Mrs Sophie Michell

I am a doctoral student in history, funded by the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP.

My research is on the operation of a coroner's court in Peterborough, a small city in the East of England, in the second half of the nineteenth century. This project examines the coroner’s court from a legal, social and medical perspective. This thesis is the first to analyse the daily work and function of the coroner's court in this period. It is based on 1080 inquests held across fifty years. My research covers the law, personnel and practice of coroner’s courts in the nineteenth century in England and Wales. The coroner’s court offers a unique opportunity to hear people discuss their ordinary lives, and I have used that evidence to explore various aspects of nineteenth century culture and society.

I am supervised by Professor Paul Lawrence and Dr Donna Loftus. 

I have studied with the Open University almost continuously since beginning my undergrad in 2012.