Amazingly in June of this year, within a week, are two inquests held at Salisbury for males called William Blake, one a lad whose injuries led to decomposition so quickly that an argument between the officials and juryman ensued about the healthiness of their viewing the body, and the second case was a 65 year old man from Mortlake who came to Salisbury to commit suicide, but why Salisbury is the question not answered by the paper.
Mr Wells – the juryman who complained about the smells of decomposition in the Blake case – also made similar complaints in the Saunders case, refusing to kiss the bible which was used for taking the oath. Was this genuine concern or did he dislike the gipsies who were witnesses in this case?
Samuel Bracher had to reach his temporary accommodation in the mill up some steep steps to a clap-door ; while John Brown was carrying a sack of wheat, but when he stumbled over the sack fell on him.
Bad behaviour from school-pupils was present even in Victorian times, as witness what happened to the wonderfully named Bayfield Flooks ; while Violet Cowdry choked at school on a nutshell.
Again, the danger of leaving children alone is dramatically shown in the cases of two babies ; Henry Pragnell was left in the charge of his very young siblings, while seven-month-old Marjorie Harland was left sleeping in her crib.
The Lewis Vick case raises an issue regarding the care of soldiers by the Army, there being several cases in one regiment where men brought home from the heat of India had succumbed after being brought from their ships into the cold stone fortresses of Portsdown Hill.
Thomas, Harriett Fordingbridge
Blake, William age 65 Mortlake/Salisbury
Please see Copyright notice on the Home Page
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 