for each inqui

upon every Inquisition taken upon the view of the body slain, A Coroner's fee xiiis. 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 not take any fee for an inquisition on a person adventure;

dead by mis

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 40s. 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.

Every Coroner, upon information before him found, whereby 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

Coroner shall

put into writing given to the Jury before him sof

the evidence

in cases

murder, &c. and

bind over the

witnesses to give evidence upon the trial;

and certify such examination and

bond to the next

General Gaol Delivery.

On penalty being fined by the Justices of

Gaol Delivery.

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.

Duty of Coro- Coroners in London and Middlesex, and in other Cities, ners in London 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. 4d, out of a mur

derer'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. r. 1., and other than the recompence hereby limited and appointed, upon pain of being deemed guilty of Extortion. s. 4.

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 shall not extend. 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

$ 3.

The Statute 3 Ed. 1. c. 9. provides, that if the Sheriff, Coroner, The punishment or any other Bailiff, within Franchises or without, for reward, or of a Coroner corruptly con- for prayer, or for fear, or for any manner of affinity, conceal, cealing or not attaching Felons. consent or procure to conceal, the felonies done in their liberties, or otherwise will not attach nor arrest such felons there as they may do, or otherwise will not do their office for favour born to such misdoers, and be attainted thereof, they shall have a year's imprisonment, and also make a grievous fine at the King's pleasure, if they have wherewith; and if they have not whereof, they shall have imprisonment of three years.

Coroner convicted of extortion, neglect, or other misdemeanor in his office shall be amoved.

$4.

view of a person

King's palaces or houses shall

be taken by the

If any Coroner who is not appointed by virtue of an Annual Election or Nomination, or whose office of Coroner is not annexed to any other office, shall from and after the said 24 June 1752 be lawfully convicted of Extortion, or wilful Neglect of his Duty, or Misdemeanour in his Office, it shall be lawful for the Court before whom he shall be so convicted to adjudge that he shall be Amoved from his Office; and thereupon, if such Coroner shall have been elected by the Freeholders of any County, a writ shall issue for the amoving him from his office, and electing another Coroner in his stead, in such manner as writs for the amoval or discharge of Coroners and for electing Coroners in their stead are in any cases already directed by law: And if the Coroner so convicted shall have been appointed by the Lord or Lords of any Liberty or Franchise, or in any other manner than by the election of the Freeholders of any County, the Lord or Lords of such Liberty or Franchise, or the person or persons entitled to the nomination or appointment of any such Coroner, shall, upon notice of such judgment of amoval, nominate and appoint another person to be Coroner in his stead. 25 G. 2. c. 29. s. 6.

By Statute 33 H. 8. c. 12. (s. 3.) it is enacted, that all InInquisitions upon quisitions upon the view of persons Slain or hereafter to be slain slain in the within any of the King's said Palaces or Houses, or other House or Houses aforesaid, (1) shall be by authority of this Act had and taken hereafter for ever by the Coroner for the time being of the Houshold of our Sovereign Lord the King or his Heirs, without any adjoining or assisting of any other Coroner of any Shire within this Realm, by the Oaths of twelve or more of the Yeomen Officers of the King and his Heirs most Honourable Houshold, returned by the two Clerks

Coroner of the household only.

(1) See this act at length under title PALACES.

Comptrollers, the Clerks of the Check, and the Clerks Marshals, or one of them for the time being of the said Household, to whom the said Coroner of the same Houshold shall direct his Precept, which Coroner of our said Sovereign Lord the King's Houshold shall be from time to time named, appointed, and assigned by the said Lord Great Master or Lord Steward for the time being; and that the said Coroner of the said Household shall from time to time for ever, without delay, certify under his hand, and the seals of such persons as shall be sworn before him, all such Inquisitions, Indictments, and Offices upon the view of all dead bodies being slain at any time sith the Feast of All Saints aforesaid, or which hereafter shall be slain within any the King's said Palaces or Houses, or other House or Houses aforesaid, before the said Lord Great Master or Lord Steward, and in his Absence before the Treasurer, Comptroller, and Steward of the Marshalsey aforesaid, or before two of them, whereof the said Steward of the Marshalsey to be one; and that such Inquisitions and offices so certified shall be deemed, adjudged, and taken for ever as good and effectual in the Law, to all intents, constructions, and purposes, as any Inquisition taken upon the view of the body of any person being dead by any Coroner of any County of this Realm hath been or shall be adjudged or taken.

Corruption of Blood.

tainder for

Blood, upon atFelony, taken away in all Cases

but high and

petit treason and abetting, procuring, or counsel ling the same.

murder, and

The Statute 54 G. 3. c. 145. " to take away Corruption of Corruption of Blood in certain cases," enacts, that no attainder for Felony which shall take place from and after the passing of this act, save and except in cases of the Crime of High Treason, or of the Crimes of Petit Treason or Murder, or of Abetting, Procuring, or Counselling the same, shall extend to the disinheriting of any Heir, nor to the prejudice of the right or title of any person or persons, other than the right or title of the offender or offenders during his, her, or their natural lives only; and that it shall be lawful to every person or persons to whom the right or interest of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, after the death of any such offender or offenders should or might have appertained if no such attainder had been, to enter into the same.