Coroner Informant on Woolacott Death Certificate 1841.

[Jebber]

I was once attend a talk by a Coroner, a keen family historian himself, it was fascinating some of the things he told us. He said in the early days it was quite common for there to be a long delay between a burial and registration when a Coroner was involved. A Coroner covered a large area, in the days before the railway, it meant he had travel on horseback and there could be a long delay before he visited the area where the death occurred.

I think you will find there was no railway in Devon before about 1844, so after the event in in 1841.

[sparrett]

Hi Jebber,
That is really interesting.
It does help to make sese of the matter.

Perhaps he had been perfectly well and then died very suddenly and there was a query about cause afterwards.

Of possible interest .. he had aready made a will.  I have worked to locate it but it seems not preserved or not yet sourced.
Thank you.

Sue

[josey]

I had a similar query a while ago.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=847948.msg7151232#msg7151232

The burial took place 2 days after death in 1858, but the registration 4 months later after an inquest.

[sparrett]

Thanks Josey.
Not such an unusual thing it would seem!

It's worth bearing in mind though when searching the UK Registration indexes online.

It would be easy to think a deceased person of the right name and area could not possibly be yours because other evidence shows he died months earlier than the registration is showing.

It could be a simoe matter of late notification.

Sue

[josey]

It would be easy to think a deceased person of the right name and area could not possibly be yours because other evidence shows he died months earlier than the registration is showing.

It's a reat help having access to so many burial records [and newspaper reports] online - at least this can lead one to search for the death registration, but as you say cerainly worth checking the indexes for registrations 1 or 2 quarters after the burial.