1857

Coroner’s Inquests 1857 Cases

There were 44 cases reported in 1857, presented in three sub-pages.

Proof, if ever it were needed, that little children should never play in places of modern industry, but when did the railways of the nineteenth century ever stop children like John Brookman from exploring their infrastructure, including unattended water tanks. In a similar vein, George Miles fell in a hog-vault, the lid of the vault being left open against the house, and John Pain fell 34 feet from scaffolding which too was presumably unprotected.

The death of Robert Miles at Semley, from excessive consumption of hard spirits, excited considerable interest locally through two men – Beckingham and Montheath – being arrested on suspicion of being accessories to the death. These two were inspectors of works on the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway then being built; in other words, they were overseers of navvy labour, and probably their habits were as rough as the generality of navvies, their treatment of Miles certainly seems to be so.

Single mothers were so-called in documentation of the time, and that stigma applied also to the conditions of life for the so-called bastard children – whilst his mother worked in service (no doubt suitably humbled having so shamed herself) her son Robert Gee was tended by a bedridden grandmother, who was unable to save him from burning himself. A similar situation applied to William Rutt, whose mother, also in service, left him in the care of Jane Franklin, whose temporary absence allowed him too close to the fire.

Rich, Eliza – Trowbridge

Mullings, George – East Lavington

Dredge, Charles – Brixton Deverill

Murray, Thomas – Milford

Sheppard, William – Salisbury

Ingram, William – Wilton

Russell, Thomas – Corton

Atkins, William – Westbury

Sims, Samuel – Crockerton

Eyles, Charles – Brokenborough

Doel, William – Warminster

Simper, Thomas – Wilton

Whittaker, Alfred – Bratton

Brookman, John – Trowbridge

Dudman, Charlotte – Salisbury

Unknown infant – Salisbury

Stone, John – Longbridge Deverill

Evans, Robert – Salisbury

Miles, John – Maiden Bradley

Foyle, Cecily – Wilton

Spender, George – Trowbridge

Fry, Susan & Forder, Samuel & Forder, Eliza – Salisbury

Withy, George – Chapmanslade

Bance, William – Baydon

Miles, George – Pewsey

Elkins, Henry – Swindon

Brewer, Nicholas – Calne

Miles, Robert – Semley

Jones, Rebecca – Salisbury

Caffell, William – Chippenham

Curtis, John – Ashton Keynes

Harrison, William – Winterbourne Bassett

Cave, Maria – Salisbury

Pain, John – Fonthill

Amor, Hannah – Chittoe

Cotterell, William – North Newnton

Fleming, John – Devizes

Willis, Mary – Salisbury

Unknown female – Burbage

Gilbert, Thomas – Heytesbury

Flower, John – Salisbury

Gee, Robert – Cricklade

Rutt, William – Wootton Bassett

Gingell, female infant – Lyneham

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