INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF JOHN SIMSON OF LONG CRENDON (1881)

On 14th December 1881, an inquest was held at The Angel Inn, Long Crendon, concerning the death of 77 year old Mr John Simson.

Mr Simson had been the 'turnkey' (gaoler) of Aylesbury Prison for many years, and had been suffering badly with chronic bronchitis for quite some time.

It transpired that Mr Simson had woken up that morning, and decided to return to his bed. As he ascended the stairs, he suddenly complained that he felt faint/dizzy, so sat down on the staircase. Despite the attempts of his wife, along with another woman called Mrs Dudley (presumably his housekeeper?), he died within a few moments.

After hearing the testimonies of Mrs Simson and Mrs Dudley, along with the coroner's findings, the jury returned a verdict of 'death by the visitation of God' (natural causes).

The Angel Inn (pictured below, courtesy of Muddy Stilettos) was formerly a 16th-century coaching inn, which I believe is still being ran as a restaurant to this day. It is situated roughly 12 miles from Bicester, just over the border in Buckinghamshire.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF WALTER JOHN DALE OF BICESTER (1909)

In April 1909, an inquest was held into the death of 24 year old Walter John Dale of Bicester.

Mr Dale was a coal-merchant who had worked alongside his father, William Dale, for 5 years. As a sideline, Walter would take in horses to break to harness - something which William said that he very much enjoyed.

On the morning of his death, Walter had driven a horse and cart laden with coal to Mr Jaggers' yard, and then on to Priory Stables to fetch another horse and cart to take two loads to Bucknell. The second horse had been purchased 5 weeks previously, and was nearly 4 years of age. They'd driven it 3 times so far, and it had been 'perfectly quiet'.

Coachman Alfred Stone of Priory Road deposed that he knew the deceased well, and that he'd witnessed Walter putting the horse to the cart at about 8.30am. As Stone stood chatting to a neighbour, he heard a commotion, and the sound of hooves coming towards them, although he couldn't be sure as to whether it was walking or trotting. Stone heard Walter shout "woah!". Stone looked over to see that Walter was struggling to control the young and inexperienced horse, who had quite clearly taken fright.

Mr Stone approached and attempted to assist, but the horse was far too spooked. Walter was now running alongside the horse, and Stone looked on in horror as the young man was crushed between the horse and the wall which stood opposite the neighbour's cottage.

Stone yelled at Walter to let go of the reins, but it was too late; the hub of the wheel connected with the wall, bringing it down, and the momentum carried Walter a little further, at which point he fell. Stone rushed over to Walter, who was lying in a heap on the ground. He noticed that the deceased was bleeding from his chin and cheek, and was alive but unconscious.

Stone sent for the doctor and police, and when the police arrived, they began to wash the blood from Walter's face. Walter asked them where he was, and appeared confused. Doctor Hendricks arrived around 20 minutes later, and proceeded to examine Walter; he had a very large, deep gash in his jaw, and another on his left cheek. He also noticed from the angle of his head that his neck was broken. There was air beneath the skin and multiple broken ribs, indicating that both lungs had been punctured.

Poor Walter Dale succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards, and the jury returned a verdict of 'accidental death'.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF SARAH WHITE OF UPPER HEYFORD (BICESTER, 1883)

An inquest was held concerning the death of 65 year old Sarah White of Upper Heyford in 1883, "who met with an accident at a dance in The Bell, Bicester. The deceased had been dancing, and was sitting in the tap-room when, whether from giddiness or not is a matter of doubt, she fell off her seat, and her left temple coming into violent contact with the floor, she sustained concussion of the brain, from which death ensued the following evening."

The jury returned a verdict of 'accidental death'.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF GEORGE SHEPHERD (CHARLTON-ON-OTMOOR, 1853)

An inquest concerning the death of George Shepherd took place in The George & Dragon pub, Charlton-on-Otmoor, in February 1853 - poor George had apparently walked from Oxford back to Charlton, complaining of shortness of breath upon his return. He settled in a chair, and at 9.30pm that evening, "fell from his chair, quite dead". The inquest concluded that he'd died due to 'disease of the heart'.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF THOMAS HUCKIN OF ENSTONE (FINMERE, 1926)

In May 1926, a tragedy occurred at Finmere, near Bicester; 35 year old Thomas Huckin of Enstone was working at Finmere Station, unloading tree trunks from a carriage with a colleague. One of the larger trunks - weighing between three and four tons - rolled onto Thomas, crushing him beneath it.

At the inquest, the deceased's father, Frederick Huckin, explained that Thomas had been married with two children, and had been working for Mr Claridge (a timber merchant) since October the previous year.

Thomas' colleagues told the jury that they'd been working with timber for many years, and none of them had ever known a large trunk to simply roll off in such a way before. They also said that Thomas Huckin had been dead by the time they'd managed to reach him and remove the tree.

The doctor was sent for, and examined the body in the cloakroom of the station. He found the body to be 'very badly crushed', with compound fractures of the right leg and pelvis, and the ribs were also fractured. There was an abrasion on the side of the forehead. The doctor thought that death was probably instantaneous, due to shock - which was probably a good thing, considering poor Thomas' injuries!

The jury reached their verdict in accordance with the medical evidence: 'accidental death'.

The photograph below shows Finmere railway station, and is borrowed from Historic England.

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF SARGEANT LOCKWOOD (GAWCOTT, 1928)

On 8th November 1928, a pilot known as Sargeant Lockwood was unfortunately killed near Gawcott, Buckinghamshire, when his plane struck a tree.

An inquest was held at Bicester Aerodrome, where Flying Officer Buckley reported that three planes had been returning to Bicester from Northolt late that afternoon, but the pilots had lost their way between Bletchley and Castlethorpe.

Lockwood's plane - a 'day bomber' type - was leading. Lockwood and Buckley, who was piloting the second plane, had lost sight of the third, which had landed at Wolverton following the mid-air confusion. Lockwood and Buckley landed their planes in a field to check their position, and both accidentally went through a strong barbed wire fence parralel with a hedge whilst doing so.

Buckley stated that whilst his own plane had gotten clear, he witnessed Lockwood attempt to take off at the last minute. The starboard wing of Lockwood's aircraft hit the top of some trees, causing the rest to break apart and burst into flames before hitting ground.

Sargeant Lockwood was sadly trapped beneath the tail of the fuselage, and could not be rescued before the flames engulfed him. The autopsy revealed that the poor man had fractured his skull during the crash, and had subsequently burnt to death.

Upon further research, it would appear that Sargeant Lockwood's full name was Herbert Edward Lockwood, and that he'd been born on 6th June 1903 in Finchley, Middlesex. His sister, 'E. Lockwood', was given as his next of kin on his papers when he signed up to serve in the Royal Air Force in January 1922.

Herbert was buried in St Edburg's cemetery, Bicester, on 12th November 1928. He may have been the son of Eustace & Fanny Lockwood, and the sister mentioned in his papers may have been Edith Lockwood.

The photograph below shows a Hawker Hart light bomber aircraft, which was first used in June 1928 - it is possible that Herbert Lockwood's plane was very similar to this, or perhaps an older model. (Courtesy of Wikipedia).

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF LITTLE JESSE GRANT (BICESTER, 1915)

In February 1915, an inquest was held at Wesley Hall in Bicester, touching the death of an infant boy called Jesse Joseph Grant.

Little Jesse was the son of Jesse and Jane Grant of 5 Spring Gardens, Bicester, and was only 10 weeks old at the time of his sad demise.

At the inquest, the jury heard that the little boy had been a healthy one, up until his death. According to the parents, they had put the child to bed between 12 and 1 o'clock that night, and was still awake when they retired to bed themselves. After Jane Grant got into bed, she fed the baby from her breast, and once little Jesse fell asleep, she gently laid him down beside her on the bed. She was apparently careful to ensure that he could not fall from the bed, nor that she could accidentally roll onto him. Her husband had slept elsewhere.

Jane slept soundly until 7 o'clock the next morning, and when she turned over to check on her son, she realised that little Jesse wasn't breathing, so in a panic, she called for her husband; when Mr Grant arrived in the bedroom, he realised that the child was deceased.

Jane told the jury that the baby was lying on his side, his face turned towards her, with the bedclothes up against his face. Mr Grant had sent for the doctor, who had arrived an hour later. Jane was uncertain as to whether she could have rolled onto the baby in her sleep, but reported that she'd woken up in the same position that she'd fallen asleep in - laid on her side, turned away from the baby. She also claimed that she and her husband had both been sober.

Upon further inspection, the doctor found that Jesse's face and neck were discoloured, and that the fingers of both hands were firmly clenched, body rigid. The doctor went on to say that the child was well-nourished, and that there were no signs of any violence towards him found during the autopsy; however, his lungs were found to be distinctly darker than usual, and 'somewhat gorged with blood, especially the left lung'. The right side of the baby's heart was also filled with blood, and 'very dark in character', and there were signs of small haemorrhages between the plural membrane and the lung.

In the doctor's opinion, little Jesse's death had been caused by asphyxia, probably caused by the bedclothes. He did not think that the mother had lain on the child, nor deliberately suffocated him.

The jury gave a verdict of 'accidental death'.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF HENRY HARRIS OF BICESTER (BUCKNELL, 1879)

In September 1879, an inquest was held at Hawkwell Farm, Bucknell, concerning the death of 16 year old Henry Harris of Bicester.

Witness Joseph Goselow informed the jury that at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon on the 5th September, he was standing by a gate in the road leading from Bucknell to Bicester, and saw the deceased mount a horse, which was wearing a harness. Another lad called Charles Rolfe, aged 15, also mounted the horse, sitting in front of Harris.

Goselow said that the pair had then begun to gallop along the road, at which point Rolfe fell off. The horse continued to gallop, and after proceeding for around 30 yards, Harris also fell, but his legs became entangled in the harness.

The horse, in blind panic, carried on galloping, dragging poor Henry Harris for another 100 yards along the road, before turning and running straight through a gate into a field. According to Goselow: "the horse dragged the deceased five or six times backwards and forwards over the ground, with a colt (which had been loose in the field) running in front of it."

After several attempts, Goselow managed to grab the horse, but it was still very much spooked, so he was unable to free Harris from the harness, as he had to remain standing by its head.

Another man called George Coggins entered the field, and managed to cut Harris loose from the entangled harness. The chains were still wrapped around Harris' leg. Goselow recalled that "the deceased could not speak, and seemed nearly lifeless".

Coggins tried to comfort Harris whilst Goselow took the horse back to the stables, but he sadly died within a matter of minutes, and had already expired upon Goselow's return (about 3 minutes later). When they spoke to Rolfe, who had caught up with them by this point, he said that Harris had thought that it'd make him 'look big' if they went at full gallop, and had stuck his heel into the horse's sides in order to make it go faster, causing the horse to kick out, dislodging both riders in quick succession.

Unfortunately, there were several stone heaps at the sides of the road, and Harris' head had been 'dashed off of them' numerous times as he'd been dragged helplessly by his terrified steed.

After a brief deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of 'accidentally killed'.

A very sad end to a young life, all because of an attempt to appear 'cool'... And akin to the plethora of dangerous 'challenges' and other trends, which are unfortunately resulting in the deaths of other youngsters in the modern age.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF GEORGE SCARSBROOK OF CHESTERTON (CHESTERTON, 1891)

In October 1891, 74 year old labourer George Scarsbrook of Chesterton 'fell down suddenly in a supposed fit, and shortly after expired'.

An inquest was held at The Red Cow Inn, where it transpired that Mr Scarsbrook had been working for a Mr C. T. Hoare of nearby Bignell, and had been 'complaining of his head' for around twelve months.

At the time of his death, Mr Scarsbrook had been on his way to meet two other men whilst leading a horse and wagon, and a witness claimed that he'd heard the old man cry out, before finding him beneath a wheel of the wagon a few moments beforehand. The witness did not see the entire incident, so the jury returned a verdict of 'accidental death', assuming that either 'a fit or some other mishap befell him' in order for him to wind up in such an unfortunate predicament.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF JOHN PHILLIPS OF BUCKNELL (1902, BICESTER)

On 1st May 1902, a man called Mr John Phillips fell from his horse whilst riding along Bucknell Road, Bicester, early that morning. His horse unfortunately stumbled, causing Mr Phillips to be catapulted onto the hard ground below; this ultimately led to his demise.

A local newspaper reported the following: "Although considerably cut about the head and face, and bruised about the body, the deceased walked in a semi-conscious state to his farm a mile and a half away, then drove to Sheep Street in Bicester. It was first thought that two ribs were broken, but this apparently was not the case. More serious symptoms manifested themselves - first, bronchitis, and then, pneumonia."

Mr Phillips apparently began to rally, but "became decidedly worse last Friday, and continued to get weaker until his death at 11.40pm on Wednesday".

At the inquest - held at The Crown Hotel, Bicester - it transpired that Mr Phillips had suffered several other serious falls over the last few years. His widow, Mary Ann Phillips, told the jury that her husband had owned his current horse for around 4 years, and had never known it to stumble before, nor John to fall from it; apparently, his previous falls had been from other steeds.

One witness, who saw the incident from afar, reported that he thought that he'd seen the horse roll on top of him, crushing John Phillips in the process.

Another witness, called Walter Barrett of Ladysmith Terrace, Bicester, claimed to have seen the deceased tumble over the horse's head when it had tripped near the crossroads; he said that the horse had gone down onto its knees, then lost its balance, and rolled over Mr Phillips whilst he was laying on the ground. The horse did not appear to be injured when Mr Barrett led it back to Mr Phillips' farm, following behind the men who carried the injured party.

After reviewing all of the evidence, the coroner was of the opinion that the deceased had died due to pneumonia, arising from the shock caused by the accident. The jury were a little uncertain, but although some said that they'd feel more sure following a post-mortem examination, they all returned a unanimous verdict of 'accidental death'.

According to the Bicester Herald newspaper, John Phillips had been the son of another John Phillips, who was the landlord of The Six Bells pub in Bicester. He had also resided in the town for most of his life, apart from living briefly in Whaddon, Blackthorn and London.

Mr Phillips left a widow (Mary Ann) and two sons - Alfred Phillips of Oxford, and Albert Phillips of Ohio, USA. He had recently celebrated his 58th birthday, and worked as a farmer and coal merchant. He held around 385 acres at his Bucknell farm, and had been successful in this venture.

Mr Phillips had apparently sat on the 'Local Board' (Council) in 1892, remaining so for 3 years. He had also acted as a vice chairman for several years, was a member of the Jersey Lodge of Freemasons, and had been a trustee of the Ancient Order of Foresters.

According to one of his council colleagues: "John Phillips was most regular in his attendance, and evinced considerable interest in the management of the affairs of the town. He always backed his own opinion fearlessly, and often advocated his views with great earnestness. There can be no doubt that the council has lost a good member, and the town as useful representative."

Mr Phillips certainly immersed himself in a lot of 'extracurricular activities'... As the article also mentioned that he had been a member of the Bicester Agricultural and Horticultural Association for many years, as well as captain of the Bicester Bowling Club, and served on the committee of the Bicester Cricket Club!

The funeral took place at Mr Phillips' home the following day, and included a procession of the Order of Foresters, who assembled at 3pm that day, and invited other mourners to join them.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MR RICHARD THOMAS WAKELIN OF BUCKNELL (1909)

On 11th January 1909, 66 year old Richard Thomas Wakelin - a labourer from Bucknell in the employ of a man called Mr Finch - sadly met with a fatal accident.

At the inquest (held on the 15th January), it transpired that Mr Wakelin had been cutting down trees on the road between Bucknell and Ardley, and had rested his ladder against the branch of one of the trees he was working on in order to reach the uppermost branches. Unfortunately, the branch upon which his ladder was leaning suddenly snapped, causing Mr Wakelin to fall from a height of around 10 feet, landing in the road below.

A fellow workman and a passing navvy picked him up, and between the two of them, they were able to carry him home.

When Dr Drinkwater arrived, he did all that he could, but the injuries were too severe, and Richard Wakelin expired around noon the following day.

A local newspaper, reporting on Mr Wakelin's death, described him as "a steady and respectable man, who was held in general respect throughout the village. He leaves a widow and a grown-up family."

After hearing the testimony of the witnesses and Dr Drinkwater, the jury returned a verdict of 'accidental death'. They also expressed their sympathy for Richard Wakelin's widow.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MARY ATKINS OF SOULDERN (LITTLEMORE ASYLUM, OXFORD, 1892)

At Littlemore Lunatic Asylum, Oxford, in November 1892, an inquest was held concerning the death of an inmate called Mary Atkins, formerly of Souldern.

36 year old Mary was admitted into the asylum in March 1889, and had been found dead in her room. Nurses reported that she had been a "very restless and troublesome patient, who had a ravenous appetite".

It transpired that she was kept in a room by herself, with the nurses checking on her every 2 hours. On the night of her death, she was visited by a nurse at midnight, and again at 2pm, and presumed to be asleep; at around 4am, another nurse discovered Mary lying on the floor, with her feet pointing towards the door, and her head close to the bed. Blood had trickled from her nose, and mucus was congealed around her mouth.

During the post-mortem, it was revealed that Mary had suffered a fatal epileptic seizure, and the jury returned a verdict to that effect.

The Littlemore Asylum opened its doors in 1846, and in around 1926, it was renamed as The Littlemore Hospital in order to distance the institution from the negative connotations of the term 'asylum'. The main hospital closed in 1998, and converted into a gated housing complex.

More about the asylum's history can be found here: https://www.countyasylums.co.uk/littlemore-oxford/

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF JAMES WRIGHTON OF SOULDERN (SOULDERN, 1873)

In October 1873, an inquest was held at The Bell Inn, Souldern, regarding the death of a labourer called James Wrighton; the jury returned a verdict of 'death from natural causes', as the doctor in attendance confirmed that the deceased had suffered from heart failure.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MR WILLIAM SAUNDERS OF BICESTER (BICESTER, 1907)

In January 1907, a tragic accident occurred in Bicester; a 56 year old labourer called William Saunders "was engaged in making a case for a pair of spectacles, when the knife which he was using suddenly slipped and, penetrating the clothing, inflicted a wound on the man's stomach".

Mr Saunders sought medical assistance, and was subsequently patched up; neither he nor the doctor felt that it was a particularly serious injury at the time. However, he sadly died as a result of infection in the wound several days later, leaving a widow and an eight year old child.

After hearing evidence from Dr Herbert Long (who had attended to the deceased following the accident), and his widow Mrs Annie Saunders, the jury returned a verdict of 'death by misadventure'.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MR RICHARD GIBBS PALMER OF BICESTER (BICESTER, 1870)

In October 1870, an inquest was held at The Fox Inn, Bicester, concerning the death of a 47 year old carrier's agent called Richard Gibbs Palmer.

During the proceedings, his 15 year old servant - Ann Collett - was called forth to give her version of events; she deposed that the previous morning, her master hadn't come down to breakfast, on account of being unwell. Ann went up to check on him, and saw blood on the floor, and her employer's feet sticking out of his room.

She immediately ran and told her mistress (presumably the wife of the deceased), who told Ann to fetch an ostler called Charles Coleman. Mr Coleman said that he was called into the house, and upon entering the room, he found Mr Gibbs Palmer lying on a box, with his head leaning against the wall, "quite dead". Mr Coleman noticed a razor lying in the pool of blood on the floor.

The witnesses claimed that the deceased had been "complaining of being in low spirits", and his doctor testified that he knew that he had been "suffering from mental depression".

When the doctor examined the body, he concluded that the cut to the man's throat would've been sufficient to cause instantaneous death. He was of the opinion that the deceased must have "committed the act whilst temporarily insane".

The jury returned a verdict to that effect.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF ELIZA LAPPER OF WENDLEBURY (WENDLEBURY, 1889)

In February 1889, six year old Eliza Lapper (daughter of labourer Alfred Lapper of Wendlebury) met her death in some rather horrific and painful circumstances...

Mrs Jane Wheeler of Wendlebury had heard screams coming from the Lappers' house, which was next door to her own; Mrs Wheeler quickly ran up to the window of the Lappers' cottage to see what was going on, and to her horror, she saw poor Eliza on the stairs, "all ablaze". She tried to open the door, but found it to be locked, so she quickly ran for help.

Mr George Brain was close by, and followed Mrs Wheeler to the house, proceeding to break down the door; this took approximately 5 minutes between Mrs Wheeler first hearing the screams, and Mr Brain being successful in gaining entry to the property.

Eliza Lapper's body was still on fire, but Mr Brain did his very best to save her, quickly stripping off her clothes and attempting to resuscitate the little girl, burning his own hands badly in the process.

Mr William Tredwell Foster arrived on the scene just as they'd doused the flames on Eliza's body, and ran upstairs, finding three other small children, and a small fire smouldering in the room. He quickly put the fire out, and passed the children through a window, as the room was thick with black smoke.

When the doctor arrived, Eliza was found to be still alive, although suffering from shock. She had sustained extensive burns on the bottom half of her body, and although she was able to speak a little after the pain relief administered to her kicked in, she refused to say anything about the fire, or how it came to happen. The younger children were also unable to explain.

Despite the doctor doing his best, poor Eliza Lapper died from her injuries shortly afterwards. Her mother was beside herself with grief and guilt - she had only popped out for a little while to run an errand, leaving her children at home, as she had done on numerous occasions (and as was very much the norm at the time).

At the inquest, the jury returned a verdict of "death from burns/accidental death", although how the fire had started in the first place remained a complete mystery.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MR THOMAS MASSEY OF LAUNTON (LAUNTON, 1861)

In July 1861, an inquest was held at The Black Bull Inn, Launton, concerning the death of a 46 year old agricultural labourer called Thomas Massey - a native of the village.

Thomas' body was found along the railway tracks, roughly midway between Launton and Bicester, and was "very much discoloured". There was a deep gash in the back of his head, and an abrasion on the right shoulder.

Another labourer, John Long, deposed that he knew Thomas Massey, and that he'd been drinking with him and several others, including Thomas' son, James Massey, in Bicester. The group had left The King's Head pub at about 12 o'clock, and had started walking home to Launton. All of the men (except for Mr Long, who had refused) had two quarts of gin and two quarts of rum each at The King's Head, but they'd also been to The Nag's Head previously, where they'd all - including Mr Long - consumed copious amounts of gin and beer.

During the walk home, Mr Long (who claimed to have been fairly sober by this point) took charge of James Massey, who was so drunk that he could barely walk in a straight line. A companion of theirs called William Webb was walking a few paces behind, but the other three in their group were straggling, roughly 50 yards behind. After reaching Launton, and leaving James in the care of his mother, he and Mrs Carter (mother of one of the stragglers, Jesse Carter), went back out to search for them.

Mr Long found Thomas Massey lying between the rails on the track, with his left arm bent under him. His head was pointing towards Launton, and his feet pointed towards Bicester. His hat was still on, so Mr Long approached him, thinking that he'd just fallen whilst drunk; it was only when he got closer that he realised that there was blood on and around Thomas, and a large black patch of grease on his right shoulder. A bottle of alcohol lay nearby.

Jesse Carter was also lying on the ground, a couple of feet from the tracks, but he was only sleeping, and awoke once he was roused; however, when Mr Long pulled Thomas off of the tracks, he quickly realised that he was dead.

At the inquest, Jesse Carter claimed to have no recollection of what happened. James West, the crossing-keeper, hadn't seen or heard anything, either. When Mr William Purcell - who had driven a goods train along that stretch of the railway at 2am - was called upon, he confirmed that he hadn't noticed anything either, and expressed his surprise that Thomas Massey's body could still be in one piece if a train had ran over him!

After some deliberation, and upon hearing the coroner's findings, the jury were of the opinion that Thomas had fallen and hit his head on the rails, before the passing train brushed past him. His skull was fractured, which could easily have happened in this manner... Although it seems rather odd that his hat remained on his head!

At the inquest, it also transpired that many people were using the railway line, as the footpath was in a terrible state. The coroner urged the relevant authorities to take action regarding the footpath, as Thomas Massey wasn't the first person to perish along that particular stretch of railway.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MRS SARAH ANN TIMMS OF BICESTER (BICESTER, 1890)

On 30th May 1890, an inquest took place at The Six Bells Inn, Bicester, concerning the death of 66 year old widow Mrs Sarah Ann Timms of Gordon Place, near The Causeway, who had died on the previous day.

Emma Timms (daughter of the deceased) deposed: "I live in Gordon Place with my mother, Sarah Ann Timms, widow of the late James Timms, stone-mason. My mother was 66 at her last birthday. She had a fit two years ago, but has never been ill since. She was out yesterday morning, and came home at about 11.30am. She had been at Mrs Berry's to help wash linens. She told me that she felt queer in the back of her neck, but also commented that she had never felt better than she had done that morning. Mrs Berry and I helped her indoors, and sat her in a chair. She remained there for about 20 minutes, before suddenly dying."

Emma went on to say that Mrs Timms had enjoyed a breakfast of tea with bread and butter, and that her supper the previous evening had been bacon and onions with a glass of beer.

The grieving daughter then revealed: "a week ago last Monday, Harry Lambourne - a young man I go out with - had had a drop of beer, and went to strike me with his fist. My mother got up to save me, thereby taking the blow herself. Her face bled from one of her cheeks, but she did not fall down. Mother washed her face, and carried on with her work. The bleeding continued for about a quarter of an hour, but did eventually cease. On Wednesday morning, mother remarked to me that the bruising did not appear to be improving, and I agreed."

Mrs Eliza Berry, along with the grandson of the deceased, Frederick Timms (son of Emma), confirmed Emma's story. Another neighbour - Mrs Rebecca Faunt - also told the jury that she had witnessed the deceased in the yard outside her house, bleeding, shortly after the altercation with Mr Lambourne. They also confirmed that Lambourne was known to strike Emma from time to time, and that this type of behaviour was not uncommon after he had been drinking.

Dr Drinkwater then took to the stand, informing the jury that he had treated Mrs Timms for 'apoplexy' (stroke) two years ago, but that she had fully recovered since. After examining the body, he was confident that her death was consistent with some form of cerebral haemorrhage.

After some deliberation, the jury decided not to go ahead with a full post-mortem, and instead returned a verdict of "death resulted from cerebral haemorrhage, but how this was caused there was not sufficient evidence produced to show".

It transpired that Harry Lambourne had taken it upon himself to attend the inquest, although he didn't speak, and nobody thought to ask him to either, which seems a little odd!

After giving their verdict, each member of the jury chose to donate their 8 shilling fee (which they received for attending) to the Bicester Nursing Home, which was a kind gesture, at least!

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF CAROLINE SMITH (BICESTER, 1914)

On Thursday 2nd July 1914, an inquest was held at the workhouse in Bicester, concerning the death of 96 year old Caroline Smith, who had died there that same day.

During the proceedings, it was discovered that poor Caroline had sustained broken ribs as the result of an accidental fall in the workhouse on 26th June.

William Parks - master of the workhouse - told the jury that the deceased had been an inmate of the institution since 16th September 1913, and that following her fall, she had been in the sick ward, under the care of Dr Long. She had died at about 6.40am.

Another workhouse inmate called Annie Butler, who helped to care for patients in the sick ward, deposed that on the day of Caroline's fall, she had witnessed the deceased tumble out of bed. Annie had called for the nurse to assist, and together they picked Caroline up, and put her back into her bed. It was believed that Caroline - being elderly and frail - hadn't been out of bed for some time prior to the incident, and that her legs were simply too weak to hold her. It was not known why she had suddenly decided to attempt to get up. She seemed feeble, and didn't say much.

Sarah Ellen Parks - matron of the workhouse, and wife of the aforementioned William - confirmed Annie's version of events.

Dr Herbert Birch Long, medical officer of the workhouse, deposed that he was called to see to Caroline Smith on the day of her fall, and diagnosed the broken ribs. He had seen her almost every day between then and her death. He was of the opinion that the deceased had succumbed to old age, accelerated by her injuries.

The nurse who had assisted Annie Butler in getting Caroline back into bed after the fall, Edith Eliza Jeans, corroborated all of the above in front of the jury.

After a short period of deliberation, a verdict was given "according to the medical evidence".

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF THE NEWBORN CHILD OF EMMA COLWELL OF MIDDLE CLAYDON (CLAYDON, 1863)

In December 1863, a particularly harrowing inquest was held at Claydon House - the residence of Sir Harry Verney - upon the remains of the illegitimate child of Emma Colwell.

Miss Colwell was a domestic servant in the employ of Mr Matthew Merry, a farmer, of Middle Claydon. The child's remains were discovered under the ash-hole in Mr Merry's kitchen.

Mr Merry deposed: "On Friday last, from suspicions I entertained, I suspected that my servant (Emma Colwell) had been confined (pregnant/given birth). I proceeded to the water-closet in the yard, and upon searching, I found a cloth partially covered in blood. I left it there, and went to confront Colwell. As I was leaving the water-closet, the doctor was coming to visit my wife, so I asked him to come with me and take a look at the cloth. However, when we returned to the water-closet, the cloth had been removed. We then went into the house, and I told her what I had seen, but she denied it all."

Mr Merry and the doctor threatened to send for the police, at which point "Emma Colwell looked down upon the ground, and said that she had had a miscarriage at three months."

The men searched the water-closet once again, but couldn't find any sign of the child. He decided to have the cinders of the fire sifted, and sure enough, the remains were found. According to Merry: "I picked it up with the tongs, and the head dropped off. It was still smouldering, so I placed it in a bucket of water. I thought that it was a dead cat at first. Two more pieces of it were found along with it. At that point, I sent for the Superintendent and doctor."

Mr Merry went on to say that he and his wife had accused Emma Colwell of being in the family way on several occasions, but she had always denied it, claiming that it was "just her shape". She had only been working for the Merrys for a few weeks.

Harriett Quainton - a little girl also in the employ of the Merrys, and who shared a room with Emma Colwell - told the jury that Emma had been making moaning noises at around midnight, and had then left the room, complaining that she did not feel well; she blamed her discomfort on the meal of 'liver and fat' that she'd consumed earlier that evening.

Harriett had drifted off to sleep, and when she awoke, Emma was back in bed. When they went down to breakfast, Emma took the 'chamber utensil' (presumably used for cleaning a chamber pot?) downstairs with her, covered up, which the young girl thought rather unusual. However, Harriett carried on with her duties.

Due to the condition of the remains, they having been in the fire, it was impossible to tell whether or not the baby had been born alive. The doctor and coroner both felt that, from the appearance of the head, it was probably a full-term child. It was also noted that Emma's breasts were full of milk - indicating that her pregnancy was far more advanced than she'd let on.

After some deliberation, the jury returned a verdict "to the effect that there was no evidence to show whether the child had lived, and they therefore gave an open verdict".

Emma Colwell was to be taken before the magistrates on a charge of "concealment of birth".

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF HENRY KING OF POUNDON (1877)

In April 1877, an inquest was held at The Sow & Pigs, Poundon, concerning the death of 68 year old farm labourer Mr Henry King.

His widow, Mary King, deposed that her husband had "always had good health, he has never had a doctor or any medicine, but the last month he had been troubled very much with rheumatism." She informed the jury that Henry had left home at around 5.30am on the morning of his demise, and that he always had breakfast with a Mr Harper on Sunday mornings. He went to breakfast with Mr Harper as usual, before returning home at 11.30am.

As her husband was changing into different clothing in the bedroom, he turned to Mary and said: "Oh no, if I don't get no better, I must stop at home." He then went downstairs, and shortly afterwards, their niece - Elizabeth King - came running up to find Mary, exclaiming that she had come round to see them, only to find poor Henry lying in the floor.

The two women rushed downstairs, and Mary was greeted by the sight of her husband laid on the floor, with his head resting upright against the wall. She thought that he may have slipped out of his chair, and was "quite dead".

Dr Denton of Steeple Claydon - who had never attended the deceased before - was summoned, and examined the body upon arrival; he was of the opinion that Henry King had died from heart disease, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF JANET NELLIE LYNES (1894, DEDDINGTON)

In September 1894, an inquest was held at the Public Hall in Deddington, concerning the death of an infant named as Janet Nellie Lynes.

It transpired that the baby was illegitimate, and that she was sired by a man called Charles Jennings of Adderbury, who paid money towards her care.

Fanny had gone into service in Southampton, living with another relative at 12 Dock Terrace, but was already pregnant; shortly after the birth, she had returned to Oxfordshire, residing with her mother (Hannah Lynes, widow of John Lynes), and sister-in-law Annie Lynes, who was the wife of her brother William Lynes, of Field Barn, Deddington.

Fanny had begun to explain what had happened to the court, but she had become so overwhelmed that she fainted, and therefore had to be removed.

According to the testimony given by Hannah Lynes and Annie Lynes, the little girl had become ill the day before her death, so they had taken her to see Dr Jones in Deddington; Dr Jones' assistant, Dr Mohany, had examined her, and prescribed some medicine. They felt that the cause of the illness was probably the flu.

The family had administered the medicine to Janet according to the doctor's instructions, and she appeared to have had a good night; sadly, however, she passed away at around 11 o'clock the following morning.

Dr Jones came to examine the deceased, and found her to be "emaciated, with the natural decay going on for some time". He felt that the cause of death was 'Marasmus' - essentially, malnutrition.

Many witnesses attested to the fact that Fanny had "been very kind to and fond of the child", and the jury returned a verdict of 'death by natural causes', so presumably no foul play was suspected.

The 'Public Hall' in Deddington was probably the old Town Hall. More info can be found about it it's history here: https://www.deddingtonhistory.uk/buildings/townhall

(Image below courtesy of Deddington History).

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF CHARLOTTE ANNE CROXTON OF BANBURY (1917, BANBURY)

In April 1917, an inquest took place at Banbury Town Hall, on view of the body of Charlotte Anne Croxton - wife of Edmund Croxton, baker, of Castle Street.

45 year old Charlotte had experienced "somewhat indifferent health" for around 6 months prior to her death, and it transpired that she had sadly taken her own life "whilst in a state of unsound mind".

A local newspaper reported at the time:

"Much sympathy is felt for Mr Croxton in the bereavement he has sustained, and which has occurred under such painful circumstances."

Banbury Town Hall was designed by renowned architect Edward Bruton, and opened in October 1854. The clock tower was added in 1860, and the building is considered to be one of the best surviving examples of Gothic architecture in the country.

The Croxton family's bakery was located at No. 34 Castle Street.

(Image below found on Pinterest).

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF HANNAH BUTWELL OF BICESTER (BICESTER, 1845)

In January 1845, an inquest was held at The Swan Inn, Bicester, concerning the death of 73 year old Hannah Butwell.

It transpired that she had "suddenly dropped down, and expired instantly, whilst engaging in the act of washing".

After "a patient and lengthened investigation", the jury returned a verdict of "death by the visitation of God".

The Swan Inn - situated on Church Street - was built in 1681, according to its date stone.

A decade after Hannah Butwell's death, The Swan Inn was taken over by Edward Trafford (who had previously ran The Red Lion in nearby Wendlebury). An advertisement published in the Bicester Herald newspaper reads:

"Edward Trafford of The Red Lion, Wendlebury, begs most respectfully to acquaint his friends and patrons that he has taken The Swan Inn, Bicester, and hopes, by strict attention to business, and by supplying good home-brewed ale and choice wines and liquors, to merit their kind support."

Image source: http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/oxfordshire/bicester_swan.html

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF ANN BUTLER OF CLANFIELD (WITNEY, 1866)

In March 1866, an inquest was held in Witney, on view of the body of a teenage girl called Ann Butler - a domestic servant in the employ of Mrs Newman of Clanfield.

One of Ann's fellow servants had found the deceased in the pantry, vomiting, before falling unconscious; earlier that day, the witness had taken some sort of pill, to which Ann Butler had responded: "I would take one, if I thought it would choke me" (implying that she was suicidal).

The doctor was sent for, but although he brought with him a stomach pump, Ann was dead by the time he arrived.

During the inquest, it transpired that Ann had more than once remarked that she was "tired of life", and had referred to the well-known case of a young girl in London, who had apparently poisoned herself.

A piece of paper was found in Ann's pocket, addressed to the servant who had found her, which read (in Ann's illiterate hand):

"When you see my mother, tell hir I done this. It is becase I did not want to see hir after Missis Newman had wrote to hir about me so goodbye to you all for the present. I should not done this if you hadent told me there was a letter in the Missis room this morning to go to my mother."

The letter to which Ann was referring to was seen by her fellow servant on the table in Mrs Newman's bedroom, and presumably informed Ann's mother of some sort of misconduct on her part, although the newspapers do not specify. The other servant had mentioned it to Ann earlier that day.

The post-mortem examination - carried out by Dr Prickett of Bampton - revealed no obvious traces of poison, or at least, no signs of the more commonly-used substances. The jury's verdict was 'cause of death unknown', but it was felt that the case of Ann Butler warranted no further investigation, due to the apparent suicide note.

Upon further research, it would appear that Mrs Newman's first name was Priscilla, and that she, her husband (William Newman) and their children lived at Friar's Court - an opulent residence in Clanfield, just outside of Witney.

The image below is courtesy of Trip Advisor, showing Friar's Court.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF STEPHEN NEIL OF ELSFIELD (ELSFIELD, 1901)

In August 1901, an inquest was held at the parochial schoolhouse in Elsfield - roughly 11 miles from Bicester - on view of the body of 62 year old agricultural labourer Stephen Neil; he had been found dead near a footpath leading to the parish church and Post Office.

During the proceedings, it transpired that Mr Neil attended regular appointments at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, due to "a complaint of the neck", and that 10 days previously, he had undergone an operation.

On the day of his death, he completed some work in the harvest field, before returning home to write three letters. After having his tea, he had left the house to post the letters, but was sadly discovered lying dead along the footpath. He appeared to have fallen down onto his face, which was completely covered by his hat, and there was blood flowing from his head and face.

Dr Rooth of the Radcliffe Infirmary testified, and confirmed that his patient had suffered from occasional fits, probably caused by cancer of the neck. The operation had lessened Mr Neil's discomfort considerably, but they had not been able to remove the cancerous mass. Dr Rooth was of the opinion that death had been caused by heart failure; the jury returned a verdict according to the medical evidence.

(Image below shows the school and adjacent schoolhouse in Elsfield, where the inquest was held, circa 1930 - source: https://www.elsfield.net/gallery/history/buildings/).

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF ELLEN FAULKNER OF LUDGERSHALL (LUDGERSHALL, 1880)

In February 1880, an inquest was held at The Five Bells Inn, Ludgershall, on view of the body of 13 month old Ellen Faulkner - daughter of James and Ann Faulkner.

During the proceedings, it transpired that little Ellen had been poorly for three or four days prior to her death, but her parents hadn't sent for the doctor, as they'd assumed that her issues were due to teething. Sadly, the little girl died very suddenly one morning.

The post-mortem revealed that there was nothing at all suspicious about Ellen's untimely demise, although they were not able to confirm precisely what had been the cause.

A verdict of 'death by natural causes' was given, in accordance with the medical evidence.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MRS LOUISA WINDMILL OF STRATTON AUDLEY (STRATTON AUDLEY, 1879)

In June 1879, an inquest took place at The Red Lion Inn, Stratton Audley, on view of the body of 28 year old Mrs Louisa Windmill (wife of carpenter Mr Edmund Windmill).

Louisa's body was identified by her mother-in-law, Mrs Catherine Windmill, who confirmed that "although the deceased was not a particularly strong or robust person, she was in good health up to within three days of her death".

Catherine informed the jury that Louisa had complained of pains in her chest, which the family had thought to be caused by indigestion. She took a 'tonic' of brandy and water, and although she rallied briefly, she soon felt very unwell once again, retiring to her bed at around 10pm.

Louisa's husband had checked on her around 30 minutes later, and found her sitting up in bed, leaning forwards, with the bedclothes held up to her chest. Assuming that she was having a fit of some kind, they sent for their neighbour, Mrs Bryant, who then fetched the doctor. Unfortunately, poor Louisa expired before the physician arrived. She was in "an advanced state of pregnancy", so sadly, her unborn child also perished.

Mrs Rachel Bryant deposed that she had walked into the bedroom to see Louisa Windmill suffering at least four fits, before vomiting blood, and dying.

Dr John Henry Croft of Bicester told the jury that he had treated Mrs Windmill previously for indigestion throughout her pregnancy, but had not noticed anything else out of the ordinary during his visits. He was of the opinion that death had been caused due to a perforating ulcer in the stomach.

After some deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of "death by natural causes", as it was agreed that even if Dr Croft had arrived to the house sooner, there was nothing that he could have realistically done to save Louisa Windmill.

(Image below shows The Red Lion, Stratton Audley, courtesy of the pub's website).

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF JAMES TIMMS OF BICESTER (BICESTER, 1875)

In 1875, "the inhabitants of King's End, Bicester, were aroused early on Monday morning, May 24th, by the news that 40 year old James Timms had been found dead in a well, which is situated in close contiguity to the house he occupied."

An inquest was held at the nearby Fox Inn public house, presided over by the coroner, Mr W. Brunner; it transpired that James Timms was a mason by trade, and had lately been employed by a builder called Mr Munday of Buckingham.

The deceased had been working with several colleagues on the restorations of Newton Purcell parish church, and had been lodging in Fringford with the widow of his brother (William Timms), but had returned home to Bicester for Whitsun Week, during which "he was seen to freely indulge during the eight days prior to his death in intoxicating liquors".

At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 24th May, Mr Timms had left his house, telling his wife that he needed to go out. She thought nothing of this, until he failed to return. She knocked for her neighbours, and asked them to help search for him, and eventually one of the search party found him dead inside the well.

During the inquest, the jury were informed that the aforementioned brother of the deceased - William Timms - had committed suicide eight months previously. The coroner stated:

"I understand that this brother of his committed suicide a short time back, and I hear that the deceased had displayed insanity and, what with the drink, he might be in want of self-government, so it might be said that it was done when he was not of a sound state of mind. It appears that no one will be able to tell us how he got into the water, as no one saw him."

The jury then viewed the body, which was said to be "that of a man about 5ft 7in in height, and apparently healthy. The deceased was only attired in his shirt, waistcoat, trousers and boots - which were not laced up."

The well was apparently used by the inhabitants of Mr Timms' row of cottages, and appeared to be approximately "13ft deep, with about 6ft of water therein".

Mr Timms' wife, Sarah, deposed that the well was not covered, nor fenced off. She also added: "I did not think that he would drown himself, but I have narrowly watched him for some time, as his brother hung himself some months back. He has not been the same since, nor anything like it. He was not quite right, particularly so this last week. He did not go to work this week, having had a holiday. He was tipsy on the evening before his death when he returned home, but did not seem in any way depressed at that point."

After some deliberation, the jury returned the following verdict:

"James Timms of Bicester came to his death in a well in King's End by his own act, whereby he suffocated himself beneath the water, and was at that time of unsound mind."

My own personal theory? As nobody witnessed poor James' demise, and his boots were unlaced, I think it is also plausible that he simply tripped over the laces whilst drunk, and subsequently fell into the well... But I guess we'll never know for sure!

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF THOMAS BATES OF FRITWELL (FRITWELL, 1876)

In April 1876, an inquest took place at Fritwell, on view of the body of 72 year old Thomas Bates - a local shopkeeper. He had died suddenly whilst tending to his allotment in the village, which was located near to the Rectory.

Mr Bates' brother-in-law, Anthony Charlett - an innkeeper of nearby Souldern - deposed that the deceased had taken tea with him the previous evening, and that halfway through, he had exclaimed: "Oh dear, how bad my head is!". His migraine had eventually subsided, and neither of the men thought anymore of it. Mr Bates was discovered lying dead in his allotment at 9 o'clock the next morning.

Sargeant John Wharton of Fewcott examined the body, and said the following: "I have found no marks of violence thereon, there being no bruises whatsoever. I believe from the appearance of the body that the deceased died a natural death."

The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

The image below shows St Olave's Church, Fritwell. Source: Parish Mouse.