A girl named Priscilla SHIELDS aged 6, residing with her mother in Brook St Birkenhead, was left alone in the house on Saturday last, when her clothes caught fire, her injuries resulted in her death the same night.
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Liverpool Mercury, March 19th 1852
Alleged manslaughter at Ormskirk
A most important inquiry, affecting the character of the superintendent of the Ormskirk charity schools, was held at the court-room Ormskirk, on Wednesday before Mr DRIFFIELD, the coroner of the district touching the death of Robert SWIFT, some time since a pupil of the schools, which was alleged to have been caused from injury inflicted by the schoolmaster. The greatest excitement had been caused by a report that the case had been "trumped up" from personal feeling against those who have management of the schools.
According to the evidence it appeared that in October 1850, SWIFT attended the schools, Mr DAYMOND being the master. About the end of October the boy became ill, and was withdrawn from the schools. He complained of being unable to walk, from pain in his back and chest, caused, he said, from ill treatment at school. He continued ill, but was neglected by his parents until Wednesday, the 10th of this month, when they called in Mr SIMONS a surgeon. Mr SIMONS said that he found the child in a filthy and neglected condition. About 10pm on Friday the boy died, and, on a post mortem examination, the lings, the stomach, and other vital organs, were found in an exceedingly diseased state. The spinal vertebrae was also affected, and there were two internal abscesses. Mr SIMON attributed death to scrofulous disease. James GREGORY a young school fellow of the deceased, made a very confused statement to the effect that Mr DAYMOND had once placed his knee at the back of the deceased, and then pulled his shoulders, for the purpose of correcting him, while leaning very much over his writing desk. The master was in the habit of using this method to cure the boys of the practise, and had so acted towards the witness, who had not felt any ill effects. The deceased did not cry out at the time, or evince any symptom that he was injured in any way, though, a short time afterwards, he left off coming to school. On this evidence a charge of manslaughter was based.
Other witnesses were called including Dr ASHTON, surgeon of Ormskirk Dispensary, who stated that the cause of death was inflammation of the lungs. He was present at the post mortem examination, and had never seen a case in which there was such evidence of general disease.
After hearing the evidence the coroner directed the jury to return a verdict of death by natural causes, which they accordingly did. The coroner remarked that Dr DAYMOND'S character was completely exonerated from blame. Mr FANNIN, however, did not summon him. On the result of the inquiry being made public, the children of the charity schools, which are close to the court house, gave three cheers for Dr DAYMOND, and similar demonstrations subsequently took place in the usual quiet locality of Ormskirk.
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Liverpool Mercury, Oct 19th 1852
MELANCHOLY DEATH OF A ONCE WEALTHY CHEMIST
On Saturday an inquest was taken by Mr LANGHAM in the chaplain’s room of the Millbank Prison as to the death of Mr John DEANE, aged 62, who for many years had been a chemist and druggist in a most extensive way of business at Liverpool. It appears he was charged there at the last assizes for forging and uttering a bill of exchange, and being convicted and sentenced to 10yrs transportation, he was received in Millbank Prison on the 28th January and appeared most despondent from the position in which he was reduced, and the great respectability of his connections. On the 30th September he became much debilitated from loss of appetite and was taken to the Infirmary, but, he gradually sank and died on Friday morning. Mr RENDLE surgeon of the prison said, he was all along labouring under great despondency, he had every attention in the infirmary having, arrowroot, rice-pudding, wine, but, all was useless. Post mortem showed death was due to tubercular peritonitis. The unfortunate man had a great objection to communicate with his friends and Mr RENDLE had no doubt his mental anxiety had accelerated the disease, verdict - Natural Death.
Inquests
On Saturday morning, Michael BAKER, aged 47, a shoemaker, went to work in a shop in Clayton St, and complained of being unwell, he remained there till 7pm when he asked one of his workmen to open the door as he felt very ill and wanted fresh air. The man got up to do so, the deceased got up to follow him, when he suddenly fell backwards and expired. He had been suffering for some time with palpitations of the heart. A verdict of “Died by the visitation of God” was returned.
A man named Robert BAXTER, residing in Much Woolton, died on Friday last from injuries sustained by being run over on the 9th inst. The deceased got on one of HUEY’S omnibuses in Dale St to proceed to Much Woolton at about 7pm, he was intoxicated at the time, on reaching a place called BRAGG’S Houses, the deceased quarrelled with someone on the bus and said, he would go no further. He called the driver to stop, but, before the driver had time to rein in the horses he put his foot on the wheel and fell. The hind wheels passed over him and fractured both his legs severely, he was taken to the Royal Infirmary where he died on Friday last, verdict “Accidental death.” coroner said it was wrong for driver to allow anyone on the omnibus intoxicated.
A man names Thomas MELLING, a painter who followed his work up until Wednesday last, stopped at home on that day and complained of shortness of breath and palpitation of the heart. He grew worse till Saturday and would have no doctor to attend him. On Sunday a fellow lodger went into his bedroom and found him in a dying state, he raised him up in bed and he expired in his arms. A verdict of “Died by the visitation of God” was returned.
On Friday night last James MC NUTT, who was lodging at the house of Mr O’NEALE in Regent St, asked a fellow lodger to accompany him to meet the boat from Londonderry, as he was expecting a friend. They went to the Clarence Dock at about 7 and finding the boat would not arrive till about 10, they turned to go home, the deceased missed his footing and fell into the bed of the river, it being ebb-tide. He was taken to the Northern Hospital where he expired within a few minutes, verdict “Accidental death.”
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Liverpool Mercury Nov 30th 1852
Yesterday two inquest were held before H. H. STATHAM Esq Dept coroner
On the body of William SUTTON, aged 7mths, whose parents live in No2 court, Robert St, on Friday 12th instant the mother of the deceased was dressing him by the fire when he caught hold of a kettle of boiling coffee standing on the hob and pulled it over him. He was severely scalded on the lower part of the body and died on Friday last. Verdict "Accidental death."
On the body of Rachel BOUNER, aged 6, whose parents live at 47 Grenville St. On Friday morning the mother of the deceased went out, soon after she had gone a neighbour heard the child screaming, and found the child in flames, he wrapt his coat around her extinguishing the flames and took her to the Northern Hospital where she died soon after. Verdict "Accidental death."
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Liverpool Mercury, Dec 10th 1852
Melancholy accident on board a flat
At midnight on Wednesday last a melancholy occurrence, which resulted in the death of a man and a boy took place between one of the locks between the canal and the Stanley dock. The names of the sufferers were William HORROCKS, aged 40 and his son James aged 8. The man was a flatman on board the HANNAH, belonging to James WEBSTER, coal merchant, and at the time of the accident was along with his son, in bed in the forecastle. Rachael HORROCKS, aged 13, his daughter was also on board at the time. At 12midnight the attention of two flatmen, Richard THOMPSON and Edward ENOS, who were in the neighbourhood, was called to the girl crying for assistance. They discovered her on the flat up to her neck in water, the flat was rapidly sinking, the men promptly rescued the child but, there was no possibility of saving the lives of her father and brother, Information was immediately passed to some police officers and within half an hour the water in the lock was run off. The bodies of the deceased were found in the forecastle, cold and lifeless. The accident is supposed caused by the flat springing a leak, as she was very heavily laden with stone.
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