suicides and inquests

[pauleaton]

Hi all
Im fairly new to this site and looking up my family history. I have a question which i'm hoping someone could help with. My Great Grandfather sadly committed suicide on the 2nd april 1936. I have his death certificate which tells you how he died and that there was an inquest held on 4th april 1936. The cert also says the registration of death was in the sub-district of bow and bromley in the metropolitian borough of poplar. I would like to see if i could get a copy of the inquest so i can gain more of an image as to why he may have committed suicide. Can anybody help, i dont know where to look or who to ask.

Many thank

Paul

[notanotherminer]

Hi Paul and welcome to Brit-Gen

By coincidence my gt. grandfather did the same thing just 3 years later - he threw himself down a well.

This happened in Bishop Auckland district of Durham and although I had the death certificate like you I wanted to discover more even though his reasons had passed down through the family. I contacted Bishop Auckland Coroners Office to ask if the records for inquests of this time had survived .

I received a very polite letter back to say they had in fact been destroyed.

You may be lucky insofar as records for Bow might still be with the relevent office although I strongly doubt it. I am certain I was told there is no requirement for these to go into the Public Records Offices.

Your best bet would be to check newspaper accounts of the time. I was only able to find a few lines on mine but it would be likely tour ancestor's suicide would have been covered by the local press.

I think this needs one of our London members to advise because our Capital does contain a wealth of records not usually found in the counties

Regards
Graham

[Kerrywood]

Hi Paul, and welcome to Brit-Gen :seeya:


there was an inquest held on 4th april 1936. The cert also says the registration of death was in the sub-district of bow and bromley in the metropolitian borough of poplar. I would like to see if i could get a copy of the inquest so i can gain more of an image as to why he may have committed suicide.

For inquests, an important piece of information is the coroner's district, usually stated on the death certificate in the Informant column. You haven't told us this, but perhaps it will be London Eastern?

For that district and period, only a 10% sample of coroner's depositions survives. These are held at the London Metropolitan Archives (http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Records_and_archives/Visitor_information/lma_enquiry_team.htm). You can email them with the details from the death certificate to ask if they have what you want, but sadly there is only a 1 in 10 chance.

As Graham says, the newspapers would be the best bet. Try contacting Tower Hamlets local studies library (http://www.ideastore.co.uk/en/articles/local_history). They have a large collection of local papers, and the staff are normally very helpful.

Please come back and let us know how you get on. :smile5:

[Dalensue]

Hi

I second the comment about the local newspaper. One of my ancestors was killed when a team of horses ran over him...whilst he was drunk! We could not get the official inquest papers, but, the local paper in 1868 ran a detailed story which covered all the hitsory and details, and even quoted the people questioned. A VERY valuable addition to our research.

Good luck!

[spison]

I second the newspaper search but suspect that you will not get a detailed account if it was a suicide. I've seen suicide reports and they are usually very brief.

Accident newspaper reports seem to be very detailed and with the passing of time often very funny - especially when alcohol is involved. Mine fell out of a dingy in 1872 when he and his 'mate' were travelling home from the pub and stopped to have a 'wee tipple' in the middle of the river where they capsized - the 'mate' survived.

Good luck
Jane

[Kerrywood]

I second the newspaper search but suspect that you will not get a detailed account if it was a suicide. I've seen suicide reports and they are usually very brief.

I think you need to make a distinction between a newspaper report of the suicide itself, and a newspaper report of the inquest. The latter can be very detailed, depending on the level of public interest, and that is what you'd ideally be hoping to find.

[spison]

Sorry Kerrywood,
You're right.
Jane

[Colin Moretti]

This TNA Research Guide (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=175) might be helpful

Good luck

Colin

[georgiep]

Hi Jane
I'm a member of the worldwide group White Wreath Assoc
We are battling to remove the word "committed" from suicide death certificates.
Good luck with your search.
georgiep