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This is a brief guide to help you with your research. Coroners' inquest records are incomplete and are kept in a variety of archives. This guide will help you to find out if the information you are looking for exists and, if it does, where to find it.

  • What do I need to know before I start?

    • Try to find out:

      • the name of the person for whom the inquest took place 
      • the date the coroner's inquest took place
      • the county in which the inquest took place

  • What records can I see online?

    • There are no records of coroners' inquests available to view online.

  • What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?

    • Rolls and files (1128-1426)

      Browse the Catalogue for entries of inquests from coroners who presented their rolls to the court of the King's Bench in JUST 1, JUST 2 and JUST 3.

    • Indictment files (1487-1926)

      Browse indictment files which may contain inquests in KB 9, KB 11, KB 12, KB 13, KB 14 and KB 140.

    • London and Middlesex indictments (1675-1845)

      Look in KB 10 for any inquests which may be found among the London and Middlesex indictments.

    • Coroners' records from other courts (1339-1896)

      Browse coroners' records collected by other courts in CHES 18, CHES17/13, DL 46, PL 26/285-295, ASSI 66, ASSI 47/24-73,PL 26/285-295, PCOM 2/165, C 260 or HCA 1.

    • Assize court files (1554-1971)

      Refer to the table in Assizes: key to series for criminal trials to find out what type of trial records for different counties are held in the department code ASSI. It is possible to find inquests related to murder and manslaughter cases and returns from coroners for accidental deaths among the indictment records.

  • What other resources will help me find information?

    • Newspapers

      Locate newspapers held at local libraries or the British Library Newspaper Collections which may provide details of an unexpected, sudden or suspicious death. From the 19th century onwards, a newspaper report may be the only surviving account.

    • Books

      Read Coroners' records in England and Wales, by J Gibson and C Rogers (Federation of Family History Societies, 1997).

      Read R F Hunnisett, The Medieval Coroner (Cambridge, 1961).

  • The National Archives is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Related guides

Did you know?

The majority of post mid-18th century records of inquests are held at local archives and not The National Archives.

Not all coroners' inquests have been selected for permanent preservation. Records of deaths less than 75 years old may be retained by the coroner's office.

From 1752 to 1860, coroners were required to file their inquests at the quarter sessions. Quarter sessions records are held at local archivesregional archives, libraries, and museums.

It was common practice from 1487 to 1752 for coroners to hand over records of all their inquests to assize judges. The judges returned them to the King's Bench. These records were subsequently transferred to The National Archives. 


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