Understanding a Death Certificate

[tigtig]

Good afternoon,everyone!
Haven't looked at my Family History for many years (life in the present got in the way of the past), so back to being a beginner really, trawling through what I have and things I overlooked, one of which is the death certificate for my 3xgt grandmother Hester Palmer( born Hancock) She died 6 Sept 1839 at Congresbury, Somerset and was buried  on 10 Sept, but her death certificate wasn't registered until 15 July 1840 by the Shepton Mallett Coroner. She was 33 years old and cause of death was 'natural causes'. What would cause such a long delay in registration? As the informant was a Coroner does this mean there was something suspicious about her death? Would an Inquest have taken place?
Thanks
Tig

[stanmapstone]

The burial would have taken place with a coroners certificate. Section XXVII An Act for registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England. [17 August 1836] 6 & 7 Will. IV. c.86


the Coroner, upon holding any Inquest, may order the Body to be Buried, if he shall think fit, before Registry of the Death, and shall in such Case give a Certificate of his Order in Writing under his Hand, according to the Form of Schedule (F.) to this Act annexed, to such Undertaker or other person having Charge of the Funeral, which shall be delivered as aforesaid;

Sometimes, the precise circumstances of death are only determined at inquest, and a coroner might then be able to give a verdict of natural causes.

Stan

[AntonyMMM]

If the informant on a death registration is the coroner, then an inquest was held (it usually says so) but If an inquest is held, the death can't be registered until the process is concluded.

It is common today for deaths that go to inquest to be registered months, or occasionally years, after the event. At that time, inquests usually took place within a day or two so it is an unusual one, but not unheard of. It might be worth looking for a newspaper report for any reason why an inquest was held, and why the delay happened.

As Stan points out there are processes that allow the coroner, or a registrar, to allow the burial to take place.

[stanmapstone]

There is nothing in the newspapers. If she just died of natural causes the papers would probably be not interested in reporting it.

Stan

[AntonyMMM]

Check the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette of 19th Sept 1839.

Looks like the inquest was held straight away, but either the coroner didn't send over the paperwork to the registrar straight away, or the registrar left it sitting on his desk for months.

[tigtig]

Thank you so much for your replies. It has given me a clearer understanding of the processes at the time. If there is no newspaper report of any Inquest, then probably nothing unusual was found about her death.
Tig
.

[stanmapstone]

Check the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette of 19th Sept 1839.

I don't know why that did not show up when I searched before under Palmer, found it under inquest.
I see the verdict was "died by the visitation of God".
Stan

[tigtig]

Thank you both so much! Have now registered with the BNA and seen the article. How tragic!
I think she had had 8 children by then, the last being Sarah, who was born in 1839, so was probably the baby she was nursing. I will have to look to see if she survived without her mother.
Thanks again.
Tig

[Peter L. Mitchell]

Don't know if this is relevant to your search, but there is a Mary Ann Palmer (mother's name Huncock) in the GRO records - Ref:1839 M Quarter in Bath Volume 11 Page 51. Good luck with your search!

Peter