Genealogy Chat

Hi all. I have just got a death cert for one of my rellies and it has quite shocked me. Looks like she could have been murdered. Says there was an inquest and jury, are we allowed to see inquest reports from 1916 and if so, how do i go about this? Many thanks, Claire x

I do not know if inquest details are available but most inquests would have been reported in the local newspapers especially something as 'juicy' as a murder. If there was a subsequent trial that too would be in the papers. David

I asked about inquest reports at the records office once and was told that I would find more information from reading the report in the local newspaper! I found the newspaper and sure enough the whole inquest was reported. Liz

Hi David/Elizabeth, Thanks for your replies. Looks like i need to get to Sheffield to see if i can find a newspaper report. There must have been something, says head and body found in a lock in Tinsley canal. Jury decided that the body had come apart after death and she had drowned first. There was an inquest held. Would the library help my by email at all or do i have to go there? Thanks, Claire x

i too recently had a death cert from a relative drowned in Rochester Kent with a Inquest 1872, i emailed Medway Local Studies, with the date of death, and for £5 they sent me an A4 of the Newspaper Page and an A3 of the report, fantastic service and saved me a 300 mile round trip

Hi Gary, Thanks for that, glad you got a result. I have just emailed the Sheffield archives about this and will see what they say, i might have to go through the Sheffield Library. Such a shame i dont live in Sheffield anymore. Claire x

But you may know some kind soul that does, give them a ring ? Maurice

Just to say that in my experience, libraries are very willing to send photocopies of newspaper articles for a small sum. As you have the date of the death and of the inquest from the death cert, it should be relatively easy (therefore quick and cheap) to find the relevant articles. If it appears that she was murdered, then it is possible the suspect(s) were named at the inquest. So you could then see if there was a trial, etc. You might find someone with access to The Times Online Archive could find this as it is indexed, assuming this murder was newsworthy enough to make the national press. But you say 'appears' to have been murdered. Does it say that on the death cert - what was the cause of death? nell

Hi Nell, Thanks for your reply. From the death certificate, it says that the jury decided she drowned. Says that only her head and body were found in a lock in Tinsley Canal in Sheffield. The jury decided the lock did the damage to the body and she drowned. Its hard to take in that the jury decided this on the same day her body was found. I dont think that there was a trial at all but there was an inquest. Would the local newspaper still report on the body found and the inquest? Thanks, Claire x

There will certanly be a report in the newspaper, i have a relative who drowned in the river mersy at warrington in 1874, there was a report of him missing presumed drowned and then 2 days later a report of the inquest, all in the same paper as he drowned on a Tuesday and inquest thursday and the warrington paper only came out once a week and so both articles were in the same edition on the saturday, they are so interesting when you find them.

Hi Gary, Thanks for that. I have phoned the Sheffield Central Library and they have asked for me to send an email to them with the dates etc and they will give me details of how to pay them for a search etc. Will do that later when i get home for work. Claire x