Buried Stories
Page 3

​

​

Private Thomas Kelsall -3rd Manchester Rifle Volunteers

Private Thomas Kelsall aged 19 years, of the 3rd Manchester Rifle

Volunteers, son of Joseph & Catherine Kelsall died 17th July 1862.

He was interred in the Manchester General Cemetery on

Sunday 20th July 1862 with Military Honours. 

A large procession headed by a twelve man firing party chosen 

from the same company which Thomas was a member of, 

were followed by the Regimental Band playing the

“Dead March in Saul”  preceded by four of his comrades

carrying his coffin followed by one hundred men of the

3rd Regiment, lead by Captains Ellis and Smith, Lieut. Hillkirk, 

Ensign Manley, Dr Dean of the 3rd Regiment and Dr Armstrong 

of the Ardwick Regiment. The morning coaches with the parents and relations

followed by the Rev.  A. B. Clarke,  Superintendent Mr Elliot and the Scholars and Teachers 

of the Schools. The Rector of Collyhurst read the funeral service and spoke very highly of Thomas’s moral character and attainments. The Sunday School Scholars sung a hymn at the grave side, after this the firing party commanded by Quartermaster Sergeant Heaton fired the usual volleys in the air. That same evening the Rev. A. B. Clarke gave a funeral sermon at St Oswald’s Church, Collyhurst to a large congregation where Thomas was member for almost ten years, asking them to follow the example set forth by the deceased, followed by Rev. Mr Busfield of St George’s Church alluding to Thomas’s religious writings and Biblical knowledge. Thomas is buried in the Church section of the Cemetery, as his death pre dates 1886, there are no records of his burial place in the Cemetery.  The Project has located his grave and a gravestone marks his grave.

​

Suicide by Drunkenness and Insanity

An inquest into the death of David Mallinson, a shoemaker was held at the Boar’s Head, Withy Grove on Wednesday 1st May 1850.  He was 56 years old and since the death of his wife the preceding July had been despondent.  Usually he was teetotal but at Easter he had gotten drunk and up until his death had been in a continual state of intoxication.  He went to his lodgings on Tuesday 30th April and said he was going to get some sleep and that by the next day he would be teetotal again.  He was found later that afternoon with a “comfortable” (possibly something like what would know as a duvet) tied tightly around his neck with the other end being tied to the balustrade on the stairs. When the “comfortable” was removed he showed small signs of life but it was too far gone for recovery to take place.  The jury returned a verdict of “temporary insanity” David Mallinson was buried on 5th May 1950 in a public grave at Manchester General Cemetery, public grave number Non Conformist 949,50.

 

Death by Paregoric

Jane Hibbert an infant aged two months died on Saturday 16th November 1850 having been given paregoric “for being very cross.”  Paregoric is also known a camphorated tincture of opium and was used for the treatment of diarrhoea.  Her mother bought a farthing’s worth and administered it at around 12.00 noon.  The does proved to be too powerful and Jane Hibbert died the same night.  The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and Mr Herford, the coroner severely reprimanded the child’s mother not only ofr want of care but also for having denied giving anything to her daughter.  Jane Hibbert was buried 23rd November 1850 in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester general Cemetery, grave number Non conformist 12389.

 

Death from Lack of Proper Medical Care

Catherine Berry a married woman aged 32 years, died on Wednesday 16th October 1850. Her inquest was held at the King’s Arms, Bloom Street, Salford and Mr Rutter was the coroner.  Two weeks prior to her death Catherine had given birth to her first child and for two days appeared to be doing very well.  She then thought she was getting a cold and at her request her husband approached a druggist who was highly recommended by her mother.  Medicine was sent several times but Catherine got worse and eventually Mr Edge, a Surgeon was summoned but despite his efforts she died. Edge testified that if professional medical advice had been sought at the early stage of the fever which caused her death, she would have recovered.  The jury returned a verdict of death from puerperal fever and from want of proper medical treatment.  Catherine Berry was interred 26th October 1850 in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester general Cemetery, grave number 53.

 

Death After Falling from a Window at Manchester Royal Infirmary

John McCann a 27 year old hawker died from fatal injuries after falling from a window on the top storey fronting Portland Street at Manchester Royal Infirmary on Friday 18th April 1851. His injuries were fatal and his death was caused by a puncture to the heart following a broken sternum.  He was being treated for inflammation and upon getting out of bed had caused enough disturbance to warrant the use of a straight jacket.  As this seemed to settle him it was deemed unnecessary to restrain him further.  At around 2.00am on the Friday morning the nurse had prepared his medicine but he spilled it instead of drinking it. Whilst the nurse was preparing a second dose he left the ward and entered another and then forced himself through a window. Following a search his dead body was found near the parapet of a cellar window.  The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. John McCann was interred in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery 20th April 1851, grave number Non Conformist 49.

 

Suffocated after being Buried alive

Patrick Gunn a Blacksmith was working with Thomas Oldknow together with their employer, Isaac Gradwell when he met with his death at about 11am on Saturday 3rd August 1850.  The men were excavating the foundations for a new smithy to be built in Liverpool opposite the old passenger railway station of the London and North Western Company.  The earth at one side of the excavation which was shared up and deemed to be safe suddenly fell upon and buried Patrick Gunn.  He was suffocated before his colleagues could find him.  Isaac Gradwell was also caught by the falling earth which left him stunned for a few moments but he escaped further injury.  The inquest was led by Mr Herford at Manchester Royal Infirmary and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death having satisfied themselves that the deceased and his workmates were sober.  Patrick Gunn was buried 7th August 1850 in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester general Cemetery grave number Non Conformist 56.

 

Died from Severe Burns

On Wednesday 14th August 1850, 14 year old Mary Ward, the daughter of a shopkeeper in Long Street was lighting a naphtha lamp. Naphthalene is a fuel made from crude oil or coal tar and today we know it is extremely dangerous when inhaled or ingested through the skin.  The lamp Mary Ward was lighting fell and ignited her clothing causing severe burns to her chest, arms and neck.  She lingered for more than a week and eventually succumbed on the morning of Friday 23rd August 1850.  The jury at her inquest led by Mr Herford returned a verdict of accidental death.  Mary ward was buried on 24th August 1850 in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery grave number Unknown 10934.

 

Death following a Severe Compound Leg fracture

On the evening on Monday 6th May 1850 George Wain, a labourer of 14 Garden Street, Manchester was carrying coals for his employer who was Mr Cox, at the White horse in Hanging Ditch.  He had only just started carrying the coals to the brewery pan when the accidents which lead to his death occurred.  He was found by Thomas Scott at the bottom of a flight of stairs with the basket of coals.  None of the coals were disturbed however George Wain’s leg appeared to be broken. He was taken by cab to Manchester royal Infirmary and explained that he was on the first landing carrying the basket in front of him when it caught on the side of the staircase causing him to fall.  His injury was severe and he soon became delirious and died on Saturday 11th May 1850. He was buried 14th May 1850 in a Non Conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery grave number Unknown 56. The jury at his inquest decided upon a verdict of accidental death.

 

Scalded to Death

Mary Louisa Rowarth was only 13 months only when she died after being severely scalded.  She was the daughter of pipe maker, living in Collyhurst Road.  At breakfast time of Friday 28th February 1851 she pulled a cup of hot tea upon herself which scalded her face and neck.  Despite being treated at Manchester Royal Infirmary and with assistance being given, she died of her injuries.  She died 5th March 1851 and was buried on 9th March 1851 in a Non conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery, grave number Unknown 14578.  The jury at the inquest led by Mr Herford decided upon a verdict of accidental death.

 

Crushed to Death

On Thursday 1st August 1850, Thomas Wright was working at Messrs R. Charlton and Sons, Calenders (a calendar is a machine which pressed cloth or paper between large rollers to make it smooth or glossy) when he was heard screaming in the room in which he was working.  His workmates discovered he has slipped underneath the hydraulic press and was literally being crushed to death.  He was rescued as soon as possible and conveyed speechless to Manchester royal Infirmary.  He died in great suffering the following day from rupture of the intestines.  He was 15 years old.  A verdict of accidental death was reached at an inquest led by Mr Herford.  Thomas Wright was buried at Manchester general Cemetery 4th August 1850 in grave number Unknown 10934, a Non Conformist public grave.

 

Death by Typhus Fever aggravated by Neglect

Thomas  Edge aged 40 years died in the Manchester workhouse on Friday 1st August 1851.  His occupation was overlooker and he lived at 5 Smith’s Court, Back Cotton Street.  He first became ill 23rd July when he complained for head and stomach ache.  Mr Lees a doctor from Jersey Street, was called and took a pint and a half of blood.  He became worse and his conditioned worsened. Subsequently the wound opened and his daughter returned from work to find her father “swimming in blood,”  Mr Lees was summoned again but did not come and Thomas’s children were left to attend to the wound best they could.  Mr Lees was called again but he never paid a second visit to the patient.  On Wednesday 30th July Mr Bennett, surgeon from Ardwick Dispensary attended Thomas Edge and got him admitted to the Manchester Workhouse where he died.  Mr Bennett told the inquest that Thomas edge had Typhus fever and bleeding was not required and would be inappropriate for Typhus Fever.   Mr Lees however did say the deceased had all the indications of inflammation and needed to be bled.  He was having an epileptic fit and had a pulse of 120 Mr Lees said he was certain he did not have Typhus Fever.  The jury at the inquest presided over by Mr Herford returned a verdict of death by Typhus Fever aggravated by neglect.  Thomas Edge was interred in Manchester general Cemetery in a Non Conformist public grave 4th August 1851 grave number 3.

 

Another Death by Intoxication

The inquest into the death of Thomas Fearnett, aged 47 years, who lived at Naylor Street, off Oldham Road returned a verdict of death from apoplexy due to excessive drinking.  The inquest was told that at around 4.00pm on the day of his death Thomas Fearnett, already drunk, went to the Yorkshire house, Pinmill Brow and was served with spirits and ale. At 8.00pm in the evening he was found asleep in the tap room and it was impossible to wake him and so he remained asleep for another hour and a half.  He was then found to have a rattle in his throat and started vomiting so was put outside in the street.  He lay there until a policeman who was passing by discovered him and found him to be dead.  Thomas Fearnett was buried in a Non Conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery, Unknown 12389 Friday 6th December 1850.

 

Horrible Workplace Death

William Buerdsell was 35 years old, single and lived with his sister

at 40 Hannah Street, Collyhurst.  He had worked for the

Irkdale Calico Printing Company for five years.  On the day of

his death Saturday 26th February 1898, his duty was to

superintend the pump which pumped dirty water out of a settling

tank or culvert.  William went into work at 6.00 am and as part of

his job he had to enter the culvert via manhole to stir up mud. 

The culvert was 30 yards long and he would have to walk 15-20

yards to do this and it would have to be done twice a week.

William was last seen alive at 6.40am.  By 8.40am the breakfast

John Mellor, the foreman not seeing him realised something

was wrong and went to pump and found William’s clogs. 

John Mellor had presumed William had entered the culvert

wearing wading boots and imitated a search.  A fellow

workmate, William Drew found William Buerdsell’s body in

the water and brought it out.  He was badly scalded all over.

It was noted his hands and face were scalded.  This was

due to the “kier” being blown off.  The “keir” held 800

gallons of boiling water and it was blown off three times

a day at 7.00 am, 10.00am and 1.00pm.  These times were

well known to the William.  The culvert varied in depth

from six feet to four and a half feet and the kier” was emptied into

it about 35 yards from the bottom end through a three inch pipe and

William Buerdsell had to stir the mud with his feet. The dirty water was pumped into the river.  There were settling tanks but the water could not be pumped into these but it could be pumped directly into the river. George Maxwell, a bleacher testified at the inquest that he blew off the “kier” at 7.00am and it contained boiling water and caustic soda.  He said William Buerdsell knew the times for the blowing off and that he had never known him to go into the culvert in the mornings. W H Drew went into the culvert at 9.15am; he found William dead 15 to 20 yards from the bottom dead, stating he had no trouble breathing when looking.  A verdict of Accidental death was recorded by the jury.  William Buerdsell was interred in Manchester General Cemetery 2nd March 1898 in grave Consecrated 1217.

​

Destitution and Death

An inquest was held on Friday, 22nd December 1854, presided over by Mr Herford, on the body of an Irishman. Alexander Reardon was aged 46 years and had been living in lodgings at 9 Walker Street, Hardman Street. He was a shoemaker. Witnesses reported that his circumstances were poor and that he had fasted for 3 days. He complained of weakness and his legs were dropsical. Dropsical is an old term for swelling of soft tissues due to excess water. The authorities, being alerted to his condition, gave assistance in the form of money, food and medicine. Upon his death, his neighbours surmised that he had not received proper and sufficient food. Mr Walker Golland, surgeon, testified that this was not the case and that Alexander Reardon was extensively diseased. His legs were dropsical and his liver was in a hardened condition likely caused by the drinking of spirits. There was an effusion of fluid in the chest and heart bag and the lungs were very congested. Mr Walker Golland considered the effusion of fluid to be the cause of his death. Alexander Reardon was buried in a Non Conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery on the 22nd December 1854.

 

Fatal Cart Accident

On Thursday, 2nd June 1853, Henry Thompson was brought before the magistrates at the City Police Court charged with causing the death of a child by running him over with a cart. The accident occurred at around 4.00 p.m. the day previous when Henry Thompson was driving his cart behind Osborne Terrace, Rochdale Road to fetch a load of bricks. It was reported that he was sitting low down in the cart and could only see the horse not the ground and the deceased child was knocked down by the horse and then the cart rode over him. The deceased was a little boy, aged 2 years and 3 months, called Alfred Lord, son of John Lord, a mechanic, living at 376 Osborne Terrace, Rochdale Road.

An inquest had been opened on Friday, 3rd June at St George’s Tavern, Rochdale Road by Mr Herford. Witnesses testified that Henry Thompson seemed quite sober and was very sorry for what had happened. It appeared that the child ran across in front of the cart and when passersby started shouting, Henry Thompson stood up and pulled on the reins but it was too late to prevent the accident. The child was taken home by his mother but died the same night. The inquest was adjourned because the jury inquired where Henry Thompson was. Persons accused of causing the death of others were permitted to attending the inquest but Henry Thompson hasn’t been allowed to.

Alfred Lord was interred at Manchester General Cemetery in a Non Conformist public grave on Sunday, 5th June 1853.

 

Fatal Accident with a Grocer’s Cart

Ann Latchford, aged 2½ years, was killed on Wednesday, 3rd May 1854 by a fall of a cask of sugar in the street near her home. She was the child of a warper living at 26 Rivald Street. A handcart belonging to Mr Stocks, a grocer, of 42 Oldham Road was stopped at the door of Mr Ackerley’s shop. The lad in charge of the cart, Samuel Freeman, had taken care to set the cart against the kerb stones and to fix a piece of wood between the wheel and the shaft resting on the ground to ensure the cart was steady whilst he removed one of the casks. Another child removed the piece of wood and the cart moved and fell over. A sugar cask rolled out and crushed Ann Latchford’s head. Mr Herford presided over the inquest held at his offices in Ridgfield and passed a verdict of accidental death. Mr Stocks promised that the prop or wooden stay of the cart would be fastened in the future to prevent it being so easily displaced. Ann Latchford was buried at Manchester General Cemetery on Sunday, 7th May 1854 in a Non Conformist public grave.

 

Boys’ Brigade Burial

On Saturday, 30th January 1909, Private Arthur Lord of the 11th Manchester Company of the Boys’ Brigade was interred in grave number Consecrated 1284. He was 14 years old and had succumbed to an attack of typhoid fever. He was well known as a lightweight boxer and had given his services to charity on many occasions. Approximately 40 officers and boys marched to his funeral at Manchester General Cemetery, each carrying a white flower to be placed on his grave. Following his interment a squad of buglers sounded the “Last Post”.

 

Workhouse Death

Charlotte Bowker, who was buried at Manchester General Cemetery on Saturday, 31st January 1857 in a public grave in one of the Non Conformist plots, died at Manchester Workhouse. She was 58 years old. She had been admitted to the workhouse on 20th May 1826 so at the time of her death had been an inmate for 30 years, during which her maintenance had cost £300, at a rate of £10 per annum.

 

Death of an Illegitimate New Born

An inquest was held into the death of the illegitimate daughter of Ann Smith on Wednesday, 21st February 1855 presided over by Mr Herford. Ann Smith of 75 Angel Street had given birth to the child in the early hours of Tuesday, 20th February after an hour’s illness and before the midwife arrived. At around 9.00 a.m. the same morning she had brought her baby downstairs and asked a woman to look at it to see if it was dead. On examination the child was found to be dead and its lips and ears were very black. Witnesses reported that the child had been heard crying loudly but that her mother may not have heard being very deaf. She was also deficient intellectually. She had made no preparation for the birth and although advised to go into the workhouse to give birth had refused to do so. Due to the black appearance of the child’s lips and ears, strangulation was suspected as a cause of death. Mr Evan Thomas conducted a post mortem and said that it was his opinion that the cause of death was apoplexy of the brain due to cold and this did not imply any blame on the mother. A verdict of “died from exposure to cold” was returned. The unnamed child was interred on  Tuesday, 27th February 1855 in a public grave in one of the Non Conformist plots.

 

Death by Natural Causes

An inquest was held on Monday, 22nd January 1855, by Mr Edward Herford, the City Coroner in to the body of 4 year old Patrick Fox. He lived at Back Queen Street. A post mortem had been held, the conclusion of which was that no cause of disease could be found except for some minor irritation of the stomach lining which could have been caused by disease or some irritant poison. A white deposit had been found in the stomach which was tested but there were no signs of arsenic. Patrick’s mother said he had been “seized with purging” and she went to Mr Robb’s who gave her some brown and white powder which she administered. She said she thought it had done some good. She applied to Dr Scott’s assistant (Dr Scott attended her husband) but he said he couldn’t attend the boy without a note. She then went to find an alternative doctor but before he arrived her son was dead. The inquest returned a verdict of death by natural causes. Patrick Fox was interred at Manchester General Cemetery on the 25th January 1855 in a Non Conformist public grave.

 

 

Death of a Child under Suspicious Circumstances

On Tuesday, 2nd January 1844, an inquest was held by the Borough Coroner, Mr James Chapman, at The Bull’s Head, Collyhurst concerning the death of a female child of Hannah Doyle of Bury. The father of the child, Michael Doyle, a shoemaker, was being held in custody on suspicion of having brutally caused the death of the child prompted by the belief the child was not his. Mr Wardleworth, a surgeon, conducted a post mortem and testified that the child have likely died of exposure to the cold having been removed from the Doyle’s home in Bury to a relative’s home in Collyhurst. The verdict of the jury was death from natural causes and Michael Doyle was released without charge.

Baby Doyle was buried in a public grave at Manchester General Cemetery on 4th January 1844. She was unnamed and was entered in the burial register as “the stillborn child of Michael Doyle”.

 

Determined Suicide

On Tuesday, 4th September 1849, a young woman by the name of Eliza Lindsay was passing by an old coal pit on Bradford Road which belonged to Mr Porter, a coal proprietor. She noticed a man busily assembling a plank across the rails which surround the open top of the pit. He then mounted the plank and deliberately jumped down the mine. In a very frightened state she raised the alarm and Mr Porter’s foreman descended into the pit to recover the body. The dead man, identified as Jacob Richards, was found at the bottom of the pit which was 28 yards deep. His body was described as being “smashed to pieces” when it was recovered. Jacob Richards was a 28 year old joiner who lived at Edward Street, Oldham Road. He was married and the father of two children. Evidence was presented to the Coroner, Mr Rutter, that Jacob was labouring under temporary insanity induced by rheumatic fever and had only just been discharged from Manchester Royal Infirmary. He had been a patient there for three weeks when he was admitted for a previous suicide attempt. The verdict of suicide was returned. Jacob Richards was interred at Manchester General Cemetery on 6th September 1849 in a public grave in one of the Non Conformist plots.

 

Fatal Accident at the New Borough Gaol

William Ryley (Riley) was working as a labourer on the construction of the New Borough Gaol, Gorton in the employ of Mr Bellhouse. His usual occupation was a spindle and fly maker but due to a shortage of work had been doing labouring work. On the afternoon of Friday, 7th July 1848, he was working at the top of the hoisting crane, a large piece of machinery used for lifting heavy stone. Somehow he lost his footing and fell to the ground on to his head. Still alive he was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary but having sustained concussion to the brain he died almost immediately after his arrival. An inquest was held which returned a verdict of accidental death. William Ryley (Riley) was buried in a public grave at Manchester General Cemetery on the

11th July 1848.

 

Miserable Destitution and Death by Fire

An inquest was held on the body of a young woman on Monday, 18th April 1853 by Mr Herford. Elizabeth Mason, aged 21 years and single, died of burns. Elizabeth, along with her brother and sister, had been warming themselves at Thomas Ambrose’s smithy in Barton Street. Mr Ambrose had felt pity for them knowing they were destitute. At about 4.00 p.m. on 7th April, Elizabeth Mason had been lying on the hob about a foot and a half away from the fire. As he was about to start work on hammering a piece of red hot iron he turned around and saw that the girl’s clothes had caught fire. He cried out and the girl jumped up and began running around. He tried to put the fire out but was unable to do so. She ran out into the street and some woman put out the fire after pulling most of her clothes off. She was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary but died there last Sunday, 17th April. Elizabeth Mason’s mother stated that her daughters and son had sold all her goods and she had left them to fend for themselves. Mr Ambrose, the smithy, said they had refused to work and added that the deceased woman had been “upon the town” since her childhood. “Upon the town” is an expression meaning a disgrace. Elizabeth Mason was interred in a non-conformist public grave at Manchester General Cemetery on 19th April 1853.

 

Death in Unusual Circumstances

James Hordern, a 53 year old fustian cutter, who lived at 47 Lombard Street was found lying in Medlock Street, Downing Street on Tuesday, 8th March 1853, in a helpless state. As he smelt very strongly of rum, he was taken to Fairfield Street Police Station and was placed in a reserve room. After about an hour and half he had recovered enough to give the police an address. However the police were unable to find his home so sent him to the workhouse. The workhouse would not accept him on account of him being drunk so he was taken back to the police station and put back into the reserve room. Whilst he was there he was badly behaved and removed all of his clothes so was taken to a cell. Later on the police found him naked lying on the stone flags of the cell. They got him dressed and gave him a coat. Next morning he was taken to the Borough Court but was apparently stupefied with cold. They placed him near the fire in the court house and he seemed to revive. An order was given for his removal to the workhouse. He did not recover and died there.

Mr Evan Thomas, the surgeon at the workhouse, said at the inquest he had a wound over the right eyebrow which might have been caused by falling on to the stone flags and his skull was indented but not broken. In his brain, four ounces of blood has extravasated and the brain itself was in the early stages of softening.  His stupefaction would have probably been caused by the injuries to the brain and would resemble the symptoms of being drunk. However, the police should not have assumed he was drunk and should have sought medical advice sooner meaning there would have been a chance of recovered. The inquest jury, presided over by Mr Herford, returned a verdict of death by disease to the brain aggravated by neglect of procuring medical attendance. James Hordern was interred at Manchester General Cemetery on 11th March 1853 in a non-conformist public grave.

 

Death of an Old Woman by Brutal Violence

On Monday, 22nd May 1854, an old man by the name of Michael Cosgrove, aged 75 years, was charged in the City Police Court of causing the death of Elizabeth Hamilton, a widow, aged 65 years. Michael Cosgrove kept a lodging house at 10 Mount Street, Fairfield Street and Elizabeth Hamilton resided there.

Between 6.00 a.m. and 7.00 a.m., a witness called Ann Moors who lodged in the same house, heard a noise coming from the room occupied by Michael Cosgrove and his wife. She ran into the room and saved his wife from being throttled by Michael Cosgrove. There was an oven-plate lying on the bed which he picked up and threw at his wife which hit her on the neck. The two woman left the room and went downstairs. Ann Moors went back upstairs to get dressed and heard Michael Cosgrove arguing with his wife. He had a bottle in his hand and was saying “I am going to murder her with this bottle”. He followed Ann Moors in to the room she shared with the deceased woman, Elizabeth Hamilton, and another woman called Margaret Moran. The deceased woman, Elizabeth Hamilton, who was disabled was getting dress and Ann Moors told Michael Cosgrove to leave the room. He did so and went downstairs where he had another argument with his wife. He returned back to the room where the women were getting dressing and accused Elizabeth Hamilton of causing trouble between him and his wife. He hit her and she retaliated with her crutch. He grabbed the crutch from her and hit her again. He then took a lath from one of the bedsteads and began furiously beating her with it. When she was almost lifeless he pretended to attempt to take his own life by cutting his throat but he was careful not to injure himself.

 Mr Barlow, the surgeon at Pinmill Brow was summoned and Elizabeth Hamilton was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary where she died at 8.00 p.m. that same day. Mr Herford held an inquest on her body where the cause of death was due to the rupture of some vessels in the brain caused by the violence inflicted by Michael Cosgrove. The court found him guilty of wilful murder.

Elizabeth Hamilton was buried at Manchester General Cemetery on 23rd May 1854 in one of the non-conformist public plots.

 

Intemperance - a Fatal Result

At 6 Joddrell Street on Tuesday 17th July 1855, shortly before 1am a Police Officer was summoned to the residence of the elderly Joseph Mountain who was found dead in a pool of blood. Present in the home was his wife, with their daughter and son-in-law, who lived across the road along with a surgeon’s assistant who had just arrived.

Mrs Mountain was quickly taken into custody where she made two differing statements.

Her first statement stated her husband arrived home drunk and had been in a fight outside where he had received a kick. Another statement, she said her husband came home, ran upstairs to fetch a chair for pawning to buy liquor. He threw the chair down the stairs and fell down after it cutting his head in the process.  This was about 5.00 pm. on the Monday afternoon. It was noted that Mrs Mountain gave no report to the police on these events nor told her daughter. That same evening at 8.30 pm. she called upon her daughter and her son-in-law, they went out and were together until around 11.00 pm.  During that time Mrs Mountain had not mentioned her husband but at around 12.30 am. she went back to her daughter’s house and told her that her husband was dead. Her daughter and son-in-law went back home with her and found Joseph Mountain lying dead near the fireplace.

A witness, 12 year old Owen Ryan, said that between 5.00 pm. and 6.00 pm., whilst playing outside, he had seen Mrs Mountain shove her husband down the stairs and then kick him 2 or 3 times and then afterwards his daughter kicked him a few times also.

 A post mortem was held by surgeon, Mr James Stephens, concluded that the cause of death was a fracture to the skull and a concussion of the brain. He was strongly convinced that the fall down the stairs had caused the fracture not any blunt instrument. Another witness said that she saw Joseph Mountain fall backwards down the stairs and his wife did not touch him. Evidence was also received that the deceased led a very overindulging drunken life and a verdict of “accidental death” was returned. Mrs Mountain and Mrs Clare (her daughter) were released from custody.

Joseph Mountain was buried at Manchester General Cemetery on Saturday, 21st July 1855 in Non Conformist Public Grave 2.1

 

Suffocation by a Pea Squirt

A little five year old boy, James Edwards, son of a shoe maker residing George Leigh Street on Sunday 4th February 1849, was sat beside his Mother playing with a hollow tin tube, called a   ‘pea squirt,’inhaling peas through it into his mouth, when his observed him turning black in the face and appeared in distress.  Terrified his mother rushed him to the neighbour’s house, who advised her to take him to the nearest surgeon. Another neighbour advised the Infirmary.

Having rushed him to the Infirmary he was immediately attended on his admission, by the house Surgeon, but died almost immediately, due to a pea having lodged in his throat and caused him to suffocate.  An inquest was held the next day on the child by Mr Roberts, Deputy Coroner. A Jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death”James Edwards was buried at the Manchester General Cemetery on Wednesday 7th February in Non Conformist Public Grave 26.

 

Accidental Scalding

On the evening of Saturday 7th July 1855, the 10 month old child Mary Jane Oddy, daughter of an engineer on Ashton Road was lying on the sofa next to the table was badly scalded by a cup of hot cup of coffee when she dragged it from the table, where her mother had placed it whilst she left to close the door.  She succumbed to her injuries on the Sunday night having been so badly scolded. A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’was returned. Mary Jane Oddy was buried in the Manchester General Cemetery on Thursday 12th July 1885 in Non Conformist Public Grave 2.1

 

Burial by Deception

Police Inspector Clayton requested an order of exhumation on Ralph Tharmes, a child of fourteen days, son of single mother Mary Alice Tharmes of 21 Abel Street, after receiving information reached him in regards to a death and burial of the infant.  It was stated at the inquest held at the Queens Hotel, Queens Road that Two women Harriet Brown and Mary Alice Tharmes took the infant to a surgeon Mr E. Lee, stating neither of them were the mother.