1843

Coroner’s Inquests 1843 Cases

There were 137 cases in 1843.

Even in a year with a preponderance of run-of-the-mill case-types reported in mostly short passages of news-print, there are one or two outstandingly awful cases, such as that of Hannah Wheeler, whose husband was cohabiting in the married home, and decided to imprison his unwanted wife in the loft of an outhouse, where she was abused and starved. It is worthy of note that the husband initially claimed that his wife was insane as his excuse for holding her, just as some husbands claimed their wives were insane and got them committed to the Asylums in this period.

Also cohabiting were James Davis and Sarah Jenkins, a widow who already had a lung condition. It did not help that she was seemingly denied the common necessaries of life by her unofficial partner, giving birth to twin fading babies when she herself was but skin and bone.

Proof is proof, and retrospect unfortunately cannot find someone guilty, but Isaac Litten certainly sounded guilty when his three elder children – Caroline, John and Sarah Ann Litten – were accidentally burnt to death in a ramshackle camp constructed from hurdles and hay in a lane near Latton, close to the tied cottage where he had formerly been an agricultural labourer. When his eldest child was recovered a blackened corpse, and a severe fracture of the skull discerned, suspicion of murder spread, and the story of the death of another child drowned in a ditch nearby the previous year was added to the tales. I note that they also lost their baby William shortly after this case, leaving husband and wife childless.

The fatal price of drink is seen with the death of Robert Sutton, an apprentice shoemaker, who goes on a spree lacking enough money, and returns late to work asking his master to help him pay the tap-boy who is relentlessly tailing him for the money he owes. It is also clearly shown in the accidents that afflicted Thomas Gray and George Light, who were on a loaded wagon, having made a delivery and loaded different goods to come home again – pausing enroute at two public houses – when the man leading the trace horse fell and was run over, and each in turn attempted to get out and help him.

Unknown male infant – Salisbury

Lyne, William – Coate

Beckett, Alfred – Wilton

Hayward, Ruth – Southwick

Doel, Sarah – Westbury

Scane, Richard – Warminster

Sainsbury, James – West Lavington

Carr, Jane – Upton Scudamore

Unknown female infant – Lockeridge

Randal, Samuel – Westbury

Barnes, John – Melksham

Whatley, George – Barford St Martin

Goodfellow, Eliza – Codford

Bevan, Sarah – Trowbridge

Tyrell, Samuel – Trowbridge

Pritchard, Sarah – Kingswood

Collar, John – Hankerton

Thick, Henry – Sutton Mandeville

Rogers, Mary – Chitterne

Pycroft, Joseph – Trowbridge

Brown, Mary – Calne

Unknown female infant – Bradford on Avon

Smith, Anne – Bratton

Taylor, George – Winsley

Jones, Sarah – Melksham

Tiley, Charles – Colerne

Unknown male infant – Salisbury

Millward, John – Marlborough

Day, William – Alderbury

Parett, John – Donhead St Andrew

Shergold, Mary – Great Wishford

Smith, Thomas – Highworth

Fisher, John – Ramsbury

Hale, William – Winterborne Monkton

King, Sarah – Liddington

Foot, Jane – Donhead St Mary

Townsend, Naomi – Southwick

Ingram, Daniel – Alvediston

Wimpey, James – Woodford

Martin, John – Trowbridge

Wheeler, Hannah – Highworth

Gray, James – Wilton

Unknown male – Froxfield

Carey, Charles – Chippenham

Leonard, Richard – North Newnton

Alexander, Lewin – Biddestone

Freeman, Elizabeth – Melksham

Lampard, Thomas – Semley

Smith, John – Trowbridge

Atkins, Levi – Westbury

Browne, Walter – Trowbridge

Leach, Martha – Trowbridge

Payne, John – Warminster

Sweet, Alice – Elston

Chalke, John – Redlynch

Edwards, male infant – Enford

Gillingham, Henry – Salisbury

Litten, Caroline, and Litten, John, and Litten, Sarah – Eisey

Hulbert, Henry – Trowbridge

Marks, Paul – Steeple Ashton

Carpenter, Hannah – Trowbridge

Marshall, Maria – South Newton

Watkins, Henry – Codford

Paine, George – Melksham

Stone, female infant – Warminster

Baker, Daniel – Trowbridge

Foyle, Charles – Martin

Galbreath, J. – Maiden Bradley

Bancroft, Mary – Trowbridge

Sumner, Joseph – Seend

Davis, Richard – Aldbourne

Whatley, Samuel – Hanging Langford

Penny, Henry – Bishopstone

Looker, Isaac – Marlborough

Chandler, Robert – Shrewton

Nash, Frederick – Wylye

Berry, Thomas – Latton

Moulding, Thomas – Coate

Smith, Fanny – Trowbridge

Reynold, Lydia – Heytesbury

Durnford, Hannah – Mere

Parsons, James – Salisbury

Church, William – Salisbury

Blewdon, Jonathan – Maddington

Cave, Thomas – Salisbury

Warne, Thomas – Barford St Martin

Jones, Brien – Wilton

Jenkins, Sarah – Chippenham

Kilford, John – Amesbury

Cummings, Jane – East Lavington

Humphries, Rhoda – Trowbridge

Morris, Elizabeth – Trowbridge

Crook, Jasper – Pewsey

Clark, William – Yatton Keynell

Trowbridge, Sarah – Codford

Earle, Isaac – Milford

Crutcher, Henry – Fovant

Yeates, John – Chilmark

Smith, George – Salisbury

Conyer, Robert & Conyer, Edward – Diltons Marsh

Snook, Frederick – Zeals

Alder, James – Aldbourne

Reason, Henry – Highworth

Sutton, Robert – Chippenham

Sykes, John – Steeple Ashton

Butcher, Richard – Warminster

Francis, George – North Bradley

Walley, Mary – Trowbridge

Boyce, Michael – Nomansland

Newman, Joseph – Downton

Bell, Charles – Bodenham

Millard, Mary – Salisbury

Shepherd, Joseph – Winterslow

Feltham, William – Laverstock

Lenton, William – Salisbury

Pickwick, Jane – Bradford on Avon

Wilcox, Martha – Bradford on Avon

Gray, Thomas & Light, George – West Knoyle

Speck, Elizabeth – Blunsden

Townsend, Samuel – Trowbridge

Taylor, Mary – Corsley

Hacker, Jane – Melksham

Hague, Michael – Diltons Marsh

Perry, Mary – Conock

Saunders, Mary – Pewsey

Gingell, male infant – Melksham

Hopkins, Charles – East Lavington

Hoskins, Eliza – Donhead St Mary

Hampden, Tabitha – Brixton Deverill

Dimmer, William – Marlborough

Freegard, Henry – Malmesbury

Hunt, Elizabeth – Wootton Bassett

Hicks, Mary – Minety

Hart, James – Great Somerford

Rodbourn, Thomas – Marlborough

Neal, George – Sherston Magna

Thomas, Sarah – Malmesbury

Stally, Jeremiah – Trowbridge

© http://www.salisburyinquests.wordpress.com, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to http://www.salisburyinquests.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

I acknowledge with thanks the permission of Salisbury Journal to reproduce their materials on this blog.