1858

Coroner’s Inquests 1858 cases

There were 120 cases in 1858, presented over eight sub-pages.

The deaths of wealthy sisters, Elizabeth Horlock and Alice Sudell, who both took malaria, or low fever, from the poor sanitation of the graveyard adjacent to their home, was seemingly clear enough. What was foggy, even miasma-like, were the string of events preceding it – abusive and threatening letters found around their property, the ransack on Miss Sudell’s home by an intruder, talk of deeds to a rich mine property. It all sounded to me like a Sherlock Holmes story.

Two gun-shot deaths tellingly show how easily a little carelessness with a lethal weapon can lead straight to death, 17 year old George Akerman took a gun out on a cart journey with his father when a jolt in the road caused it to go off, and Edward Dowdeswell asked his sister to pass his gun across the brook to him…

The stigma of illegitimacy is clearly seen in the case of Fanny Tugwell’s infant child, and the destitution of the journeying she was forced to make in the hope of finding assistance and a safe harbour where she might have her child. Another supposedly safe harbour was the Fisherton House Asylum in Salisbury, where, in the Criminal Lunatic Ward No.8., Catherine Clark secreted a flat-iron and used it to slay Mary Kenney. The Coroner, Mr Wilson, was not assisted by any useful advice from the Secretary of State as to whether, being insane, she was incapable of being responsible for a wilful act of murder.

Among the usual array of Natural Causes deaths, mostly expected cases of the elderly and infirm, is as good a definition of the verdict, Visitation of God, as is seemingly possible, the deceased – Mary Gardner – being found at her bedside, knelt in the aspect of prayer. In a similar vein, I thought, Richard Sutton set out to see his niece, but felt faint, called at the Inn for a glass of beer and a pipe, laying on the straw for a while, then, having started to return home, he fell into the arms of William Deadman and passed away without speaking a word.

Unofficial medicine rears its head once more in the cases of James Wix and Jane Mould. In the latter it was a Mr Maddox whose treatment using homoeopathy was criticised, and in the former it was Benjamin Crook, who usually operated as that most steadfast village character – the Blacksmith, at Ogbourne St George – but who also operated on cancers using poisons.

Edwards, Sarah – Enford

Horlock, Elizabeth & Sudell, Alice – Box

Akerman, George – Chirton

Dowdeswell, Edward – Ashton Keynes

Bullock, William – Aldbourne

Goodfellow, John – Marlborough

Newman, Maria – Devizes

Haines, Mary – Swindon

Deacon, James – Chiseldon

Mussell, infant – Barford St Martin

Keel, Elizabeth – Netheravon

Griffen, Charles – Corsham

Mason, William – Great Bedwin

Hulbert, Emma – Riddleston St Nicholas

Coleman, male infant – Hilmarton

Warman Jasper – Purton

Fidler, John – Salisbury

Quinton, Louisa – Redlynch

Sims, Robert – Chisenbury

Bedford, James – Highworth

Cole, Christopher – Minety

Davies, Elizabeth – Salisbury

Dowdell, Ann – Warminster

Mills, Charles – West Knoyle

Doman, John – Crockerton

Gunter, Caroline – Minety

Willoughby, William – Highworth

Warren, Charles – Wroughton

Green, Ellen – Salisbury

Wootton, Ellen – Ramsbury

Tugwell, female infant – Castle Combe

Matthews, Emily – Enford

Chalke, Ellen – Quidhampton

Plank, William – Great Cheverell

Hanlon, John – Swindon

Ponting, Sarah – Minety

Dean, Jemima – Urchfont

Woodman, Sarah – Nettleton

Smith, Jane – Devizes

Unknown male infant – Barford St Martin

Stone, John – Charlton

Peniston, John – Marlborough

Pope, William – Marlborough

Bethell, William – Rushall

Unknown female infant – Westbury

Wiltshire, Sarah – Melksham

Heal, Elizabeth – Winsley

Shaw, John – Burbage

Williams, Ann – Ramsbury

Marshman, James – Westbury

Gray, Mr – Nunton

Martin, Mrs – Trowbridge

Witt, Henry – Broad Hinton

North, John – Overton

Love, Isaac – Bradford on Avon

Wingrove, John – Woodford

Kenney, Mary – Salisbury

Evans, Francis – Salisbury

Beach, William – Rushmore

Luffman, Elizabeth – Nunton

Harding, George – Coombe Bissett

Neat, Sarah – Box

Reade, John – Salisbury

Belstone, George – Britford

Bunday, George – Downton

Beckinsale, Charles – Marlborough

Robbins, Thomas – Devizes

Stowe, Ebenezer – Trowbridge

Carr, John – Westbury

Cruse, Edward – Imber

Bull, George – Trowbridge

Sense, John – Ashton Keynes

Zebedee, James – Chirton

Cole, Sarah Kington – Langley

Swift, Herbert – Salisbury

Carpenter, Emma – Warminster

Unknown male child – Market Lavington

Evans, Thomas – Westbury

Edmunds, William – Salisbury

Clarke, George – Salisbury

Ranger, Thomas – Christian Malford

Sutton, Richard – Pewsey

Stanford, James – Harnham

Price, Henry – Warminster

Richens, Mary – Purton

Hayter, Hannah – Salisbury

Vincent, Mary – Wilton

Lowe, Ann – Wilton

Down, George – Wilton

Mould, Jane – Codford

Kempton, Giles – Burbage

Light, Sarah – Great Bedwin

Unknown infant – Salisbury

Gurd, Michael – Broadchalke

Dawkins, John – Salisbury

Dredge, John – Chapmanslade

Gye, William – East Lavington

Collins, Henry – Warminster

Alley, James – Trowbridge

Stevens, Ann – Devizes

Unknown female infant – Devizes

Young, Stephen – Downton

Coates, Ellen – Kington St Michael

Bishop, Dinah – Brinkworth

Mustoe, William – Brokenborough

Hill, Edward – Westbury

Seager, Ann – Trowbridge

Garratt, Anna – Semington

Alford, Martha – Atworth

Wcks, James – Ogbourne St George

Bailey, Sarah – Trowbridge

Low, Sarah – West Knoyle

Hambling, Iddo – Brixton Deverilll

Collins, William – Knook

Day, Robert – Wroughton

Woodward, Robert – Purton

Pearce, John – Chippenham

Gardner, Mary – Castle Combe

Cook, James – Bishops Cannings

Dyer, Rebecca – Westbury

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