NRS-343 | Registers of Coroners' inquests and Magisterial inquiries

Full description

The most important function of a Coroner was to inquire into unnatural or sudden deaths, and each Coroner was authorised to hold inquests in all cases of death if the body should be lying within the Police district or districts in which his jurisdiction applied. In the remoter Police districts of the Colony where no Coroner was situated, magistrates could take depositions and inquire into the circumstances of death but, in such cases, a Justice of the Peace had no authority to empanel a Jury, as had a Coroner. In the event of the destruction of any property, real or personal, by fire the Coroner had jurisdiction to inquire into the cause and origin of such fire.

The first six volumes (4/6611.1-6615) record the district, before whom held, when and where held, date received, name of deceased, finding and date death certificate required. The later volumes also record age of deceased, locality of birth, locality of death, and cash or property owned at the time of death.

The arrangement is by single number up to 1866, with the exception of 4/6611.1. From January 1867 an annual single number is substituted.

Indexes
There are a number of indexes to this series, either included at the front of the registers or in separate volumes, with entries generally being to the names of the deceased. For those inquests and inquiries which relate to fires and to unidentified or unnamed individuals, entries have been made under a number of general headings such as fire, origin of fire at, human remains, infant, new born child/infant, native (Aboriginal), and unknown.

However, the registers are only partially indexed. Prior to 1899, indexes are located in the front of 4/6611.2 (H - Z only) and 4/6612 only; the remaining available indexes for this period, which are separate volumes, can be found in series 2 below. From 1899 to June 1942 an index is located at the front of each register (X2085-91 and 3/955-61).

To assist with filling in the gaps, State Archives' staff have prepared a card index which is designed to complement the original indexes: Card index to Inquests, 1834-38, 1838-41 (A-G only), 1852-58, 1867-68, 1872-75, which is available in the Western Sydney Reading Room.

1834-94 (4/6611.1-6620; microfilm copy SR Reels 2921-2925), 1895-1920 (X2084-91; microfilm copy SR Reels 2225, 2763-2765), 1921-Jun 1942 (3/955-61; microfilm copy SR Reels 2766-2769). 26 vols.
*ARK

Note:
This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.