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Shaking Your Family Tree

November 19, 1998
	CORONER'S RECORDS: SHEDDING LIGHT ON DARK EVENTS by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.
An article in the current issue of Family Chronicle magazine by Sylvia Letvak Jaffe on using medical examiners' reports for genealogical research reminded me of how valuable these under-used records can be. In many localities they are called coroner's inquests and are commonly found under the jurisdiction of the city or county medical examiner. However, some states have only a state medical examiner. Older records are frequently more valuable -- genealogically -- than modern-day ones. Most of these records are available to the public and some, particularly the early records of metropolitan cities, have been microfilmed and can be accessed via the Family History Library of Salt Lake City. Maryland and Virginia, for example, have coroners' inquests that date back to the mid-17th century. Most of us think of coroners' records in connection with deaths by violence. However, coroners also investigated deaths by accident and mysterious causes. Among the records may be pathology, necrology, and toxicology reports, testimony offered at the inquest, police and jury reports. The inquest testimony may provide biographical and historical facts about the deceased. Additionally, a death certificate may be found in a coroner's records, which might provide some genealogical information. An Orange County, N.C. inquest in 1787 determined that the death of Peter Noe, who was found dead in a road near his son's home, was by natural causes and an "act of God.'' Of importance to the genealogist in this record is the identification of Joseph Noe as Peter's son. But the names of the thirteen "good and lafull (sic) men'' (evidently one was an alternate juror) who were summoned to investigate the death are valuable to genealogists also. These were neighbors, and probably some of them were in-laws, of Noe. Most of the surnames on the list are of Germanic origin, which help sort out and further identify individuals in this 18th-century community. Another way in which coroners' inquests can be useful to the genealogist is by establishing where your ancestor was at a specific time. An inquest in 1749 on the frontier of Virginia clearly places one of mine on the "South Branch of Potomac'' (river) in April of that year. Jaffe's magazine article relates the stories obtained from medical examiners' reports about a young husband who died at the age of 22 and of a St. Louis woman who died from burns suffered when her dress caught fire caused by passing too closely to a heating stove. These stories illustrate that medical examiners' reports provide more than just facts. They also can contribute vivid illustrations about tragic or mysterious events in our ancestors' lives. Early records may be found at city or county clerks' offices, local historical societies or state archives. The current coroner's office should be able to tell you where its old records are located, and while some offices will not release their records without proof of relationship to the deceased, genealogical research is usually considered a valid reason. Information about Family Chronicle magazine can be found at its website: http://www.familychronicle.com (c) 1998, Los Angeles Times Syndicate Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Julie Case are co-editors of Missing Links, a free weekly genealogy e-zine. To subscribe, send your request to: Missing Links Newsletter Return to Myra Vanderpool Gormley Main Page Return to Columns Main Page
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