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Where did this death occur?

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MarcusHW
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 Jul 2021, 12:24

Where did this death occur?

Post by MarcusHW »

I've recently found an inquest on an online newspaper collection that I think might belong to an ancestor of mine. I'm trying to establish where the place of death (town/village) actually occurred based on the clues within the newspaper cutting. My ancestor lived in Shotteswell, Warwickshire, England close to town of Banbury on the Warwickshire and Oxfordshire border, but according to the cutting died elsewhere without stating where. I know I could order the death certificate to get this info, but finances are currently tight after Covid killed my job so that will maybe have to wait.

The cutting was taken from 'Jackson's Oxford Journal (Oxford, Oxfordshire, England)' published on 12 Feb 1848, and my assumption is that his place of death is either Oxford or Banbury. He was buried at Shotteswell on 7 Feb 1848.

From the clues within the cutting, can anyone help me identify the most likely place of death for my ancestor. I've copied the inquest newspaper report below, and underlined a few of the clues that I think may help someone who is more knowledgeable of that area than I am.

CORONER'S INQUEST. —An inquest was held on Friday last, before Wm. Hunt, Esq. deputy-coroner, at the Leathern Bottle, on the body of John Hawtin. of Shotteswell, who died at a beer house in Mill Lane, commonly known by the name of the Hope and Anchor. Wife and family of the deceased live at Shotteswell, but it appeared that he had been in the habit of leaving his family and visiting the house where he died for weeks together. He went to the Theatre on the evening previous to his death where he saw the theatrical illustration of Cruikshank's celebrated work, The Bottle;" he went out during the performance and on his return was intoxicated and coming down the Theatre stairs he fell on his head and was assisted to his lodgings (they must be close to the Theatre I assume). The next morning (Friday) he was discovered in a fit in bed; he endeavoured to speak but could not, and in a short time breathed his last. Fully exemplifying in reality what he had seen the shadow of, that the Bottle bad done its work Mr. Douglas, surgeon, who was fetched, and had examined the deceased, gave his opinion that death was caused from apoplexy from excessive drinking, accelerated by the fall at the Theatre, and a verdict was returned accordingly.

Many thanks in advance for your help
jonwarrn
Posts: 313
Joined: 03 Jul 2020, 19:49

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by jonwarrn »

Death was registered in Banbury registration district.
Burials of some others with the same GRO reference (March qtr 1848, volume 16 page 8) at Banbury St. Mary in the month of March.
There was a Mill Lane in Banbury.
1847 PO Directory has William Scott at the "Leathern Bottle" in Bridge street North, Banbury.
Also in Banbury
Theatre, Church lane (is that the one?)

John Hawtin died in Banbury.
And another report of the sad affair in the Banbury Guardian, 10 Feb 1848 (J Hawtin). Don't have access.
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AdrianBruce
Posts: 358
Joined: 14 Jun 2020, 18:57
Location: South Cheshire

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by AdrianBruce »

The Banbury Guardian report is almost identical to the OJ one - if anything, bits are missed - e.g. what the performance was.

As not quite indicated above, the FreeBMD reference is:
Deaths Mar 1848
HAWTIN John Banbury 16 8

FreeBMD then allows us to find the details of Banbury Reg District (RD) on https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/banbury.html. Oxford is not in this RD - it has its own RD - see https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/oxford.html. Because deaths are registered in the RD covering where they occur, it follows that the death could not have been in Oxford.
Adrian Bruce
jonwarrn
Posts: 313
Joined: 03 Jul 2020, 19:49

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by jonwarrn »

AdrianBruce wrote: 20 Jul 2021, 20:19 FreeBMD then allows us to find the details of Banbury Reg District (RD) on https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/banbury.html.
Death certainly could not have been in Oxford, but from the long list of parishes there we can also see that a death registered in Banbury RD does not necessarily mean it occurred in the town of Banbury! Hence the rambling round Banbury in the PO Directory. Wouldn't have thought many of those other places were likely to have had a theatre though!

I don't have full access to many newspapers, certainly not the Banbury Guardian. Those kind of reports were often circulated around different newspapers, often appearing with (usually) minor variations. The report in the BG was printed before the (better?) one in the OJ.
VALLMO9
Posts: 757
Joined: 13 Jun 2020, 21:28

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by VALLMO9 »

Not a confirmation of death location, but TNA has this interesting 1855 record which mentions John Hawtin, his daughters (Mary and Judith), and his maternal grandfather Edward Goode:

"Assignment of mortgage and deed of partition from Thomas Draper of Banbury, gent., to Timothy Rhodes Cobb of Banbury, banker, by direction of William Washbrook of Shotteswell, yeoman, and Mary his wife, late Mary Hawtin (who intermarried in 1848 at Shotteswell) and William Simon Stranks of Warmington, grocer, and Judith his wife, late Judith Hawtin (who intermarried 20 December 1853 at Banbury), in consideration of £230 and £50, of a messuage and 14 acres in Shotteswell now to be divided into two, which property was that of John Hawtin, father of the said Mary and Judith, from his maternal grandfather Edward Goode. Agreement by William Washbrook and Mary his wife to produce deeds if requested, 11th June 1855".

Link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov. ... a19fd4b3cf
avaline
Posts: 77
Joined: 13 Jun 2020, 23:23

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by avaline »

Banbury Guardian of 8 May 1845 and 19 Nov 1846 both mention the Hope and Anchor, Mill Lane, a beer shop of which William Watts was the keeper. There are other mentions of William Watts, beer house keeper of Mill Lane, and also his wife, Catherine, (usually court appearances) where the name of the establishment isn't given.

The Banbury Guardian 16 & 23 May 1844 mention a sale by auction of freehold premises at the bottom of Mill Lane, Banbury used as a Beer House and Cottage. The house - occupied by Mr W Watts - consisted of 7 bedrooms, parlour, tap room, cellar & other conveniences. The cottage - occupied by Mrs Sanders - consisted of a sitting room, back kitchen, 2 bedrooms, an an attic. The sale was by the executors of the late Richard Sanders of Wroxton
MarcusHW
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 Jul 2021, 12:24

Re: Where did this death occur?

Post by MarcusHW »

Many thanks everyone for your help, it does seem that everything is pointing to my ancestor's death taking place in Banbury, Oxfordshire. All the extra info you have found provides further confirmation and the fact the the death was registered in the Banbury obviously precludes Oxford - why didn't I spot that?
I have also managed to find a match for the surgeon who attended my ancestor, in the 1851 census, which adds further weight to Banbury.

The info found on the TNA website was really helpful, as it encouraged me to delve a bit further, finding info confirming earlier generations.

Thank you all very much.
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