Coroners' Inquests

The coroner was responsible for inquisitions into sudden or suspicious deaths, deaths in prison, wrecks and treasure trove. Coroners were allowed to accept fees and from the mid 18th century claims for expenses and fees can appear in the records
of Quarter Sessions.
After the introduction of civil registration in 1837 death certificates will record whether and when an inquest took place.

Inquest papers for Wolverhampton have survived from 1870 but the series does have some gaps so you will need to contact us to check if the records have survived. Bear in mind that the sensitive nature of these records means that they are closed to public access for 75 years. If inquest papers have not survived then local newspapers are excellent sources of information, containing many of the details recorded in the inquest papers.

Some coroners' inquests are also held by Staffordshire Record Office and the Public Record Office.