Where was place of inquest for Bill Quay death

[taffie01]

Hi, hoping someone can help please.

Where would the coroner for Chester ward co. Durham hold an inquest for a death at Bill Quay in March 1881?

date of death 28 march 1881
date of registration 6 April 1881

[stanmapstone]

It may have been in a pub. Inquests were generally held in pubs in the nineteenth century but as the twentieth century progressed this became more and more uncommon.  The 1902 Licensing Act forbade pub inquests if any reasonable alternative existed, but a Home Office survey taken in the early 1930s discovered pub inquests, especially in rural districts, survived well into the twentieth century.

Stan

[taffie01]

Thanks Stan,
that is useful info,

am I right in thinking that the coroner came out to the the area of the place of death to conduct the inquest?

if so will have to find out names of pubs in area.

also will have to investigate local newspapers on  the chance a sudden death was reported, no address given so may have been outside.

[stanmapstone]

As I understand it the general requirement was that an inquest was held immediately upon the notice to the coroner of the death or discovery of the dead body. The inquest could either take place in the territory of the coroner in whose jurisdiction the body was found or where the death itself took place.
The general practice was that the jury should be sworn in the presence of the body. Apparently statutes required that the coroner and jury must have a view of the body together except in cases where the body could not be found or was too decomposed for view. The purpose of this inspection was to ascertain from the appearance of the body how the death was caused. The jury also heard the summaries of various medical reports regarding the condition of the body to help it reach its determinations concerning the cause of death.

Apparently in the 1840s the county of Warwick magistrates set these fees;
To the Keeper of any Inn or other public-house for the use of a room for a dead body until the Inquest is held 20s 0d.
To the Keeper of any Inn or other public-house for the use of a room for holding an inquest 5s 0d

Just to confirm what I said, from The Newcastle Courant, Friday, February 9, 1883;Two inquests were held on Wenesday night by the deputy coroner.....The first was at the Smith's Arms, Prudhoe Street......The second was at the Gloucester Inn, Westgate Road.
What was the name? as there might be a report in the Courant.

Stan

[taffie01]

Thanks Stan
that was very useful info.
I dont suppose they spent too much time on the proceedings if they covered two inquests in different areas on either side of the Tyne.

The name of the person concerned in my enquiry is Michael Markey.
Just trying to prove/disprove him as a relative.
thanks again for your interest.

[taffie01]

Hi,

has anyone got any idea which newspapers covered Bill Quay area.
I have managed to find a list of pubs in the area.

[stanmapstone]

Durham Chronicle, Durham County Advertiser, Newcastle Chronicle, Newcastle Courant, Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Newcastle Daily Leader, North Eastern Daily Gazette, Northern Daily Mail, Tyneside Daily Echo
Gateshead Library have the Tyneside Daily Echo 1880-1882
Stan

[taffie01]

  thanks Stan

that list gives me something to work on. I think Newcastle Library  keep lots of the local papers.