1828

Coroner’s inquests 1828 cases

There were 30 cases in 1828.

This year included two rather blatant cases of murder, the victims being Thomas Sherwood and Sarah Baker, the guilty parties meeting that blatant ending with short shrift themselves.

A suicide, by a young lady – Mary Williamson – who had argued with her father and been struck by him, and threw herself off Ayleswade Bridge, was notable in that the deceased, since her body was found at a point of the river that fell within the liberties of the Cathedral Close, was buried in the cloisters of the Cathedral. Most suicides were buried without ceremony, and often in unconsecrated ground at midnight.

Loxly, John – Damerham

Meach, Elizabeth – Redlynch

Conduit, Ann – Unknown

Douty, Joel – Dinton

Baker, Robert – Semley

Welsh, George – Nunton

Fernel, Joseph – Stratford-sub-Castle

Sherwood, Thomas – Littleton Drew

Avmore, Thomas – Downton

Judd, Elizabeth – Winterslow

Newman, Elizabeth – Latton

Hicks, James – Redlynch

Williamson, Mary – Salisbury

Baker, Sarah – Lacock

Dunn, Lucy – Donhead St Mary

Scruce, John – Orcheston

Harding, Beata – Unknown

Ware, David – Damerham

Moore, Thomas – Woodford

Jackman, Thomas – Collingbourne Ducis

Larkham, George – Teffont Magna

Unknown male infant – Salisbury

Read, Stephen – Salisbury

Ford, William – Amesbury

Priestly, Rebecca – Wilton

Pickford, Rebecca – Berwick St John

Unknown male – Whiteparish

Strugland, Sarah – Harnham

Collins, Luke – Newton

Chalke, Alfred – Downton

Loxly, John 1828 January 7^th Damerham

Died on the 27^th of December last, at Damerham, after a fortnight’s illness, John Loxly. In consequence of many reports highly prejudicial to the character of the medical gentleman who attended him, a coroner’s inquest was held on the body by Mr Whitmarsh, when it appeared from the concurrent testimony of five medical gentlemen who expressly attended for the purpose of closely investigating the case, and the evidence adduced by several witnesses, the jury came to an opinion and returned a verdict that said, “John Loxly died by the visitation of God;” thereby confirming the reputation of the respectable surgeon who attended the deceased in his illness, and decidedly clearing his name from reports which must have originated in the base design of some malicious person to wound (if possible) his professional character.

Meach, Elizabeth 1828 February 4^th Redlynch

An inquest was held before Mr R P Whitmarsh, Esq., on the 25^th ult., at Bohemia, on the body of Elizabeth Meach, who was found dead in her bed. Verdict, “Visitation of God.”

Conduit, Ann 1828 February 4^th Unknown

An inquest was held before Mr R P Whitmarsh, Esq., on the 26^th ult., on the body of Ann Conduit, found drowned. Verdict, “Accidental Death.”

Douty, Joel 1828 February 4^th Dinton

An inquest was held before Mr R P Whitmarsh, Esq., on Tuesday last, at Dinton, on the body of Mr Joel Douty, who a few minutes previous to his death, complained of a violent pain in his stomach. Verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Baker, Robert 1828 February 18^th Semley

An inquest was held before Mr Whitmarsh, at Semley, on Wednesday last, on the body of Robert Baker, a child about four years of age, whose clothes caught fire on the preceding Monday. Verdict, “Accidentally burnt to death.”

Welsh, George 1828 March 24^th Nunton

An inquest was held before Mr Whitmarsh, on Friday, at Nunton, on the body of George Welsh, who was killed by a waggon and horses passing over him. Verdict, “Accidentally killed.”

Fernel, Joseph 1828 April 21^st Stratford-sub-Castle

An inquest was held before Mr Whitmarsh, on Friday, at Stratford-sub-Castle, on the body of Joseph Fernel; the deceased was at work in undermining a well, when the wall suddenly fell and killed him on the spot. Verdict, “Accidental killed.”

Sherwood, Thomas 1828 April 21^st Littleton Drew

A murder was on Friday the 11^th inst., committed at the village of Littleton Drew, in this county. It appears that a man named Robert Brown, with his family, occupied a house belonging to Mr Lee; and during nine years paid only 6l. towards his rent. Mr Lee, wishing to get rid of such an unprofitable tenant, liberally offered to cancel the whole of what was due, if Brown would peaceably quit the house; but this offer was rejected. Mr Lee, in consequence, took legal measures to eject him. In executing those measures, two men (who were called in to assist the constable), named Thomas Sherwood and Thomas Thompson, were stabbed by Brown, with an old bayonet; the former of which died with half an hour after, and the latter is seriously injured.

An inquest was on Monday last held before W. Adye, Esq., on the body of Sherwood, when the following evidence was adduced.

William Harding (Sheriff’s officer, at Bradford) – On Friday the 11^th inst., I went to the house of Robert Brown at Littleton Drew, to execute a warrant on a writ of possession. He was then in the garden, and he asked me my business. I told him I was come on the business between him and Mr Lee. He then asked my name – from whence I came – and my authority. I told him that I came from Bradford, and I read the warrant to him. I then went to the door for the purpose of entering the house, but I found it fastened; I requested Brown to give me admittance, otherwise, I told him, I should be obliged to force an entrance; he refused; I then sent a person for an iron bar, and forced the door open, and afterwards, with the assistance of the deceased (Thomas Sherwood), Thomas Thompson, and a young lad named James Clark, removed the goods from the house into the road.

I then desired Brown, with his wife and children, to leave the house, and prevent being put out by force. I again read my warrant to him, in the presence of the constables and other persons. They refused to leave; the wife of Brown offered greater resistance than Brown himself did, persisting that she would not leave. I called on the deceased to assist me in turning them out. We took hold of the wife by the arms; she resisted violently, but we pulled towards the door and got her outside.

I then observed Brown make a blow at the deceased, and a second at Thompson, my other assistant. The deceased immediately went back, and said, exhibiting a wound in his chest, “he has stabbed me!” Thompson also exclaimed, “I am stabbed!” I requested the constable to take Brown into custody. The wounded men were placed in the window seat whilst I went for a surgeon. The deceased was not then dead, but said, “I am dying.”

James Clark – After the goods were removed, and while Harding and Sherwood were removing Brown’s wife, I saw Brown take an instrument resembling a bayonet from his inside coat pocket, and stab Thompson in the small of his back. I became alarmed, and having no weapon I went away. I sat up with Brown in the night of Saturday, and in the course of conversation Brown said, “It would not have happened if Shears (Sherwood was commonly called Shears) had not been there, as he wished to take the house over my head. I should not have thought of stabbing any one else if the deceased had not been there.”

Richard Walter, a labourer of Littleton Drew – Having heard that Brown’s goods were being removed, I went, and saw the Sheriff’s officer, the deceased, John Daniels (the constable), and T. Thompson, removing Brown’s wife. She made a great noise; and I heard the Sheriff’s officer, and Richard Lee (the proprietor of the house) tell her, that it was of no use, as they must go out, they had better go out quietly, if they did not they would be put out by main force.

I went away a little distance to prevent being called on to assist. Shortly after, the Sheriff’s officer came to me, and begged that I would assist two men in a dying state. I went into Brown’s house, and saw Thompson and Sherwood leaning back on the window seat looking like corpses. I caught Sherwood, who was falling, in my arms, and asked him where he was hurt; but he could not speak.

After holding him about twenty minutes or half an hour, he died. I sat up with Brown (who was in custody) the same night; I said to him, “Brown, it is a bad job!” Brown replied, “he did not think it was a bad job; there were two others he should like to serve the same, for they were doing things unlawful to him.” I asked him what he did it with. He said, “it was an old Spanish bayonet, which belonged to an old Spanish gun, and was not so long as those used in this country.”

John Daniels, constable of Littleton Drew, confirmed the preceding evidence. He said – I saw Brown strike Sherwood, but did not see anything in Brown’s hand. At the desire of the Sheriff’s officer, I took Brown into custody; I afterwards took him to the Salutation Inn, on the Chippenham road, and sat up with him. During the night, he said, he stabbed the man with a thing that went on the top of a gun which he had in his side pocket, and that he had dropped the instrument from his pocket, while in my charge.

Thos. Thompson, of Sherston, farrier – I was requested by Mr Lee, to assist the Sheriff’s officer, in giving him possession of the house occupied by Brown. After the goods were taken from the house, and while the officer and Sherwood were removing Brown’s wife, I was standing on the outside of the house, when Brown came behind me, and struck me in the small of the back. I looked over my shoulder, and saw him plunge at me twice more. I then saw him strike at Sherwood in the breast, with some instrument, about the length and size of a butcher’s steel. Brown then turned around and went away. I found myself wounded by some sharp instrument, in the right arm and side.

John Atkins, of Hullavington, labourer – About two or three years ago, I went to Brown’s house for some plants, when he told me that there was a dispute between him and some others respecting the house he lived in, and the garden; he then took down two old bayonets (one having a handle, and the other a part to fix it to a gun) and said, if any one opposed him, he would put them into him; and if one would no do execution, the other would.

Mr Adye explained the law on the case; and the Jury, without hesitation, returned a Verdict of WILFUL MURDER against Brown.

Unsurprisingly, Robert Brown was sentenced to Death at the Assizes trial held on 21^st July 1828 at Salisbury, and was hanged quickly thereafter.

Avmore, Thomas 1828 April 28^th Downton

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on the 20^th instant, at Pensworth, near Downton, on the body of Thomas Avmore, who had destroyed himself. Verdict, “Lunacy.”

Judd, Elizabeth 1828 May 19^th Winterslow

On Tuesday last, Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Middle Winterslow, on the body of Elizabeth Judd, who died suddenly in her bed. Verdict, “Visitation of God.”

Newman, Elizabeth 1828 June 2^nd Latton

Fatal Effects of Fanaticism

Meeting of Ranters have of late been frequent in the northern part of this county, and have been numerously attended by the lower classes. That these meetings are calculated to occasion much mischief, the following is a proof.

A poor woman named Elizabeth Newman, of Latton, near Cricklade, had attended some of those meetings; the “Ranting” she saw and heard produced in her a state of melancholy; derangement followed; and during a paroxysm she cut her throat with a razor, leaving five small children unprovided for. Mr Adye last week held an inquest on the body, when the Jury returned a verdict of Lunacy.

The Ranters referred to are probably not the loose unformed movement that came out of the immediate reformation, but the early movement of the Primitive Methodists, founded early in the nineteenth century in a seeking by some Methodists to return to the basic ideals of Wesley, and sometimes featuring meeting-camps of several day’s duration, following a pattern imported from America.

Hicks, James 1828 June 2^nd Redlynch

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Thursday last at Warminster Green, East Downton, on the body of James Hicks, who had fallen into a ditch. Verdict, “Accidentally drowned.”

Warminster Green is an original part of the modern village of Redlynch.

Williamson, Mary 1828 June 16^th Salisbury

In our Journal of the 31^st December last, we related the particulars of an act of suicide committed by a young female of this city, named Mary Ann Williamson, who, having had words with her father, and having been twice struck by him, left her home (in Rollestone-street), and throwing herself over the side of Harnham-bridge, was drowned. Notwithstanding repeat search was made for the body of this unfortunate girl, it was not found till Monday afternoon last, when a labouring man, who had been employed in moving hay at the side of the river,, saw the girl’s feet in the water, a few inches beneath the surface. He immediately procured assistance, and the body, after having lain in that situation since the 27^th of December (about 400 yards from Harnham-bridge), was taken out, and removed to a cart-house, where an inquest was next morning held by Mr Cobb, coroner, and a jury specially summoned for the purpose of investigating the circumstances attending the death of deceased.

Several witnesses proved that the unfortunate girl, for some time previous to her committing the rash act, was at intervals greatly depressed in spirits. The Jury accordingly returned a verdict of “Insanity.” The occurrence having taken place within the liberties of the Close of this city, the body was interred in the cloisters of our Cathedral.

Baker, Sarah 1828 July 7^th Lacock

On Friday last an inquest was held before William Adye, Esq., coroner, at the parish church of Lacock, in this county, on view of the body of Sarah Baker, lying dead in the said parish, when, from the circumstances adduced it appeared most clearly to the Jury that she had been murdered by her husband Nicholas Baker, aged 71 years, against who the coroner issued his warrant; the wretched man was immediately apprehended, and committed to Fisherton Gaol for trial at our ensuing assizes.

Nicholas Baker took his trial at the Salisbury Assizes of 21^st July 1828, and was duly sentenced to Death, and as quickly hanged.

Dunn, Lucy 1828 July 14^th Donhead St Mary

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Monday last at Donhead St Mary, on the body of Lucy Dunn, who was found dead in her bed the preceding morning; she was upwards of 70 years of age, and had been ailing for some time. Verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Scruce, John 1828 July 21^st Orcheston

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on the 19^th inst., at Orcheston St Mary, on the body of John Scruce, who had fallen from a chair into the fire. Verdict, “Accidentally burnt to death.”

Harding, Beata 1828 July 28^th Unknown

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Wednesday last, on the body of Beata Harding, who was found dead in her bed that morning. The deceased was ninety-seven years of age. Verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Ware, David 1828 August 4^th Damerham

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Damerham, on Tuesday last, on the body of David Ware, who was found dead in his bed that morning by the side of his wife. Verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Moore, Thomas 1828 August 18^th Woodford

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Woodford on the 11^th inst., on the body of Thomas Moore, who was found dead in his bed the preceding morning. The deceased had been very infirm for some time past. Verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Jackman, Thomas 1828 August 25^th Collingbourne Ducis

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Saturday last, the 23d inst., at Collingbourne Ducis, on the body of Thomas Jackman. It appeared that on Wednesday last the deceased was drinking in the tap-room at the Bull Inn, North Tidworth, with John Hayward. After some words between them about single-stick, Jackman said that, “he would play with any one in the room;” to which Hayward replied that “he would have a bout with him.” They went out immediately into the yard, and in two minutes afterwards the deceased received two blows on each side of his head, one of which occasioned much loss of blood. In the evening he went home in a cart, and just before he reached Tidworth, he ceased to speak, and was found dead on taking him out. From the evidence of a surgeon, who deposed that the blows received were not sufficient to cause death, the jury, after a patient investigation, returned a verdict, “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Larkham, George 1828 September 1^st Teffont Magna

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Teffont Magna, on Thursday last, upon the body of George Larkham, a child about three years old, who fell into a stream of water that runs close by the house where the child lived; the mother of the deceased having missed her child, found him about thirty yards from her house in the river; she jumped into the water, and drew him out, but life was extinct. Verdict, “Accidentally drowned.”

Unknown male infant 1828 September 8^th Salisbury

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Friday last at Milford, on the body of a male infant found in a river in that parish. The infant was full grown, but no marks of violence appeared to have caused its death. A surgeon, having opened the body, ascertained that it had never breathed, from the collapsed state of the lungs. Verdict, “Found in a river near the parish Church of St Martin’s, Salisbury; but how or by what means it was there, no knowledge thereof appeareth to the Jurors.”

Read, Stephen 1828 October 6^th Salisbury

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest on Monday last, at the Salisbury Infirmary, on the body of Stephen Read, a lad, who, in attempting to get up on a waggon for his whip, unfortunately fell to the ground, when the near wheel passed over his body; he was conveyed to the Infirmary, where every assistance was rendered to him, but he died in a few hours. A verdict to that effect was returned by the Jury.

Ford, William 1828 October 6^th Amesbury

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Amesbury on Friday last, upon the body of Wm. Ford, a poor man upwards of 70 years of age, who was found dead in a wood where he had been faggotting. No marks of violence appearing on his body, and it being proved that he had been unwell for some time, a verdict of “Died by the Visitation of God,” was returned.

Priestly, Rebecca 1828 October 13^th Wilton

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Ditchampton, on Wednesday the 8^th inst., on the body of Rebecca Priestly, who was found dying by her husband when he awoke in the morning; he got up and struck a light, and went for a surgeon, but she was a corpse before he returned. Verdict, “Visitation of God.”

Pickford, Rebecca 1828 October 13^th Berwick St John

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Berwick St John, on the body of Rebecca Pickford, who was found lying dead by the side of her bed the preceding morning. She lived alone; her neighbours not seeing her as usual in the morning, and finding her door locked, broke it open, and found her as above stated; she was very old and infirm. Verdict as above.

Unknown male 1828 October 20^th Whiteparish

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Chadwell Farm, on Saturday the 11^th inst., on the body of a man unknown, who was found lying dead near the public road the preceding evening. No marks of violence appearing on his body, the jury returned a verdict, “Found dead.”

Strugland, Sarah 1828 November 17^th Harnham

On Saturday the 8^th instant a child 10 years of age, named Sarah Strugland, of West Harnham, near this city, whilst nursing a neighbour’s child during the temporary absence of the mother, was so severely burnt in consequence of her clothes catching fire, that notwithstanding the persevering efforts of the medical attendant (Mr Miles, of this city) she expired on Monday morning.

There was no inquest report for this death.

Collins, Luke 1828 November 17^th Newton

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest a few days ago at Newton, on the body of Luke Collins, who whilst thatching the top of his house, fell from the ladder, and died instantly; the deceased was near 80 years of age. Verdict, “Accidentally killed.”

Chalke, Alfred 1828 November 17^th Downton

Mr Whitmarsh held an inquest at Downton, on the body of Alfred Chalke, a child about four years old, who was accidentally scalded to death. Verdict accordingly.

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