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Author Topic: Protocols for officially identifying dead bodies in Scotland (late 19th C.)  (Read 525 times)

Offline Doddie

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Re: Protocols for officially identifying dead bodies in Scotland (late 19th C.)
« Reply #9 on: Friday 20 June 25 22:26 BST (UK) »
All the information from those who have replied is most helpful. I have a gut feeling that Thomas, James’ eldest child, may have been the person who  identified the body. Of course, I have no way of proving this conclusively. I have been trying to find out more about his backstory ever since I discovered that he committed suicide at the age of thirty in 1909. At the time he was a barman by trade.

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Doddie

Offline RJ_Paton

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Re: Protocols for officially identifying dead bodies in Scotland (late 19th C.)
« Reply #10 on: Friday 20 June 25 22:50 BST (UK) »
Unfortunately the paperwork that would have provided some of the answers, the Sudden Death Report, is long gone. Most police forces purged their records after several years and while the PF kept records for slightly longer they would not have survived until today.

A full sudden death report would contain
Full details of deceased and to many people’s surprise their parents.
Full details of what happened and the roles of the witnesses
List of witnesses
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