wounds ought to be viewed, the length, breadth, and deepness, and with what weapons the wound is given, and in what part of the body the wound or hurt is, and how many be culpable, and if there are many wounds, who gave each particular wound; all which things must be inrolled in the Roll of the Coroners. Moreover, if one or more be appealed, the party appealing of the fact shall be taken, and the party appealed of the force shall be attached also, and surely kept in ward, until the parties appealed of the fact be attainted or delivered. Concerning horses, boats, carts, mills, &c. whereby any are slain, that properly are called Deodands, they shall be valued and delivered unto the towns as before is said. Concerning Wreck of the Sea, wheresoever it be found, if any lay hands on it, he shall be attached by sufficient pledges, and the price of the wreck shall be valued and delivered to the towns. If any be suspected of the death of any man, being in danger of life, he shall be taken and imprisoned as before is said. In like manner, Huy shall be levied for all Murthers, Burglaries, and for men Slain or in peril to be slain, as otherwise is used in England; and all shall follow the huy and steps as near as can be; and he that doth not, and is convict thereupon, shall be attached to be afore the Justices of the Gaol, &c. 4 Ed. 1. st. 2.

Coroner of the with Coroner County shall act of the King's

And forasmuch as heretofore many Felonies committed within the Verge have been unpunished, because the Coroners of the Country have not been authorised to enquire of such manner of Felonies done within the Verge, but the Coroner of the King's House, which never continueth in one place, by reason whereof there can be no Trial made in due manner, nor the Felons put in Exigent, nor Outlawed, nor any thing presented in the Circuit, the which hath been to the great damage of the King, and nothing to the good preservation of his peace; it is Ordained, that from henceforth, in cases of the death of men, whereof the Coroner's Office is to make view and Enquest, it shall be commanded to the Coroner of the Country, that he, with the ing to offences Coroner of the King's House (1), shall do as belongeth to his committed Office, and inroll it: and that thing that cannot be determined before the Steward where the Felons cannot be attached, or for other like cause, shall be remitted to the Common Law; so that Exigents, Outlawries, and Presentments shall be made thereupon in Eyre by the Coroner of the Country, as well as of other Felonies done out of the Verge; nevertheless, they shall

(1) But see post, s. 4. of this title, and title PALACES,

Household relat

within the verge.

not omit by reason hereof to make Attachments freshly upon the Felonies done. 28 Ed. 1. st. 3. c. 3.

The King remembering how Murders and Slaying of his subjects daily do increase in this Land, the occasions whereof be divers, one that men in towns where such murders hap to fall and be done will not attach the murderer, where the Law of the Land is, that if any man be slain in the day, and the Felon not taken, the township where the death or murder is done shall be amerced; and if any man be wounded in peril of death, the party that so wounded should be arrested, and put in surety, till perfect knowledge be had whether he so hurt should live or die; and the Coroner, upon view of the body dead, should inquire of him or them that had done the death or murder of their abettors and consenters, and who were present when the death or murder was done, whether man or woman, and the names of them that were present and so found to inrol and certify; which Law by negligence is disused, and thereby great boldness is given to slayers and murderers; and over that it is used that within the year and a day after any death or murder had or done, the Felony should not be determined at the King's suit, for saving of the parties suit, wherein the party is oftentimes slow and also agreed with, and by the end of the year all is forgotten, which is another cause of murder; and also, he that will sue an Appeal, must sue in proper person, which suit is long and costly, that it makes the party appellant weary to sue: for Reformation of the Premises, the King, by the assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, will, that every properly exercise Coroner exercise and do his office according to the Law, as is afore rehearsed. 3 H. 7. c. 1.

Coroner shall

his office.

Coroners shall inquire of escapes of murderers;

and deliver

their inquisitions to the Justices

And if any person be Slain or Murdered in the day, and the murderer scapc untaken, that the Township where the said deed is so done be amerced for the said escape, and that the Coroner have authority to enquire thereof upon the view of the body dead; and that after the Felony found, the Coroners deliver their Inquisitions afore the Justices of the next Gaol Delivery, in of Gael Delivery, the Shire where the Inquisition is taken; the same Justices to proceed against such murderers if they be in the gaol, or else the same Justices to put the same Inquisitions afore the King in his Bench. And forasmuch as Coroners had not nor ought to have any thing by the Law for their office doing, which oft-time hath been the occasion that Coroners have been remiss in doing their office, it is Ordained, that a Coroner have for his fee,

or into the

Bench.

for each inqui

upon every Inquisition taken upon the view of the body slain, A Coroner's fee xiii s. iv d. of the goods and chattels of him that is the slayer sition. and murderer, if he have any goods; and if he have no goods, then the Coroner have for his said fee, of such amerciaments as shall fortune any Township to be amerced for escape of such murderer as is aforesaid; and if any Coroner be remiss, and make not inquisitions upon the view of the body dead, and certify not according as is afore ordained, that the Coroner, for every default, forfeit to the King an hundred shillings. 3 H. 7.

c. 1.

Coroners shall for an inquisition on a person dead by misadventure;

not take any fee

The King ordaineth, that upon a request made to a Coroner to come and inquire upon the view of any person slain, drowned, or otherwise dead by misadventure, the Coroner diligently shall do his office, upon the view of the body of every such person or persons, without taking any thing therefore, upon pain to every Coroner that will not endeavour himself to do his office as afore is said, or that he taketh any thing for doing of his office upon any person dead by misadventure, for every time, forty shillings. on pain of 405.

1 H. 8. c. 7.

The Justices of Assises and Justices of Peace within the County where any such default of the Coroners be, shall have authority and power to inquire thereof and determine the same, as well by examination as by presentment. s. 2.

put

into writing the evidence

given to the

Jury before him in cases of

murder, &c. and witnesses to give evidence upon

bind over the

the trial;

Every Coroner, upon information before him found, whereby Coroner shall any person shall be indicted for murder or manslaughter, or as accessory to the same before the murder or manslaughter committed, shall put in writing the effect of the evidence given to the Jury before him, being material; and the said Coroner shall have authority by this act to bind all such by Recognizance or obligation as do declare any thing material, to prove the said murder or manslaughter, offences or felonies, or to be accessory to the same as is aforesaid, to appear at the next General Gaol Delivery to be holden within the County, City, or Town Corporate, when the trial thereof shall be, then and there to give evidence against the party so indicted at the time of the Trial; and shall certify as well the same evidence as such bond in writing as he shall take, together with the Inquisition or Indictment before him taken and found, at or before the time of his said trial thereof to be had or made; and in case any Coroner shall offend in any thing contrary to this act, that then the Justices of Gaol Delivery of the Shire, City, Town, or place , where such offence shall happen to be committed, upon due proof thereof by examination before them, shall for every such

and certify such examination and General Gaol Delivery.

bond to the next

On penalty being fined by the Justices of

Gaol Delivery.

Duty of Coroners in London

in like cases.

offence set such fine on every such Coroner as the same Justices of Gaol Delivery shall think meet, and shall estreat the same as other fines assessed before Justices of Gaol Delivery ought to be. 1 & 2 P. & M. c. 13. s. 5.

Coroners in London and Middlesex, and in other Cities, and Middlesex Boroughs, and Towns Corporate in this Realm and Wales, shall let to bail felons and prisoners as heretofore accustomed, and shall take examinations and bonds as is aforesaid, upon every bailment by them made, and shall certify the same at the next Gaol Delivery to be holden in the Shire, City, Borough, or Town where their jurisdictions extend, upon like pain as before limited. s. 6.

Coroner's fee on inquisitions 205.;

The Statute 25 G. 2. c. 29. s. 1. reciting that the office of Coroner is a very Ancient and necessary office, and further reciting the Statute 3 H. 7. c. 1., and that the fee mentioned in that act, and payable as therein directed, is not an adequate reward for the general execution of the said office; to the intent therefore that Coroners may be encouraged to execute their office with diligence and integrity, it is enacted, that for every Inquisition not taken upon view of a body dying in a Gaol or Prison, which after 24 June 1752 shall be duly taken within that part of Great Britain called England by any Coroner or Coroners in any Township or Place contributory to the rates [directed by and 9d per mile, an act made 12 G. 2. c. 29.], the sum of Twenty Shillings, and for every mile which he or they shall be compelled to travel from the usual place of his or their abode to take such Inquisition, the further sum of ninepence over and above the said sum of twenty shillings, shall be paid to him or them out of any monies arising from the rates before mentioned, by order of the Justices of the Peace in their General or Quarter Sessions assembled for the County, Riding, Division, or Liberty where such Inquisitions shall have been taken, or the major part of them, which order the said Justices of the Peace so assembled, or the major part of them, are hereby authorized and directed to make, for which order no fee or reward shall be paid to the Clerk of the Peace or any other Officer s. 1.

His fee for inquisition on a body dying in gaol.

For every Inquisition which from and after the said 24 June 1752 shall be duly taken upon the view of a body dying in any Gaol or Prison within that part of Great Britain called England, by any Coroner or Coroners of a County, so much money, not exceeding the sum of twenty shillings, shall be paid to him or them, as the Justices of the Peace at their General or Quarter Sessions assembled for the County, Riding, or Division wherein

such Gaol or Prison is situate, or the major part of them, shall think fit to allow, as a recompence for his or their labour, pains, and charges in taking such inquisition, to be paid in like manner by order of the said Justices, or the major part of them, out of any monies arising from the said rates, which order the said Justices of the Peace so assembled, or the major part of them, are hereby authorized and directed to make, for which order no fee or reward shall be paid to the Clerk of the Peace or any other officer. s. 2.

Provided nevertheless, that over and above the recompence hereby limited and appointed for Inquisitions taken as aforesaid, the Coroner or Coroners who shall take an Inquisition upon the view of a body slain or murdered shall also have the fee of thirteen shillings and fourpence, payable by virtue of the said act made 3 H. 7. (c. 1.) out of the goods and chattels of the slayer or murderer, or out of the amerciaments imposed upon the Township if the slayer and murderer escape; any thing in this act contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. s. 3.

Coroner may

also take 13s. 48. out of a murderer's goods.

Provided also, and be it declared and enacted, that no Coroner Coroner taking to whom any benefit is given by this act shall, by colour of his extortion. more, guilty of office, or upon any pretext whatsoever, take for his office doing, in case of the death of any person, any fee or reward other than the said fee of 13s. 4d. limited as is aforesaid by the said act 3 H. 7. c. 1., and other than the recompence hereby limited and appointed, upon pain of being deemed guilty of Extortion. s. 4.

shall not extend.

ners this act

No Coroner of the King's Household and of the verge of To what Corothe King's Palaces, nor any Coroner of the Admiralty, nor any Coroner of the County Palatine of Durham, nor any Coroner of the City of London and Borough of Southwark, or of any Franchises belonging to the said City, nor any Coroner of any City, Borough, Town, Liberty, or Franchise which is not contributory to the rates directed by the said act [12 G. 1. c. 29.] or within which such rates have not been usually assessed, shall be entitled to any fee, recompence or benefit, given to or provided for Coroners by this act; but that it shall and may be lawful for all such Coroners as are last mentioned to have and receive all such fees, salaries, wages, and allowance as they were entitled to by law before the making of this act, or as shall be given or allowed to them by the person or persons by whom they have been or shall be appointed. s. 5.