The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate, by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B, April 3 will be C, and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been published. Blog posts are usually on a theme, or you can choose to post each day with no theme at all. My theme for 2024 is “Haverfordwest in the News”. Haverfordwest is a town in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
from: Cardiff Times, Saturday 11 April 1896, page 5
SAD DEATH AT HAVERFORDWEST
A Woman Bleeds To Death
On Tuesday evening, Mr. James Price, Coroner, held an inquest on the body of Mrs. Drakeford, widow, of Merlin’s Hill, Haverfordwest, who died under sad circumstances on Monday night. From the evidence given, it appeared that the deceased had for some time suffered from a wound in her leg. On the evening of her death, her daughter went out about 5.30, leaving her mother in the house in her usual health.
A few hours later, a little girl entered the house and found the deceased trying to stop the blood which was flowing from the wound in her leg. The deceased told the girl to call a neighbour, and when the neighbour came, the deceased told her she was just fainting from loss of blood. A few minutes after she swooned; and a doctor was sent for, but the deceased died before he arrived.
Dr. Brigstocke said he was summoned to the deceased on Monday night. He immediately went to see her and found her quite dead. In his opinion, she died from loss of blood. The jury returned a verdict accordingly.
From: The Western Mail, Wednesday 9 June 1926, page 5
Death of D. Phillips, Haverfordwest
The death occurred on Tuesday, of Mr. William David Phillips, auctioneer, estate agent, and valuer of Haverfordwest, known throughout the county of Pembrokeshire, as “W.D.”
Notwithstanding his 79 years, he followed the otter hounds up to within a fortnight of his death. A sportsman in every way, he was a splendid walker, swimmer and gunshot, a keen cyclist, and possessed a beautiful tenor voice. He was also an expert at illuminated addresses, having executed some very fine specimens for Royalty, including the ex Kaiser. He leaves three daughters, and two son, The funeral takes place at Haverfordwest next Friday.
From: The South Wales Daily News, Wednesday 26 November 1902 page 7
Haverfordwest Farmer’s Death
Mr. Thomas John, a farmer, and haulier of Haverfordwest, was found on the roadside near his house, on Monday evening. He had been carting culm to his neighbours, and on the return journey must, in some unexplained way, have fallen from the cart. No one was with him at the time. At the inquest on Tuesday, it was stated that deceased’s neck was broken. A verdict of “accidental death” was returned.
*culm – a kind of coal
from: Dubbo Dispatch and Wellington Independant (NSW: 1887-1932), Tuesday 21 October 1913, page 2
Death of Dandy Pauper
The death has occurred at Haverfordwest of William Robert Harris, aged 90, who for 50 years was an inmate of the Haverfordwest Workhouse, and who was locally known as “the dandy pauper.” He was once a shopwalker in a large London drapery establishment. He never associated with the other inmates, and he was allowed to go out of doors wearing a frock coat and silk hat, and carried a silver-mounted stick, the gift of local tradespeople, whose windows he occasionally dressed.
Sources:
1896, ‘SAD DEATH AT HAVERFORDWEST’, Cardiff Times, Saturday 11 April 1896, page 11, retrieved 29 October 2023, britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
1926, ‘DEATH OF D. PHILLIPS, HAVERFORDWES’, The Western Mail, Wednesday 09 June 1926, page 5
1902 ‘HAVERFORDWEST FARMER’S DEATH’, The South Wales Daily News, Wednesday 26 November 1902, page, viewed 03 January 2024, britishnewspaperarchve.co.uk
1913 ‘THE “DANDY PAUPER.’, Dubbo Dispatch and Wellington Independent (NSW : 1887 – 1932), 21 October, p. 2. , viewed 09 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226991712
* Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcription for ease and speed of reading.
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I would also love to know what caused that wound. I did wonder if it might be a dog bite from one of the many dogs that were in Haverfordwest – See Post C.
I think the wonder dresser would have a story to tell for sure. Even that small snippet was more than interesting. I thought the same when I read “quite dead”.
Interesting and unusual deaths. I’m wondering what caused the wound in the woman’s leg.
So much interesting terminology in these death notices: culm, illuminated addresses, and “quite dead” to describe the deceased woman. Would not quite dead mean alive, I wonder? I was particularly fascinated by the window dresser who lived in the workhouse. Very curious about the rest of his story!
I know what you mean Liz. Thanks for visiting.
I would love to know that too Torie.
The death notices in old newspapers can certainly bring up some surprises
In that first one, I kept reading “deceased” doing things, and thought, “not the proper word here”. Kind of, but not really.
I love the way things are phrased in these older articles. However, I’m now dreadfully curious about how that poor woman injured her leg so badly!
Those are some unusual deaths.
I loved this one Anne, especially his title
an interesting collection – I am glad the dandy pauper got to keep and use his prized possessions
They are for sure Debby.
I was stumped by culm too Jill. I’ve never heard of that word. Definitely a slow news day in Dubbo I would think.
What an entertaining post. I so enjoy the language of the past used in these articles.
I had a trip to the dictionary to determine the meaning of culm and wondered if Dubbo was haveing a bad news day.
I find the old obituaries fascinating to read.