The Nineteenth-Century Coroner in England and Wales : Volume I: The Coroner's Office (Nineteenth-century Science, Technology and Medicine: Sources and Documents)

This set comprises primary sources on the coroner, the inquest, and the role of the coroner, in (broadly) the nineteenth century. The coroner was (and is in many respects) a peculiarly English and Welsh office. The coroner was a judge who lived and worked in his local community and his actions had potential for far reaching effects on those he served. His judicial work was usually carried out alongside his occupation, as a solicitor or medical practitioner (or, in the early nineteenth century, a tradesman or businessman). The verdicts of his court sat at a junction between the criminal courts - where a coroner’s jury acted as a grand jury and could pronounce on homicide - and a civil jurisdiction for the completion of a death certificate that contributed to central government statistics. This first volume focuses on the context of the 19th century coroner and the legal framework of the time. It explores the purpose of an inquest, the legislature governing the coroner, debates around the utility and role of the coroner and documents concerning the coroner's court. It will be of interest to scholars of British 19th century history, legal historians, social historians, historical criminologists and medical historians.