1823 Suicide Act (General)

by joss, Friday, April 25, 2008, 06:36 (6063 days ago) @ slowhands

Thanks for this, Slowhands. My gx3 grandfather, George Wiliam Pewtner b 1804 Whitchurch and d 4 Jun 1873, drowned himself in the Monnow in Monmouth. I have a newspaper article about the inquest, giving various grisly details about the finding of the body, that says he committed suicide whilst insane. I believe he is buried in Monmouth Cemetary, though no gravestone. This would fit in with what you say.
Someone told me that the "whilst insane" bit was a sort of get out clause to enable burial in consecrated ground, but from what you say it wasn't necessary, so perhaps he really was insane. Poor chap.

Joss