Deaths and Inquests 1837 -1840

Deaths and Inquests

Deaths and Inquests 1837 - 1840

From the pages of the Carlisle Patriot (CP) and Carlisle Journal newspapersApril 15th 1837CJInquest at Nicholforest on the 12th inst on the body of Jane Graham, the infant daughter of William Graham who was found dead on Tuesday morning. Verdict ? natural death.April 15th 1837CJInquest at Longtown on the 13th inst on the body of Mary Ann Wilson aged 4 years, another victim to the imprudence of parents leaving their children in the house without protection from the fire. Verdict ? accidental death.September 9th 1837CJInquest at Greensike in the parish of Bewcastle on the body of John Elliot, a fine lad of 14 who met with his death under most distressing circumstances. The deceased was passing along the highway near to a field wherein the Rev Mr Lochore had his pony grazing, at the time when the servant girl was attempting to catch it for her master.The animal had a cord about 12 yards in length attached to its neck, and this cord had been caught by the deceased, his brother and the servant, when the pony ran off at full speed. The two who escaped appear to have left hold, when the deceased was drawn off his feet and the rope coiled about his body, twisting his leg over his shoulder. In this dreadful position, he was dragged a distance of two miles? when Elliot?s companions found him they found his leg broken, his body otherwise shockingly mangled and life nearly extinct? he expired in a few hours. Verdict ? accidental death. Deodand - a shilling. The deceased was a fine active youth and one of a family of ten children.October 14th 1837CJInquest on Friday last at Tewitt?s Green, Kirklinton, on the body of Sarah Harley. The deceased was a weaver, and had on that Wednesday forenoon left home to take a dwelling at Harker; she was taken ill on her way home and died in the course of the night. It is supposed she had taken poison, but none could be detected on a post mortem examination. Verdict ? natural death.December 2nd 1837CJAt Highhouse near Bewcastle Church, on the 30th, on the body of Isabella Nixon, aged 5 years, the daughter of a hind living at the above place. The mother had gone to a neighbour?s house a very short time previously, leaving deceased and another child in the house. By some means her clothes had taken fire. She succeeded in getting her slip pulled off, which was afterwards found on the floor, and she then ran across the fields to her mother, where she was met by a man, enveloped in flames, with the greater part of her clothes burnt? she lingered until the following day. Verdict ? accidental death.December 30th 1837CJAt Leagare in Nicholforest on Wednesday night, on Mary Little, aged 54. Deceased left her home on Saturday afternoon to go to a neighbouring quarry. She was missing from that time until Tuesday morning, when she was found lying dead in a field near the quarry. Verdict ? found dead.July 28th 1838CPInquest at Longtown on view of the body of Jane, wife of Richard Sewell, labourer, who died unseen. It appeared from the evidence of the husband?s sister, who waited on the deceased, that the latter, in her dying moments, attributed her death to the kicks and blows which she had received several months ago from a neighbouring woman; in consequence of this the inquest was adjourned to the following day, in order to have the accused party produced.August 11th 1838CPInquest at Roan in the parish of Stapleton, on the 29th ult, on the body of Joseph Davidson, aged 73 years. Deceased was an indoor pauper of the Longtown Union. He had left the workhouse on the previous Thursday without the knowledge of the Master, and had gone to his sister?s at the Roan. On Friday evening, he left her to proceed to his daughter?s at Bewcastle, in a short time he was observed to return towards the house, and next morning he was found suspended from a step ladder in the barn. The unfortunate man had been in good circumstances until the last few years, and his present situation appeared to weigh heavily on his mind. Verdict - suicide whilst labouring under insanity.November 10th 1838CPInquest at the Grahams Arms Inn, Longtown, on Monday last, on the body of a new born infant, born of the body of Ann Byers, under chamber maid with Mr Braithwaite of the above inn. The facts, as deposed to by the several witnesses, are as follows:Ann Byers entered Mr Braithwaite?s service as under chamber maid at Whitsuntide last. Within the last month, Mrs Braithwaite suspected her of being pregnant, and having sent for the girl?s mother, charged her with it in presence of the latter. She denied that it was the case, and nothing more passed.She continued to do her work up to Saturday night, and retired to bed on that evening with two fellow servants, all of whom slept in one bed. About three in the morning, one of the other girls was awoke by Byers who was on the floor vomiting. In a short time, she returned to bed complaining of a sore headache. About six o?clock the same girl awoke and found Byers standing on the floor, apparently very unwell. Her illness was made known to Mr Braithwaite, who immediately sent for Dr Graham, who upon his arrival ascertained that she had given birth to a child, but the girl persisted she had not. After a long search the body of the child was found dead, forced down the water closet, and underneath the valve? The child appeared to be 6 weeks to two months before its time. The body was bruised in various parts, but with the exception of a contusion on the head, none of them were sufficient to have caused death. On a post mortem examination, it appeared to the medical men that the child was born with life, that the injury in the head was the cause of death, and that such injury might have been received by a fall at its birth without criminality on the part of the mother. The jury returned a verdict that the child had died from the injury to the head, but whether the same was due to accident or design the evidence was not sufficient to enable them to decide. They commented in strong terms on the cruel and unnatural conduct of the mother, and expressed their hope that the officers of the parish would not allow her to escape the punishment she so richly merited?December 22nd 1838CPInquest at Midkingfield, Nicholforest, on the 14th inst, to enquire touching the death of James Beattie, of Midkingfield, labourer.Mr Robert Johnston, a neighbour, having a quantity of timber to remove from the wood of Liddle Bank, obtained the assistance of deceased and several others for that purpose. After the termination of the day?s labours, Johnston treated them with whiskey, of which they partook, at the house of the gardener at Liddle Bank. At nine o?clock at night, the party, six in number, took a small boat used there as a ferry, and with a lighted candle, took their frail bark a short distance about the waterfall known as the Bush of Linn. The boat had not proceeded more than 10 yards before it sank in 8 feet of water. Two persons who had accompanied the party to the river and were standing at the water?s edge, stated that they observed the candle sink gradually under the water, and then become extinguished, leaving all enveloped in perfect darkness; at the same time, the cries of distress sounded in their ears?(Five of the party, Robert Jackson, Thomas Jackson, Archibald Little, Christopher Little and John Baxter were saved, although John Baxter was unconscious for several hours after the accident. John Beattie was drowned.)The deceased was a warm-hearted man, and without doubt his death is owing to his intrepidity and anxiety to save the lives of his companions. He has left a wife unprovided for. Verdict ? accidental death. A subscription for the benefit of the widow was set up and liberally supported by the jury and coroner.September 21st 1839CPA fatal accident happened at Todhills, near the Metal Bridge on the road to Gretna, on Saturday evening last, to a boy named Thomas Shickleshaft, aged 9 years, who was killed by Lord Eglinton?s carriage? the deceased was the son of a weaver, living at Todhills near the 6th mile stone from Carlisle on the Annan road. On the afternoon in question, he caught hold of the Mail going north, and after running with it for a short distance, quitted his hold. Lord Eglinton?s carriage and four was coming in the opposite direction? he ran directly in front of the leaders: before the post boys could hold up, one of the wheelers struck the child on the back part of his head with one of its fore feet and fractured the base of his skull?Lord Eglinton stepped from his carriage and appeared deeply concerned. He wished to send for a medical man, but on learning that one could be had from Carlisle with the least delay, he presented the mother with £5 and hastened to Carlisle to procure medical advice? Dr Anderson went immediately but to no avail. Verdict ? accidental death. Deodand 1s on the horse.October 5th 1839CPWife Poisoned by HusbandAn inquiry of a very serious nature has occupied the attention of Mr Carrick, coroner, during the greater part of the week at Ullermire, Kirklinton, which has terminated in committal of John Graham, carter and dealer in meal, to the gaol at Carlisle, for the wilful murder of his wife Jane Graham?Graham and his wife had been married about 10 months, during which they resided at the small village of Ullermire, where he kept a shop for the sale of meal and flour and deceased taught a school. She was pregnant and near her confinement. On Monday week, she was slightly indisposed with symptoms of approaching labour. According to the husband?s statement, she had on several occasions pressed him to bring her some medicine from Carlisle, and that he had always forgotten to do so until the last named day, when he purchased one penny worth of cream of tartar, and another of magnesia, from Mr Hanson, druggist in Scotch Street, which he brought home, and gave to her; that she gave him some of it in warm milk, and mixed another part with treacle for herself. She took part of it, and they both partook of more next morning at breakfast time, immediately after which he left home. It appears that within an hour after breakfast, deceased was seized with violent and frequent vomiting, puring, and pains in her chest, with other symptoms of having taken poison, which continued without remission till about 8 o?clock the same evening, when she died?Arrangements were made by Graham to have her buried on Tuesday, but Mr Patrickson, one of the magistrates, having learnt that rumours were afloat that she had died under very suspicious circumstances, caused the parish officers to give notice to the coroner?(A post mortem was carried out and showed a large amount of arsenic in the stomach, enough to kill 6 persons. An inquest was held, and the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against John Graham). The deceased was a most respectable woman, and had upwards of £100 in money when she married.(In the trial at the Assizes in 1840, John Graham was found not guilty of murder; all the evidence against him being circumstantial).January 25th 1840 CJAn inquest was held before Mr Carrick, coroner, on the 21st instant, at Hallburn Workhouse near Longtown on the body of John Deans, aged 3 years, who died in consequence of severe scolds received on the previous Saturday by falling into a tub of boiling water. Verdict ? accidental deathFebruary 8th 1840CPAn inquest was held on the 3rd inst before Mr Carrick, coroner, at Milhill, near Springfield, on the body of John Birrell, aged 11 years.On the preceding day the unfortunate boy was on his return from school at Allinson?s Bank, and on passing Guards Mill went into the mill, where he was left by the servants whilst they were dining. In a short time, the mill was observed to stop, which induced the men to go and ascertain the cause, when they found the deceased jambed in between the wheel and the wall, a space of five inches. He was of course quite dead, his chest was forced in, his bowels torn, and one of his legs and thighs fractured in several places. Verdict ? accidental death.March 7th 1840CPAt Boltonfell end, parish of Stapleton, on the 29th ult on view of the body of Ann Elliot, widow, who was burnt to death in her own house during the absence of her daughter. Verdict ? accidental death. The deceased was found with her body reclining upon a dresser, enveloped in flames, and upon being placed in a chair, expired in a few minutes.March 21st 1840CPInquest at Barrocks Town, near Longtown, on the 15th inst, on John Moffatt, aged 13 years, who was killed by a young horse belonging to his master, Mr Lattimer. Verdict ? accidental death Deodand ? one shilling.May 2nd 1840CPInquest at Longtown on the 29th ult, on the body of Eleanor Story, daughter of Jane Scott, widow, aged 27 years, who on the preceding day had committed suicide by hanging herself from a nail inside of their dwelling room door. The mother of the deceased had been confined by sickness to her bed for several years, and so reduced in she that she is unable to render herself any assistance. It appeared from her statement that her daughter Jane took breakfast between 7 and 8, after which witness fell asleep for a few minutes, when she awoke, she saw her daughter suspended as before described. She was not able to rise from her bed, and although she continued to call with all her strength, no one came to her assistance until between 11 and 12. It had been rumoured that the deceased had been driven to commit, the fatal act by the want of sufficient necessaries ? that the officers of the union had refused to grant her relief. This rumour proved to be quite unfounded, for Mrs Scott stated that the officers had never refused any application, and that she and her daughter were able to live comfortably with the allowance from the parish and the earnings of the former. Verdict ? temporary insanity.May 23rd 1840CPAt Longtown on the 14th inst on the body of Barbara Robinson, aged 14 years. The evidence of the witnesses, examined, proved that deceased was playing with her school companions about a fortnight previous to her death, when she fell and bruised her knee. A medical man was called in, who attended her until the 9th, when the child?s parents, being dissatisfied with his treatment of the case, called in another surgeon, at which time she was suffering from tetanus, or lock-jaw, of which she died on the 13th. The evidence of the first medical man was very unsatisfactory in itself, and was fully contradicted by other witnesses, as to the treatment adopted by him? the jury after a short consultation, returned a verdict of accidental death, and added that much blame was attached to the medical man above referred to.July 25th 1840CPAn Inquest was held before Mr Carrick, coroner at Carwinlay Cottage near Longtown, on the 19th inst, on the body of William Plenderleath, aged 36 years, who committed suicide on the preceding day by swallowing a large dose of laudanum. Deceased was a saddler at Newcastleton in Scotland, and having fallen short of work, had gone into Northumberland about 3 weeks ago to mow. It appears he met with little employment. On Friday he called at his sisters house, who with her husband John Little, are cottagers on Sir James Grahams estate, and complained to having less money than when he left home.In the course of the day, he went to Longtown, where he purchased, at the shop of Mr Robert Earl, druggist, two and a half ounces of laudanum, which it is supposed he had taken and vomited. On the following day, he again called at Mr Earl?s shop, and purchased three and a half ounces more of the same poison, and then returned to his sister?s house? he lingered until 12 o?clock at night, when he expired. Verdict ? temporary insanity. The unfortunate man has left a widow and family of young children.October 10th 1840CPInquest on the 4th inst at Sandysike House in the parish of Bewcastle, on the body of a child named Walter, the son of Hector Baty, whose clothes had accidentally caught fire on the previous Thursday, during the temporary absence of his mother, by which he was so much burned that he died on the following day. Verdict accordingly.October 10th 1840CPInquest on the 6th at Haggbeck, Stapleton, on the body of Mary Routledge, aged 53, who whilst loading a cart with corn in a field of Mr Robert Richardson of Troughead, accidentally fell therefrom, and died instantly. Verdict ? accidental death.