Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone,
Just had a copy of a death certificate for Adam Stephenson, 24th Feb 1876 age 32. He died suddenly of natural causes at Turk's head yard, Preston.
In the box for informant it says "certificate received from William Gilbertson, coroner for Lancashire. Inquest held 25th Feb 1876".
Adam was a pawnbroker's assistant.

I just wondered if anyone knew why an inquest would usually take place? Ive only had one death certificate with an inquest on before and that was for a relative who died in a tragic accident.

Looking online, Turk's head yard had some police cells off it and i know Adam had been arrested several times. Could he have died in police custody?

Any info would be really appreciated,

Thanks

Hannah

In simple terms - In this day and age any sudden unexplained death should be referred to the Coroner, so probably the same then. A GP can sign a death certificate if they have attended a person within a certain time before death and their condition was one likely to cause death. Deaths within (I think) 48 hours of admission to hospital have to be referred to the Coroner. An inquest will be held if it is thought necessary and a post mortem if needs be.

From google - Why is an inquest held after a death?
Reasonable cause to suspect that a death was unnatural, due to violence, neglect, abortion or in suspicious circumstances. Death occurred in prison; in police custody or following police contact; or during detention in a psychiatric hospital. The vast majority of deaths are not referred to the coroner for an inquest.

See also -
http://www.inquest.org.uk/help/handbook/section-1-3-what-is-an-inquest

I'd say the inquest was called for because he "died suddenly"!

Just as today, the authorities would need to know why.

If someone hasnt been seen by a doctor for a time before the death then a talk through inquest would take place

Similarly my husband died in 2015 .and he had been taken into a hospice for his last two days and been zonked out on morphine as prescribed there to ease his pain

There was a talk through inquest as his legal right to consent to his care had been taken away by the doctor who decided on his treatment , so there was an inquest to determine no unlawful actions had taken place . The doctors report on his care and cause of death was accepted by the coroner
His death cert has the coroner as the informant

Thank you everyone! I did wonder if it was like it is these days.