Delayed Death Registration?

[DianaCanada]

A number of years ago I received a death certificate for Peter Hibbert who drowned in Pendleton, Salford district, Lancashire on 25 Jul 1852. Today I found a newspaper reference to the inquest in a Manchester newspaper - his body was recovered the same day, however on the death certificate the date of death agrees but it was not registered until October 18, 1852 (same coroner as the one mentioned in the paper). Any ideas on the delay?

[Nicolina]

it's most probably because there was an inquest and the Coroner didn't sign the certificate for a few weeks. The last one I attended took place months after the accident.

[exiled brummie]

I have an identical situation with a relative who was found drowned. His date of death is given as 4 April 1847 at Egton Cum Newland Lancashire, but the death was not registered until 8 June 1847. The informant is the Coroner for Broughton in Furness, so there clearly was in inquest to establish whether the death was suspicious or not.

[DianaCanada]

The newspaper report was actually about the inquest - that is why I was surprised the death wasn't registered for over two months. Maybe the registrar was just lax?!

[Pam Downes]

The important question is - what is the date of the newspaper report?

Pam

[arthurk]

I once came across a suggestion that some coroners held on to their papers for a while and submitted them for registration in batches - possibly quarterly, in view of the length of time mentioned here?

The suggestion seems to fit with the facts, but I don't know for certain that it actually happened like that. If anyone wants to look for what I think I saw, it would most likely have been on this forum or one of Rootsweb's Yorkshire mailing lists. (Apparently I wrote something similar on a different forum just over a year ago saying I'd "recently" come across the suggestion, but I still can't find the original.)

Arthur

[DianaCanada]

The report appeared in the 31 Jul 1852 edition of the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. His death registration records the death as 25 Jul 1852, registered 28 Oct 1852 by Thomas Allen Registrar, coroner was William Rutter (listed on the cert.) and also mentioned in the newspaper report.

[DianaCanada]

That sounds logical, Arthur, although one would think the quarter before would be done early in October - but perhaps the registrar is not to blame, and the reports from the coroner were delayed - we all know about bureaucracy!
I see I made a typo in the original posting - the death was registered on the 28th of Oct not the 18th.

[Pam Downes]

The report appeared in the 31 Jul 1852 edition of the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. His death registration records the death as 25 Jul 1852, registered 28 Oct 1852 by Thomas Allen Registrar, coroner was William Rutter (listed on the cert.) and also mentioned in the newspaper report.

I don't have access to the newspaper which makes it a little difficult, but another question which springs to mind:
I presume the paper says 'an inquest was held'. Does it say what the verdict of the inquest was e.g. death by drowning, or does it say 'the inquest was adjourned'?
If the verdict of the inquest is given then I think that you just have to conclude that for reasons unknown the death wasn't registered until the end of October.

Pam

[DianaCanada]

The article says "an inquest was held" and a "verdict of 'accidental death' returned". The verdict was held the day after Peter Hibbert drowned.
BTW Peter was 23 years old, a tailor, and lived in Salford. In 1841 I found him living with his cousin named William Batho. An individual named Thomas Batho had been a witness at the marriage of my ancestor (William Hibbert) in 1840 at Manchester Cathedral - thus my interest in Peter. Still don't know if I am related to Peter.