Genealogy Chat

Thanks to answers to a previous question I posted I've managed to track down the death cert of my G G grandma - she drowned 'whilst of unsound mind' in 1892. On the death cert it says that an inquest was held 20/9/1892 in Lincoln. Can I access the inquest material at Lincoln Archive? and also would she have had a proper burial if it was classed as a suicide? This is quite sad as she was abandoned by her husband as he left her to go to America with another woman and left her with a son. Thanks

You might be lucky and get the inquest report, but it is usually much easier to find the local newspaper report. You have the date so it shouldn't be too much of a trawl. The local papers are usually kept on micro film by the library and/or county archive. The papers in those days usually reported the inquest more or less verbatim. Not sure about burial - possibly it depended on the views of the local clergy. Anne

hiya Jane, when I found my great gt grandmas death cert it mentioned about an inquest, and when held, I used my local library, the searched the newspaper of the time and I got my inquest printed there and then, from the newspaper, this was easy for me to access as it is very local to me, I hope that this helps regards Julie

The date of the inquest is on the death cert. E-mail the nearest library service to where the inquest took place. They should be able to provide a photocopy of the report of the inquest for a small sum. Inquest papers themselves sometimes survive but I have recently found that you need to get the current coroner's permission to see them. nell

Thats brilliant! I shall do that then! Thanks for your help. Jane