History of the Office of Coroner

The two judicial divisions of the Island are subdivided into six Sheadings or small sheriffdoms, to each of which a coroner is appointed by the governor. This officer has a, power, in many respects, analogous to that of a constable, a coroner, and a sheriff in England, and in his own Sheading he is the chief organ of the Deemster’s court.

The office of coroner is of the highest antiquity in the Island. He is called in Manx’s Toshiagh Jioarey, that is "the chief man of the law". The coroner takes the oath of office annually, on his knees, in the presence of the governor, after which he receives a decorated wand as an emblem of his authority, which, should he die while in office, must be returned to the governor by the hands of the constable.

The coroner appears to have been a personage of great importance in ancient times: he was permitted to yard for himself three men-servants annually, but in the year 1662, he was restricted to one yarded servant. By an act of 1611, he was allowed a quarterland rent free for the performance of his duty, with a " fixed stipend;" but in the year 1636, the stipend was discontinued and he was only "to have recompense allowed according to his endeavours." By a statute in 1419, it was enacted that four pence shall be paid yearly out of every quarterland to the coroner, with a smaller sum for intacks and cottages. He is also entitled to have all horses, oxen, and kine, not exceeding two years old, the property of a convicted felon, with his rapier and dagger; also the outer garment of a person who had committed suicide. Out of the profits arising from his official employment, the coroner had to pay annually to the lord a certain sum of money called office silver.

It was enacted by a statute of 1692 that the coroner should, four times a year, for the lord's profit, search throughout his Sheading every house, coffer, or covered place; and every person resisting the authority of his yard, in that service, was to be indicted as a felon. In order that the coroner might be enabled to execute his various duties efficiently, he was allowed by the lord a deputy called a Lockman And it is enacted, that whosoever shall disobey the coroner or his Lockman shall forfeit three pounds; but if it be in taking up the lord's rents, when a soldier cometh out for that purpose, he forfeiteth his body and goods to the lord.

The coroner of Glenfaba takes precedence of all the others in the Island. It is his duty to fence the great Tynwald Court, where no man is allowed to murmur or stir in the lord's presence on pain of hanging and drawing.

It is prescribed in the ancient proceedings of the common law or Sheading court, that the coroner of Glenfaba fence that court both in Manx and English, and proclaim that it is the king of Man's pleasure "that men, both rich and poor, deaf and dumb, halt, lame, and blind, come hither upon horseback or on foot, or be drawn thither upon horse or car, that they may know the King of Man's pleasure and the laws of his country."

Then he shall call in four honest men of every parish within the Sheading to go upon the great inquest, who shall make oath to report to next court all petty officers not doing their duty according to law, and all petty craftsmen "who do not execute their occupations justly, or otherwise than the old laws of the land permit, with presentations' respecting meses, ditches, turberies, rescues, water-courses, trespasses, and other irregularities.

This " Great Inquest" was, in ancient times, held twice a year, between the outer gates of the Castle of Rushen, where a large stone chair was placed for the governor and a lesser one for each of the Deemsters. All the law courts, however, are now held in the interior of the castle. The act of revestment did not interfere with any of the courts of law; but since that period many important changes have been introduced.

“Source Manx Notebooks”