The Medieval Coroner

Nineteenth-century Massachusetts coroner inquests

Coroner is an ancient office, dating back centuries in England; originally financial officers, coroners over time become medicolegal investigators. Coroners in early Massachusetts functioned under English common law and, later, under statute. However, studies of early coroners and inquests are not common, and many details of how coroners actually functioned are unknown. A previously unpublished set of 19th-century Massachusetts inquest records discloses details of coroner function, including administrative and financial details, social conditions surrounding inquests, and increasing use of medical and toxicologic testimony.