(coronator), an ancient officer in England. He is so called because he hath principally to do with pleas of the crown, or such wherein the sovereign is more immediately concerned. And in this light the lord chief justice of the Queen's Bench is the principal coroner in the kingdom, and may, if he pleases, exercise the jurisdiction of a coroner in any part of the realm. But there are also particular coroners for every county of England; usually four, but sometimes six, and sometimes fewer. This officer is of equal antiquity with the sheriff, and was ordained with him to keep the peace, when the earls gave up the wardship of the county. He is still chosen by all the freeholders in the county."—(Blackstone's Commentaries.)

Before the statute of Magna Charta, coroners held pleas of the crown, but by that statute, cap. 17, their power is taken away. By the statute of Westminster it was enacted that none but lawful and discreet knights should be chosen; and there is an instance in the 5th Edw. III. of a man being removed from his office because he was merely a merchant; but now it seems sufficient that a man have land enough to be made a knight; that is, of the value of L20 per annum. Blackstone complains that in his time this office had been suffered to fall into disrepute, and that coroners only desired to be chosen for the sake of the perquisites or fees allowed for attendance by the statute 3d Henry VII., cap. 1. In this, however, a great improvement has taken place, the persons generally elected to the office being either attorneys or medical men. The fees are regulated by the 25th Geo. II., cap. 29, and 7th Will. IV., and 1st Vict., cap. 68.

The coroner is chosen for life, but may be removed either by being made sheriff, which is an office incompatible with the other; or by the writ de coronatore exonerando, for a cause to be therein assigned, as that he is engaged in other business, is incapacitated by age or sickness, has no sufficient estate in the county, or lives in an inconvenient part of it; or for extortion, neglect, or misbehaviour (25th Geo. II., cap. 29).

The office and power of a coroner are, like those of the sheriff, either judicial or ministerial, but principally judicial. This is in a great measure ascertained by statute 4th Edw. I. De officio Coronatoris; and his duty consists principally in inquiring, when any person is killed or dies suddenly, or in prison, concerning the manner of his death. This inquest must be held super visum corporis; for if the body be not found the coroner cannot sit. He was formerly obliged to sit at the very place where the death happened; but by the 6th and 7th Vict., cap. 12, the coroner within whose jurisdiction the body shall be lying dead is to hold the inquest, though the cause of death may not have arisen within his jurisdiction; and in cases of the body being found dead in the sea, or any creek, river, or navigable canal within the flowing of the sea, where there is no deputy coroner for the admiralty, the inquest shall be held by the coroner having jurisdiction at the place where the body was first brought to land. The inquisition must be found with the concurrence of at least twelve of the jury, and it cannot be quashed for certain technical defects enumerated in the 6th and 7th Vict., cap. 83, as was formerly the case. If any by this inquest be found guilty of murder, the coroner is to commit the accused to prison for further trial, and is also to inquire concerning their lands, goods, and chattels, which are thereby forfeited. Formerly the coroner also inquired whether any decedant accrued to the king or the lord of the franchise by the death, and certified the inquisition to the Court of Queen's Bench, or the next assizes; but by the 9th and 10th Vict., cap. 62, all forfeiture of any chattel by a death was abolished. Another branch of the coroner's office is to inquire concerning shipwrecks, and to certify whether a wreck has taken place or not, and who is in possession of the goods. In the matter of treasure-trove, his duty is to inquire concerning the finders, where the treasure is, and whether any one be suspected of having found and concealed a treasure.

The ministerial office of the coroner is only as the sheriff's substitute; for when just exception can be taken to the sheriff on suspicion of partiality, as that he is interested in the suit, or of kindred to either plaintiff or defendant, the process must then be awarded to the coroner instead of the sheriff, for execution of the king's writs.

The office of coroner was formerly known in Scotland, (Hume's Comment, ii. 24.) (r. m.—m.)