one up if I can - what would have pushed him to this level? He's my g g grandfather and was a Greenwich Pensioner (so possibly injured at sea, although I can't find out anything about that either) He's a real mystery as he only ever appears on 2 censuses, yet he died at 73. None of my family ever talked to me about their forebears and they're all dead now anyway so it's a real puzzle working out what made people tick

Angela

[JillJ]

Hi Angela,

I've always found library staff to be most helpful - I would ask them!   Local libraries usually have all newspapers on fiche and as you have the date of death it shouldn't need much searching to see if there is mention of this event.

Best wishes.

Jill

[AngelaR]

Hi Jill

Thanks very much for your suggestion. Would you suggest going to the nearest local library to the place that he lived/died? Unfortunately, the area isn't immediately local so I'd need to make a trip of it. How big a local lobrary would usually have newspapers on fiche? I've never really ventured beyond the usual census and parish records route, so this is new to me...

Thanks again

Angela

[JillJ]

Hi Angela,

I would try ringing the library nearest and see what they say.   If they don't have the records they will be able to point you in the right direction.   It is usually the bigger libraries that keep these records, i.e. city libraries.

Jill

[AngelaR]

Thanks very much Jill - I'll give it a go. I feel a bit hesitant about ringing up libraries and record offices in case they feel I'm wasting their time, but perhaps that's just a bit wimp-y

I'll be brave and ring in the morning. Thanks again for your encouragement

Angela