Daily AncestorFound dead
Found dead was an inquest verdict used when a body was discovered and the jury could not say how the person died.
Found dead was a cautious verdict. The coroner's jury confirmed only that the person had been found dead, because the evidence, or the state of the body, did not allow a cause to be named.
It is related to what English law calls an open verdict, and it appears in English and Australian inquests. American coroners' records may use the same words or simply say the cause was unknown. Either way, look for newspaper coverage of the inquest, which may give more detail than the register.
As seen in a recordCoroner's inquest record, 1800s
Inquest on unknown female, aged about 30. Verdict: found dead.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Found dead." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/found-dead. Last checked 2026-10-01.