I did try National Archives but could not find anything - but then again I have great difficulty finding my way round their records. Tried various searches.
Hi Michaelw,
Not all records or newspapers are online. Some records are transcribed and scanned usually by volunteers or Family History Societies. They are often sold to the some of the well known genealogy websites. You need to go to Birmingham Archives and look for Coroner's Inquest Reports.
The Archive and Heritage Service holds Coroners inquest reports
from August 1875 onwards, although the court was established in 1839. There are no surviving Inquest Report files before 1875.
The Archives and Heritage Service also holds a series of indexed newspaper cuttings which are open to view.
These date from the 1890s up until the present day.
Arrangement-
Inquest files are arranged chronologically so you will need to know the date of the inquest. This is given on the death certificate or in a newspaper report.
Pre-1875 reports-
Before 1875 you will find inquests reported in local newspapers which are located in the Archives and Heritage Service. There is also a Coroners Court Roll which gives brief details of inquests held from 1839 onwards. A microfilm of this roll is available in the Archives and Heritage Service but the original is not held here. For inquest reports before 1839 you should contact the relevant County Record Office.
Closure of records-
Coroners inquest files are closed to public access for 75 years. If you wish to view records less than 75 years old please contact the Birmingham Coroner:
The Coroners Court
50 Newton Street
BIRMINGHAM
B4 6NE
0121 303 3920
coroner_cotter@birmingham.gov.ukContents of the records
Coroner inquests file vary enormously in size and content. They may include witness statements, post mortem reports, drawings, photographs and objects presented as evidence. If you wish to view a coroner inquest file, please be prepared for distressing and graphic material which was not intended for public viewing at the time.
Bo.
