100 year old coroner's file?

Question

I am trying to find out if a body washed up on a beach in Lytham st Annes in 1910 is that of my great grandfather. Can anyone tell me if this is the kind of thing that would be available at a County archive in the UK? I may have to wait until the 1911 census is available if I can't find the information any other way.

Answer 1

You could try.. you may also like to check local newspapers around that time or police reports etc.. if they exist..

Answer 2

There would almost certainly have been a report of the incident and later, the report of the coroner's hearing, in the local newspapers. This is often very detailed, virtually a word for word account of the proceedings.  

A coroner may destroy any records, after 1875, that are more than 15 years old, those that survive are open to public view after 75 years. In many cases the only record that now exists is a newspaper report.

The easiest thing to do first, is to check if there is a death

registered in his name at that time.

http://www.cyndislist.com/eng-lan.htm#Ne...

http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspapers....

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museum_gf...

http://library.open.ac.uk/find/newspaper...

Answer 3

Coroner reports can be available to you.. I need to send for one from Chicago from 1910, when my grandfather fell from a roof. I have seen the index of files, so I know the file exists.

If your gr grandfather disappeared, and there is no other record, it would be possible. Aside from the census, there are death records (certificates), or other types of files. I know there are things in the UK such as electoral rolls (I don't know how far back these go). Were there children/ siblings born at later dates? Is there any indication that his wife died later, and may have remarried? If there was property owned.. there might be a court file of some kind, which can contain statements relating to his death or disappearance.

I would say there are many records that could possibly RULE OUT this body being your ancestor. The same records may indicate the likelihood that it could be.