1848

Coroner’s Inquests 1848 cases

There were 165 short cases in 1848, presented in ten sub-pages.

This was another year when great railway works were being undertaken across the county, bringing their unfortunate harvest of labourers – James Moran was crushed by soil and stone falling from an excavation, whilst Levi White was given warning of the coming blast at Trowbridge, and was seemingly 24 yards away when a rock struck him. That sounded much too close for my comfort.

Four deaths on the railways show the incipient dangers of this period – Mark Hancock was night-watchman on the line near Box Tunnel, carrying his lantern along the line, until he unfortunately decided to sit on the line to rest, and fell to sleep. Charles Baverstock was labouring on the new tunnel at Salisbury, at the same moment as some of his fellows were knocking out the supporting legs from the earth walls. A similar death met William Painter at Bradford. Sidney Dainton, unbelievably, took shelter from rain under a large projecting stone in the wall of the cutting they were excavating.

Railways were dangerous new places for men to venture, but there was also the rare sight of a forerunner to the bicycle, the velocipede, and wouldn’t you know, George Watts was knocked down by one being ridden by two people – bad habits are as old as the earth.

There are so many burning cases with young children in the home, and so many scalding incidents featuring kettle-spouts, that it is rare to read after the case of William Warner the comments bemoaning the custom – seemingly widely followed among the working class – of allowing young children to drink out of a tea pot spout.

March is clearly the time of year farm labourers are put to thrashing the crops, in this case with thrashing machines – horse driven ; fortunately, you-tube has several films by the modern-day Amish in America who still have such machines, and watching the action one can readily appreciate what happened to both Daniel Gardner and William Willis.

A crazed murder was enacted on poor Eleanor Lawrence, who was stoned to death. The propagator of this senseless crime then seemingly ran to another village and tried to do the same to the rector.

Webb, Mark – Bromham

Davis, Walter – Boreham

Townsend, Georgiana – Potterne

Taylor, Jesse – Yatton Keynell

Weeks, Sarah – Colerne

Hill, Albinus – Westbury

Ordens, Sarah – Warminster

Argues, Emma – Bishopstrow

Baverstock, Charles – Salisbury

Judd, Sophia – Salisbury

Spencer, male – Castle Combe

Monteith, James – Wilton

Canning, Solomon – Salisbury

Watkins, Elizabeth – Highworth

Woodman, Priscilla – Littleton Drew

Withers, John – Minety

Knee, Sarah – Trowbridge

Fluister, Emma – Broad Blunsden

Liddiard, Thomas – Aldbourne

Clark, Mary – Priston

Haynes, John – Westbury

Culverhouse, Charles – Chapmanslade

Dicks, Peter – Hilperton

Andrews, Elizabeth – Netherhampton

Gray, Mary – Fisherton Delamere

Wrottlesley, Charles – Salisbury

Trego, Emma – Swindon

Carter, Isaac – Devizes

Hancock, Mark – Box

Sloper, John – Lydiard Tregooze

Hurst, Eliza – Salisbury

Warner, William – Redlynch

Slade, John – Purton

Gardner, Daniel – Colerne

Willis, William – Malmesbury

Owens, Thomas – Bradford on Avon

Garlin, Eliza – Bradford on Avon

Smith, James – Sutton Veny

Rose, William – Calne

Field, Alfred – Charlton

Pithouse, Mary – Overton

Dennis, John – Swindon

White, William – Whiteparish

Knight, Isaac – Corsley

Godwin, William – Melksham

Giles, Mary West – Lavington

Ball, Ann – Winsley

Ayres, John – Salisbury

Brown, Rosa – Salisbury

Morrell, Sarah – Chippenham

Kilmiston, Jane – Malmesbury

Reynolds, Mary – Heytesbury

Hill, Jane – Brixton Deverill

Watts, George – Hilperton

Tanner, William – Trowbridge

Wheeler, Elizabeth – Erlestoke

Francis, Sarah – Westbury

Slow, Samuel – Wilton

Vincent, William – Wilton

Dixon, female infant – Salisbury

Smith, male – Fiddington

Hunt, Martha – Hillmarton

Pearce, John – South Wroxall

Yates, Maria – Warminster

Davies, Charles – Stourton

Joyce, John – Steeple Ashton

Tanner, George – Westbury

Clements, Frederick – Melksham

Painter, William – Bradford on Avon

Stowe, Isaac – Marston

Goodall, Jane – West Lavington

Oliver, Betsey – Codford

Rawlins, Joseph – Brixton Deverill

Lea, Arthur – Shrivenham

Mecham, Maunsell – Swindon

Eyles, Charles – Calne

Curtis, Emily – Ashton Keynes

Martin, Charles – Melksham

Moran, James – Bradford on Avon

Cummings, Betsy – East Lavington

White, Levi – Trowbridge

Taylor, John – Bremhill

Eatwell, John – Calne

Hull, Alfred – Chippenham

Whatley, Louisa – Upton Scudamore

Randall, Edward – Warminster

Cowley, Rachel – Mere

Gale, Stephen – Box

Collins, John – Sutton Benger

Read, Thomas – Fovant

Brown, Charles – Warminster

Gaisford, James – Trowbridge

Tanner, female infant – Ashton Keynes

Withers, Benjamin – Froxfield

Hand, Jacob – Heddington

New, Thomas – Calstone

Stratford, George – Cricklade

Clements, William – Rushall

Dainton, Sidney – Bradford on Avon

Rose, William – North Bradley

Potter, James – Imber

Welsh, Elijah – Westbury

Culverhouse, George – Trowbridge

Watts, John – Melksham

Maslen, Henry – Woodborough

Moore, Ferrand – Liddiard Millicent

Slade, Mary – Trowbridge

Carter, William – Melksham

Spratt, Elizabeth – Salisbury

Lawrence, Eleanor – Collingbourne Ducis

Bryant, Thomas – Lacock

Hayes, William – Sherston Magna

Hinder, Rachel – Latton

Pope, William – Cricklade

Tucker, Joseph – Kington Langley

Durnford, John – Broad Hinton

White, Samuel – Trowbridge

Chapman, Jane – Bradford on Avon

Turner, Kezia – Bradford on Avon

Harding, James – Chippenham

Deacon, John – Trowbridge

Usher, George – Bradford on Avon

Taylor, William – Melksham

Blake, Walter – Dinton

Pyke, Hannah – Wootton Rivers

Dally, John – Rowde

Chivers, John – Ramsbury

Young, Emily – Malmesbury

Giles, Richard – Cricklade

Garrett, James – Warminster

Ponting, Susanna – Trowbridge

Chapman, Sarah – Holt

Mitchard, Stephen – Whichbury

Edwards, Ann – Sherrington

Day, male infant – Somerford Magna

Cummins, Thomas – Buttermere

Lifely, Benjamin – Chippenham

Singer, Maria – Upton Scudamore

Ghrist, Ann – Dilton’s Marsh

Dainton, Isaac – Bradford on Avon

Strong, Matilda – Manningford Bruce

Parker, Thomas – Chippenham

Worsdell, William – Enford

Tasker, Edward – Marlborough

Drewitt, James – Edington

Mills, James – Mere

Bugden, Joseph – Farley

Stone, Caroline – Whiteparish

Unknown female infant – Corton

Baldwin, Jonathan – Warminster

Love, Joseph – Knowle

Waite, female infant – Devizes

Phillips, John – Shalbourn

Brown, Elizabeth – Langley Burrell

Beasant, James – Lydiard Millicent

Fricker, Thomas – Bradford on Avon

Whalley, John – Trowbridge

Hooper, Rosannah – Mere

Burton, Emma – Swindon

Manners, Elizabeth – Cherhill

Green, Joseph – Wroughton

Chisholme, James – Salisbury

Maslen, Sarah – Bromham

Heath, Mary – Lower Seagry

Matthews, Jacob – Brinkworth

Hill, Thomas – Hannington

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