Dear Listers I am curious to know why the body of a deceased person was on view in a hotel. This happened to a family member of mine in Geelong back in 1862. Was this a normal occurrence or done for a particular reason? Help! Liz Liz Seaton Mansfield Online 410 Howes Creek Road Mansfield Vic 3722 03 5779 1909 or Mobile 0400 603 134 [email protected] www.mansfieldonline.com.au Mansfield Online - A business, trades, services and community directory for the Mansfield area. -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 529 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len

Hello Liz, How do you know it was "on view" - implying it was there for the general public to view? It was absolutely normal for bodies to be taken to the nearest hotel as it was generally the only place with a "cool" cellar - needed to keep the body in a reasonable environment. Depending on the location of the hotel, the inquest was also often held in the hotel. This was actually a requirement of holding a Publican's Licence - if the publican refused to take the body he would be fined and could also lose his licence. Regards ............. Susie Z ----- Original Message ----- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 5:36 AM Subject: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > Dear Listers > I am curious to know why the body of a deceased person was on view in a > hotel. This happened to a family member of mine in Geelong back in 1862. > Was this a normal occurrence or done for a particular reason? >

Hi Liz - sometimes bodies were on view (so to speak) if identification was required, in the hope that someone may knpw the dec if he'd been in their employment etc. The body was also on view for the jury at the time of the inquest if needed. Regards, Pam Jennings ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susie Zada" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 6:41 AM Subject: Re: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > Hello Liz, > > How do you know it was "on view" - implying it was there for the general > public to view? It was absolutely normal for bodies to be taken to the > nearest hotel as it was generally the only place with a "cool" cellar - > needed to keep the body in a reasonable environment. Depending on the > location of the hotel, the inquest was also often held in the hotel. > > This was actually a requirement of holding a Publican's Licence - if the > publican refused to take the body he would be fined and could also lose > his > licence. > > Regards ............. Susie Z > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 5:36 AM > Subject: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > > >> Dear Listers >> I am curious to know why the body of a deceased person was on view in a >> hotel. This happened to a family member of mine in Geelong back in 1862. >> Was this a normal occurrence or done for a particular reason? >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > For on-line indexes and information on Geelong and District > http://www.zades.com.au > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Susie, How did the publicans refrigerate before electricity, and gas? Or was it just the coolness of a cellar? Doug -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Susie Zada Sent: Monday, 23 July 2007 6:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death Hello Liz, How do you know it was "on view" - implying it was there for the general public to view? It was absolutely normal for bodies to be taken to the nearest hotel as it was generally the only place with a "cool" cellar - needed to keep the body in a reasonable environment. Depending on the location of the hotel, the inquest was also often held in the hotel. This was actually a requirement of holding a Publican's Licence - if the publican refused to take the body he would be fined and could also lose his licence. Regards ............. Susie Z ----- Original Message ----- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 5:36 AM Subject: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > Dear Listers > I am curious to know why the body of a deceased person was on view in a > hotel. This happened to a family member of mine in Geelong back in 1862. > Was this a normal occurrence or done for a particular reason? > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For on-line indexes and information on Geelong and District http://www.zades.com.au ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.12/910 - Release Date: 21/07/2007 3:52 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.14/912 - Release Date: 22/07/2007 7:02 PM

Hi Doug, No refrigeration - just cool stone cellars - in other words, cooler than most other places, plus room for inquests etc. Also, as they had to apply for a Publican's Licence, the government could dictate the terms. Regards .......... Susie Z ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 9:48 AM Subject: Re: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > Hi Susie, > > How did the publicans refrigerate before electricity, and gas? Or was it > just the coolness of a cellar? > > Doug

Hello Liz, You'll probably get lots of answers on this one. Obviously this is an inquest on a body after an unexpected or unexplainable death, where the deceased was not being attended by the doctor. The local Coroner would have examined the body prior to the inquest, and the jurors would have to view the body prior to listening to the evidence proffered, and make a judgement. Accidental death? Violence? poisoning? drowning? etc. They were, of course, greatly assisted by the coroner's report and the evidence of witnesses. It was quite common to hold inquests in hotels, and if the town had no morgue, it was one of the stipulations when you took out a publican's licence, that you would store a body in your cellar prior to the inquest. In Williamstown, prior to the building of the morgue, local hotels took it in turn to be the one who tempoarily lost custom of the living! Regards Ada Ada Ackerly. Melbourne Formerly Ackerly Docusearch ----- Original Message ----- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 5:36 AM Subject: [GEELONG] viewing bodies after death > Dear Listers > I am curious to know why the body of a deceased person was on view in a > hotel. This happened to a family member of mine in Geelong back in 1862. > Was this a normal occurrence or done for a particular reason? > > Help! > > Liz > Liz Seaton > Mansfield Online > 410 Howes Creek Road Mansfield Vic 3722 > 03 5779 1909 or Mobile 0400 603 134 > > [email protected] > > www.mansfieldonline.com.au > > Mansfield Online - A business, trades, services and community directory for > the Mansfield area. > > > -- > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. > It has removed 529 spam emails to date. > Paying users do not have this message in their emails. > Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > For on-line indexes and information on Geelong and District > http://www.zades.com.au > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message