Author Topic: Late death registration puzzle  (Read 754 times)

Offline Lisajb

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Re: Late death registration puzzle
« Reply #9 on: Thursday 22 July 21 18:14 BST (UK) »
Could anyone suggest where to look for inquest records?

Some end up in local record offices, some don't and seem to just disappear. There's more information in the Gibson Guide to Coroners' Records (from the Family History Federation), though the modern records it mentions are all noted as being usually subject to a 75-year closure.

If you can say where the inquest took place, I'll check my copy to see if it says anything useful.

He died in a Bristol hospital, after the accident, and lived in South Gloucestershire. Would it be Bristol Coroners Court?
Mullingar, Westmeath Ireland: Gilligan/Wall/Meagher/Maher/Gray/O'Hara/Corroon (various spellings)
Bristol: Woodman/James/Derrick
Bristol/Somerset: Saunders/Wilmot
Gloucestershire:Woodman/Mathews/Tandy/Stinchcombe/Marten/Thompson
Wiltshire: Mathews
Carmarthen: Thomas, Lewis
Australia: Mary Lewis, transportee, married Henry Brown - what happened to her?

Offline arthurk

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Re: Late death registration puzzle
« Reply #10 on: Thursday 22 July 21 19:19 BST (UK) »
Inquests are held in the area where someone died, not where they lived**, and in this case the book doesn't mention anything for Bristol after 1992. Nor is there anything useful in the Bristol Archives catalogue.

In fact the place of death/residence distinction doesn't apply here, because even though the County of Avon (as created in 1974) was abolished in 1996, there is still an Avon Coroner whose area includes both Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The website is fairly informative, and at the bottom of the "Guide to coroner inquests" page there's a section on obtaining copies of reports, records etc:

https://www.avon-coroner.com/

It doesn't say whether anyone can obtain copies, or only next of kin etc - all you can do is ask, I think.

**Edited to add:
On further thought, is this always strictly true - don't coroners sometimes hold inquests for people who died abroad? But that obviously wouldn't be the case here.
Researching among others:
Bartle, Bilton, Bingley, Campbell, Craven, Emmott, Harcourt, Hirst, Kellet(t), Kennedy,
Meaburn, Mennile/Meynell, Metcalf(e), Palliser, Robinson, Rutter, Shipley, Stow, Wilkinson

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Offline Little Nell

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Re: Late death registration puzzle
« Reply #11 on: Thursday 22 July 21 20:24 BST (UK) »
All coronors' official reports are closed to the public for 75 years, although next of kin may apply for access.

When an inquest is held into a death, it may not be concluded for months after the date of death.  The coroner is actually the person who registers the death once the inquest is over.  However, in the case of road accidents similar to the one you describe, coroners can issue an interim death certificate to the family to allow the funeral to take place.  I have experience of two such cases: one, a death in December one year, funeral about a week after the death, but registration did not take place until September the following year; the other, a death in February, funeral two weeks later, inquest in May and death registered after that.

Nell
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