Coroner's Records
Although the Coroner is not an official of the New Orleans municipal government, the City Archives has accepted records from this office that inform many of our existing collections. Over the years, the Coroner has been responsible for receiving bodies of persons who died under “unusual” circumstances. The historical context of “unusual” has changed since the office of Coroner was first created in 1805, and an exact definition of what constituted a Coroner’s case at a given point in time is lacking. One can expect, however, to find records relating to accidental deaths, to murders and suicides, to dead persons discovered in public places, and the like.
Currently unavailable due to an ongoing digitization project.
Manuscript volumes showing the date of each inquest or viewing, name of the deceased (if known), sex, race, place of birth or national origin (irregularly), location of the body when viewed, cause of death, and the names of the citizens acting as the Coroner’s jury. Free persons of color and enslaved persons are identified as such, but very few of the latter are included in the records. In some cases statements have been added to the effect that the Coroner provided for the interment of persons who died without funds to pay for their own burial.
From time to time there are gaps in the record, notably for August, 1844 to March, 1846; May, 1847 to July, 1848; and June to November, 1851. Indexes exist for several of the record books. Between 1868 and 1881 there are separate volumes for the two Coroners provided for by the Legislature in the former year.
- Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, Record of Inquest and Views, 1844-1904
- Available on microfilm, call number: mf TH420
Currently unavailable due to an ongoing digitization project.
Manuscript volumes of short printed forms with entries for date of record, name, and address of the deceased, date and cause of death, place of birth, occupation, age, marital status, sex, color, length of time in the city, and place where the Coroner viewed the body. Each form also includes certification to the effect that the Coroner ruled a formal inquest to be unnecessary.
- Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, Record of Views, 1887-1904
- Available on microfilm, call number: mf TH425
Currently unavailable due to an ongoing digitization project.
These manuscript volumes identify deceased persons by name, sex, color, age, height, weight, residence, occupation, place of origin, and length of time in New Orleans. They also include the date, time, and medical cause of death, along with a description of any wounds to the body.
The records are almost exclusively limited to crime-related deaths (homicide) or to accidental deaths caused by some sort of violence (e.g., suicide, automobile accidents, drowning, etc.)
- Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, Autopsy Reports, Proces Verbaux, 1905-1968
- Available on microfilm, call number: mf TH240
- Microfilm from this series is labeled “Autopsy Reports.”
Currently unavailable due to an ongoing digitization project.
Records all cases referred to the Coroner and lists name, date, age, sex, race, marital status, cause of death, whether or not an autopsy was performed, and the funeral home and/or cemetery. Some autopsies conducted in area hospitals are also referenced.
- Record Book Journals, 1905-1969
- Most volumes are indexed.
- Available on microfilm, call number: mf TH430
Additional records include property books, correspondence, day books, and insanity records.
