Coroner of New York City

The Coroner of New York City issued death certificates and performed autopsies and inquests for New York County, New York for all homicides, suicides and accidental deaths and any suspicious deaths. The office served only Manhattan until 1891 when the city expanded. After the 1891 consolidation of New York City the office handled the outer boroughs, with each outer borough having two coroners. Coroners are elected at the same time as the Mayor of New York City for a term of four years and there was no requirement that the candidate had to be a physician. They may be removed from office by the Governor of New York. If a coroner dies in office, or is fired, or quits, someone is appointed to fill out their term. The coroners received a salary and also billed the city for services rendered for each autopsy and inquest. By 1896 the Manhattan coroner was earning $6,000 per year, and in 1897 each inquest was billed at $8.50. In 1915 a law was passed and the office was to be abolished on January 1, 1918. It was replaced with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York. The medical examiner was to be a physician and no longer had the ability to hold inquests, those powers were transferred to the district attorney. Between 1898 when the city was consolidated and 1915 when the office went from coroner to medical examiner, 65 coroners had served in the position. Of them, 19 were physicians, 8 were undertakers, 7 were politicians, 6 were real estate agents, 2 were saloon keepers, 2 were plumbers, 1 was a musician, 1 was a dentist, and 1 was a butcher.

The New York statute of 1847 describes the Coroner's duties:

Whenever any coroner shall receive notice that any person has been slain, or has suddenly died, or has been dangerously wounded, or has been found dead under such circumstances as to require an inquisition, it shall be the duty of such Coroner to go to the place where such person shall be, and forthwith to summon a jury.

The laws covering deaths in New York City in 1865 was as follows:

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