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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: sueky71 on Friday 06 March 09 17:09 GMT (UK)

Title: Would there have been an inquest?
Post by: sueky71 on Friday 06 March 09 17:09 GMT (UK)

Just found a death certificate for my grandmothers brother.

He died in 1920 aged 2months due to "Accidental Overlaying".
His death cert has an added RCE which reads - Found dead about 8.30am, alive 6hrs previous. Cause of death suffocation by accidental overlaying.
Underneath this it says: Procurator Fiscals Office, Paisley, 01 March 1921.


Would there have been some sort of inquest and if so is it possible to find out more?

Thanks
Sueky

Title: Re: Would there have been an inquest?
Post by: avm228 on Friday 06 March 09 17:26 GMT (UK)

How sad  :(

Unfortunately overlaying was a common cause of death for infants.

I don't know much about the Procurator Fiscal system, but see this earlier thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=0faff08ddc54ddfaadc2bc35f85f3e12&topic=306335.0

Anna

Title: Re: Would there have been an inquest?
Post by: jessden on Friday 06 March 09 17:40 GMT (UK)

There are no coroners/inquests in Scotland.  There is a procedure called a Fatal Accident Inquiry that is used for industrial accidents and other deaths of wide public interest but that would not have been used in this sort of case.  What would have happened is that the circumstances of the death would have been reported to and investigated by the local Procurator Fiscal (i.e. the local public prosecutor).  Assuming that he decided that there were no suspicious circumstances about the death which would warrent a criminal prosecution, that would be the end of the matter apart from the RCE.

Jessie

Title: Re: Would there have been an inquest?
Post by: sueky71 on Friday 06 March 09 21:31 GMT (UK)

Thanks to you both for you replies  :)