Thomas Fryer & Hester Bower, Mitcheldean (Parish Records)

by Mike Pinchin , Bedford, England, Monday, October 26, 2015, 19:04 (3309 days ago) @ charwinds

Here it is, hopefully free of the mangling inflicted by the BNA’s OCR software:-

BNA Gloucester Journal - Saturday 30 April 1842

Inquests— Recently taken by John Cooke, Esq. Coroner………………………………..At Mitcheldean, on the body of Richard Fryer, aged 48. The deceased, who was deaf and dumb, had been at work for Mr. Griffiths, of Ruardean, but latterly had been unable to follow his employment owing to the ill state of his health, he being in the last state of decline. A day or two before his death he expressed by signs, which were understood those about him, great anxiety to go his brother’s at Mitcheldean. This request was complied with, and he was removed there in a cart with great carefulness. Previously to starting, he repeated his wish to go, and intimated that it was that he might die there. This he expressed by elevating his hands as if in prayer, then placing them straight by his side, shutting his eyes and imitating the appearance of death. The result proved the accuracy of his presentiment. He arrived at his brother’s, without having apparently suffered much from the journey, but he had not been there more than half an hour, before he fell forward from a settle in which he was placed. He was caught by his brother’s wife, but in a few minutes afterwards he was a corpse. The inquest was held in consequence of the suddenness of the death and to elucidate certain rumours which were prevalent reflecting on his removal as having accelerated death, and as having been undertaken according to the cruel, and we hope now obsolete practice, but which was too prevalent under the old poor law system, of hurrying a dying creature from place to place in order that the death in a particular locality might not cause a burden to fall upon the parish. In this case, we are happy to say, the investigation proved that there was no foundation for any sinister suspicion whatever.