How do I get hold of Inquest records?

[Kath Betts]

My grt Grandfather fell in the Bridgwater Canal (Manchester area)and the body turned up a few days later. I know that there was an inquest held at in Worsly in Feb 1926. How do I go about getting transcripts? Do ypu know if they are likely to still exist after all these years?

I have access to the London area to search for records but is this the type of thing that is only held localy?

Any ideas please?

Kath

[AnnB]

The best hope you have of finding the details of an inquest, is to find a report of the accident in a local newspaper. |book| If you can find the newpaper which covered the area where the accident happened, you would then need to find where copies of that paper are kept. This could be the Local Studies centre (if the area has one), the Local Record Office or one of the libraries in the area. For more details of where newspapers may be found, etc. have a look at www.genuki.org.uk/big/Newspapers.html

Best wishes
Ann

[Ladkyis]

If you go to this page at the National Archives website

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/bbc/

and then scroll down to Leslie Garretts little bit there is a good explanation of Coroners Inquests and where any surviving records may be kept. It would seem that if the Inquest was held during the quarter sessions - when the circuit Judges were in town to try the big cases - there just might be a record kept in the Quarter Session reocrds in the local Record Office. if the inquest was held at any other time then it is probable that the local Coroner would keep the records himself and when he retired it was up to him what happened to them. There is usually something written on the death certificate saying what the verdict was but the Local newspaper would have carried a pretty full account - Try the manchester Evening News, there might even be copies of this kept at the British Library Newspaper Library at Colindale.
Ann

[uksearch]

Hello Kath,

If you give me your ggf's full details, and if possible,the date of his death I will certainly check the MEN for coverage of the inquest.

UK

[Kath Betts]

Thanks for the help. I will now look at these ideas and hope to move forward.

As I am fairly new at this I can only say "thank you" for having the patience to explain and sending me off in the right direction.

Kath

[Ladkyis]

One day you'll be able to do the same for another newcomer to the hobby and then you'll know just how good it feels to pass on the help given to us when we started.

Happy hunting
Ann