Genealogy Chat

I'm just wondering if anyone knows if Inquest records are available to search anywhere. My great grandfather commited suicide and I know the date of the inquest (16 Dec 1901 Shrewsbury) and who performed it, but would love to be able to see the findings. Any ideas? Thanks

You could try contacting the records office for the area. I know there is a closure period on these records, but you should be ok that far back.

Thanks, have sent them an email so fingers crossed! :O)

If you don't have any luck with the inquest report then you could check the local paper; inquests or any 'unusual' deaths were often reported. Especially useful for earlier dates when inquest reports haven't survived and the newspapers sometimes went into just as much detail!

I would certainly recommend looking in the local newspaper of the time. My great grandfather committed suicide in 1896 and like you I had the date and coroners name. I went to our local archive office and found detailed reports in 2 local newspapers. Good luck Christine

Thanks for your help guys :)

Louise Inquest papers are often routinely destroyed :-( but they are usually reported in the local paper. I found out about my gt grandfather's inquest in this way. Just a para, but it gave info about the witnesses etc so I got the time of day as well as what happened. Interestingly, the verdict was slightly different from what was recorded on the death cert. nell