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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Leicestershire => Topic started by: dabs0 on Wednesday 04 November 15 21:51 GMT (UK)
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I have checked the website for the archives, but that was not much help. Does anyone have any idea where the coroners records for 1871 could be found, if they still exist?
Thanks
Deb
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Have you tried ringing the Leics Records Office as they are the likeliest to either know where they are or whether they exist
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are you looking for something particular. Sometimes local newspapers had the gist of the report.
Name / date?
Diddy
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Thanks Diddy. I have found a newspaper report in the Burton Mail. David Bosworth, found dead on New Years Day 1871 in the Goods Guards Carriage at Leicester Railway Sidings. I have the death certificate and it says cause of death certified by coroner, was just wondering if there were the coroners records. I might have to resort to searching the Leicester papers to see if there is anything more in there. The Burton Mail could not even get his name right!
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Was his death from natural causes or an accident?
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There's a report in the Leic Chronicle of 7 Jan 1871. It's quite a long report so I can't copy it all out but basically this is the gist of it:
"Singular death of a goods guard"
Inquest held on Mon 2 Jan in the parish of St Margaret by J Gregory Esq, coroner, on David Bosworth, about 27 yrs old.
John Robotham of Stretton nr Burton was deceased's father in law.
Engine driver Joseph Green gave evidence; David B was guard on a train carrying barrels of beer from Burton to Wellingborough. They did the reverse journey early in the morning; the train stopped at wigston then at Knighton Junction and the driver became alarmed when there was no sign of the guard. He knocked down the door of the "break" and David was found sitting in there; he took one breath but no others. He had made himself a coal fire in a tin grease box in the break and there was a strong sulphurous smell. (It had been an "intensely cold" night).
The doctor felt cause of death was as follows:
"apoplexy caused by his eating a hearty supper and afterwards leaning over the fire in his van. Deceased appeared to have a short neck and full habit of body which would predispose him to the attack".
Coroner's verdict "apoplexy" and the jury "suggested the desirability of some ssafe an for warming the guards' breaks in inclement weather".
From the sound of it he probably died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his attempts to avoid hypothermia :'(
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Annie, you are an absolute star. His death certificate just says death by hypothermia and I had a feeling there was more to it than that. Thanks so much, I will contact the records office and see if they can send over the full article.
Thanks to all that have helped, you are stars. ;D
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I know this leaflet is 'specific' to London & Middlesex but it does explain why coroners records don't survive and that the best alternative, if the story was newsworthy enough, would be the local paper.
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/visitor-information/Documents/41-coroners-records-for-london-and-middlesex.pdf