1842

Coroner’s Inquests 1842 Cases

There were 189 cases in 1842, presented in eleven sub-pages. This probably represents a closer approximation to the true number of cases annually dealt with by the Coroners at this time.

For ‘Skeleton in a Cupboard,’ read Skeletons in a Field, for the unknown male near Devizes, who was unearthed from a cramped hole, was one of many historic murders committed by a landlord named Burry at his inn, the Shepherd and Dog, near Lydeway. Itinerant pedlars often stopped here seventy or eighty years before, not knowing it would be their final stop, being invited to a private room for business matters, dropped through a trapdoor and killed in the cellar.

The ‘great interest, and rumours of a very unpleasant nature,’ attaching to the death of Sarah Maslen, are because evidence showed she had been recently violated, having been in service in Bath – a clear case that young ladies in service were always in a most vulnerable situation.

Henry Couzens, from the account of his death, appears to have been a labourer or navvie on the Great Western Railway at Box Tunnel, which had been completed and opened for service a year before – the men working on the line had a rope to assist them in climbing up over the tunnel portal, and he spent time in a beer-house near the shaft No.7, suggesting that works were still ongoing in some form.

Yet again, a case of child labour on farms, this time the simple and very avoidable death of eleven-year-old John Palmer who got caught between a wagon and a post in that most dangersome place, the farm yard.

Doctors at this time still commonly reverted to that solve-all of leeching and bleeding a patient, as witness the death of George Brind at Liddington, who died of probably a heart attack, but the surgeon, on his later arrival, still attempted to bleed him long after the vital spark had fled. Samuel Thomson, a former glass-maker from Dublin, was also bled, but was beyond recall, having starved on the roads before he was seen a number of times tentatively approaching the daunting portal of the Workhouse at Marlborough – what desperate machinations must have gone through his head!

There are a number of cases featuring the surname Watts in this year, including three consecutive cases in July – unfortunately I was unable to discern if any of these three were reporting errors.

A case of double child-murder occurred in Salisbury, at a low lodging house in St Ann’s Street, a tramping Irishwoman purposefully drowning her two-year-old twins – Mary Easter and Charles Easter – in a hog-tug in the back yard. The circumstantial evidence is quite thorough, and how she thought to get away with such a desperate act defies belief. It is worth noting that Dr Fowler said that the house, when he got there, was confused and full of people.

Smith, Elizabeth – Easton

Tuck, Stephen – Broad Hinton

Hinton, Henry – Warminster

Watts, Thomas – Keevil

Gibson, John – Southwick

Reynolds, Philip – Semington

Unknown male – Devizes

Lodge, John – Calne

Smith, James – Rowde

Smart, David – Bremhill

Belch, Edward – Corsham

Hurn, Sarah – Wotton-under-Edge

Selwood, Henry – Seend

Silcox, Elizabeth – Corsley

Phillips, Sarah – Steeple Ashton

Bailey, Richard – North Bradley

Hinder, Hannah – Dauntsey

Langley, Mary – Kington St Michael

Darter, John – Wanborough

Chalk, Mary – Whiteparish

King, Matthew – Warminster

Hill, James – Keevil

Gillett, Philip – Trowbridge

Tyers, John – Westbury

Maslen, Sarah – Devizes

Cotterell, William – Swindon

Cole, Henry – Studley

Weston, Thomas – Melksham

Norris, Elizabeth – Bradford on Avon

Messiter, Sampson – Trowbridge

Cockett, Sarah – Chapmanslade

Hutchins, Ann – Netherhampton

Stevens, Ruth – Trowbridge

Stevens, male – Etchilhampton

Bryant, Matilda – Wylye

Singer, Hannah – Corsley

Hitchcock, John – Westbury

Mazel, Amy – Trowbridge

Crook, Sarah – Chiseldon

Kimber, Elizabeth – Tollard Royal

Hiscox, Sarah – Trowbridge

Robins, Bryant – Malmesbury

Head, Catherine – Marlborough

Pain, John – Wilton

Cooper, Ambrose – Bradford on Avon

Caswell, James – Westbury

Offer, John – Westbury

Taylor, John – Trowbridge

Coward, Crispin – Purton

Burgess, James – Calne

Clifford, Ann – Chippenham

Plank, Sophia – Manningford Bohune

Godwin, Charles – Brokenborough

Harding, Sarah – Great Durnford

Topp, Ann – West Lavington

Mills, Job – Dilton’s Marsh

Fuller, George – Fonthill Bishop

Sumler, Mary – Bulkington

Tucker, Richard – Marlborough

Newberry, Robert – Hanging Langford

Sims, Eliza – Salisbury

Couzens, Henry – Box

Broadway, Margaret – Malmesbury

Newport, David – Wroughton

Dredge, Edward – Chapmanslade

Slade, John – Trowbridge

Snook, James – Tisbury

Owen, William – Trowbridge

Arnold, Eliza – Maiden Bradley

Curtis, Charles – Warminster

Hinton, Elizabeth – Horningsham

Scull, Sarah – Little Cheverall

Selman, Harriet – Christian Malford

Hicks, John – Netheravon

Burnard, Mary – Ramsbury

Carter, Easter – Bremhill

Barnes, Mary – Chippenham

Dunford, Mary – Wootton Bassett

Keen, Ann – Swindon

Reynolds, William – Cliffe Pypard

Jones, Silvy – Melksham

Collett, John – Nettleton

Pinnell, Jane – Warminster

Millard, James – Wootton Bassett

Sumner, – Edward Rowde

Poole, Thomas – Nettleton

King, Joshua – Westbury

Dix, James – Studley

Ghrist, Joseph – Bradford on Avon

Fidler, Sarah – Collingbourn Kingston

Gough, Henry – Swindon

Pearce, Hannah – West Lavington

Netton, William – Amesbury

Tuffin, Mary – Great Wishford

Noble, Mary – Westbury

Gane, Sarah – Trowbridge

Boon, Henry – Westbury

Gurd, Maria – Donhead St Andrew

Smith, James – Bratton

Stokes, Samuel – Trowbridge

Fray, Elizabeth – Stanton St Bernard

Wilcox, Sarah – Burbage

Duckett, Richard – Mildenhall

Smith, Jacob – Great Cheverall

Rutty, Margaretta – Seend

Brazier, William – Lake

Cawley, James – Bradford on Avon

George, David – Ramsbury

Maish, James – West Kennett

Cox, Richard – South Marston

Coward, Robert – Wilton

Palmer, John – Tilshead

Jefferies, William – Westbury

Edmonds, Sarah – Downton

Brind, George – Liddington

Watts, James – Seend

Watts, Thomas – Wilton

Watts, Thomas – Dilton’s Marsh

Cole, Jane – Trowbridge

Payne, Fanny – Crockerton

Smallbones, George – Swindon

Unknown female infant – Bishop’s Cannings

Watts, John – Chapmanslade

Barnes, John – Bradford on Avon

Zemish, Charles – Bramshaw

Snook, Henry – Sutton Mandeville

Mitchell, Edward – Bradford on Avon

Walker, George – Wotton-under-Edge

Easter, Mary & Easter, Charles – Salisbury

Watts, male – Wroughton

Salter, Richard – Kington St Michael

Poole, George – Bradford on Avon

Oram, Sarah – Salisbury

James, William – Swindon

Lenton, James – Salisbury

House, female – Swindon

Caffrey, Bridget – Salisbury

Thomas, Adam – Wroughton

Price, James – Edington

Stokes, William – Edington

Gawen, Mary – Westbury

Tucker, John – Warminster

Eyers, Jane – Hilperton

Stone, Thomas – Bradford on Avon

Rose, Emanuel – Whiteparish

True, William – Fonthill Gifford

Parfett, Kitty – Stratford-sub-Castle

Hill, John – Horningsham

Heasell, Lydia – Salisbury

Wyatt, Jane – Salisbury

Hazell, Elizabeth – Salisbury

Thomson, Samuel – Marlborough

Humphries, Frederick – Lacock

Beems, Sarah – Holt

Fletcher, Mary – Stockton

Barnes, Sarah – Corsley

Hillier, Mary – Seend

Gwilliam, William – Alvediston

Horder, Sarah – Berwick St John

Crook, Margaret – Trowbridge

Hull, Ann Christian – Malford

Vincent, Benjamin – Kington St Michael

Hatton, Caroline – Purton

Unknown male – Swindon

Edwards, Anna – Tollard Royal

Francis, Henry – Sutton Veny

Eyers, Robert – Amesbury

Scammell, James – Warminster

Cull, William – Plaitford

Davis, Hester – Bradford on Avon

Kingham, James – Steeple Ashton

Wilkins, Charles – Donhead St Andrew

White, Anna – Donhead St Mary

Hayter, male infant – Wilton

Montgomery, George – East Grafton

Crease, Phoebe – Calne

Gilbert, Jane – Wilsford

Davis, Robert – Marlborough

Tabor, Joseph – Trowbridge

Fryer, John – Trowbridge

Hayward, Elizabeth – Trowbridge

Scammell, Sarah – Donhead St Mary

Mogg, Thomas – Dilton’s Marsh

Hacker, female – Hindon

Unknown male infant – Salisbury

Ray, John – Swindon

Bruton, Samuel – Salisbury

Sanger, Anne – Salisbury

Penfold, James – Salisbury

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