V. Of the Officer of Coroner: that is to say, of the Pleas of the Crown in Wales.
It is provided, That in every Commote in Wales there shall be one Coroner at the least who shall be chosen in the full County Court by the Writ of our Lord the King, according to the Form among other Royal Writs in the following Roll contained; and he shall there make Oath before the Sheriff, that he will be faithful to our Lord the King, and that he will faithfully do and execute all things belonging to the Office of Coroner. And his Office shall be this; that when he shall be required by any one to come to view a Man dead by Felony, or drowned, or in any other manner dead by Misadventure; and also to view a Man grievously wounded, so that his Life be despaired of, that he shall forthwith require the Sheriff or Bailiff of the Commote to cause to come before him at a certain Day and Place, all Persons of twelve years of age and upwards of that town wherein the casualty shall have happened, and of the four Townships next adjoining; and by their Oaths he shall faithfully, cautiously, and secretly and diligently make Enquiry of the Felony, the Felons and their Chattels; likewise of the Fact and the Manner thereof, that is to say, who hath been guilty of the Fact, who of Force, and what manner of Force, who of Command or Direction, and who of Receit after the Fact; and of the Chattels of all those who shall be found guilty thereof by the Inquest. He shall likewise make Inquiry who first found the Body, and his Name shall be enrolled, and he shall be attached by Pledges, whose Names shall be enrolled, to come to the next County Court, and also before the Justice in his Circuit. And, the Inquisition being made, he shall forthwith cause the same to be inrolled distinctly and openly, together with the Names of those who shall have been found guilty, and their Chattels; and he shall secretly deliver to the Sheriff, if he be present, or to the Bailiff of the Commotes, their Names in Writing; giving in Charge on the behalf of our Lord the King, that straight their Bodies be taken and safely kept in the Prison of our Lord the King until they stand upon their Acquittal in the Court of our Lord the King; and he shall cause their Chattels to be faithfully appraised, and shall set down in his Roll as well the particular Chattels, as the Value thereof; and shall cause the said Chattels, by the view of the Sheriff or Bailiff and of the other liege Subjects of our Lord the King who shall be there present, to be
