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: The Cardiff Times, Saturday 16 September 1882, page 2
HAVERFORDWEST. CORONER’S INQUEST
Last Monday afternoon Mr W. Vaughan James and a jury, of which Mr Councillor Cole was foreman held an inquest at the Navy Inn, touching the death of Mr John White, a shipwright employed in the dockyard, who died on board the hospital ship Nankin on Sunday morning, from injuries received by falling into the dry dock on the 24th of last month.
From the evidence it appeared that the deceased was going on board the Edinburgh ironclad shortly after dinner, when the ladder, which was not the proper gangway of the ship, suddenly swerved, and threw him into the granite dock beneath, a distance of about 17 feet.
No blame was attached to anyone, as the ladder had been placed there for the men working on the stage, for their own convenience. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
From: the Cardiff Times, 09 November, 1872, page 6
EXTRAORDINARY DEATH OF A SEAMAN
An inquest was held at Cosheston, on Monday, before Mr. T. H. Rowe, on the body of James Griffiths, mate on board the Heroine, of Milford, who was suffocated by the fumes of charcoal on board his ship. It appeared that deceased, who was a sober, careful man, was left on board ship overnight, and was found dead in his cabin on the following morning. There was a stove in the cabin, and several bags of charcoal, which was part of the ship’s cargo, were stowed away in the room where deceased slept.
It is surmised that deceased must have lighted fire in the stove before going to sleep, but in the absence of proof to this effect, the jury returned the following verdict: That deceased died from the effects of ignited charcoal, but there is no evidence to show how it became ignited.
from: The Taunton Courier and Western Adviser, Wednesday 16 August, 2023. Retrieved 16 November, 2023
Rich Woman’s Death From Starvation
Story of Marriage Proposal At Inquest
A woman who owned much property, yet died of starvation, was the subject of an inquest at Haverfordwest, (Pembrokeshire), on Friday. She was Lillian Victoria Lloyd (46), a spinster. it was stated that Miss Lloyd had lived alone in a large house, since the death of her mother, last January.
A milkman reported to the police that there was no reply to his knocking on two successive days,. When the house was forcibly entered, Miss Lloyd was found lying on her bed, looking frightened, and in a feeble condition. She died from starvation, soon after her admission to hospital. Gilbert Hall, an inmate of the Haverfordwest Institution, said he frequently visited Miss Lloyd, to lend her any possible assistance. She wanted him to marry her.
“Death from starvation” was the verdict.
**Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcription for ease and speed of reading.
1882,HAVERFORDWEST CORONER’S INQUEST, Cardiff Times, Saturday 16 September 1882. Retrieved 01 November 2023, from britishnewspaperarchive
1872, EXTRAORDINARY DEATH OF A SEAMAN, Cardiff Times, 09 November 1972. Retrieved 28 November 2023 from britishnewspaperarchive
1933, RICH WOMAN’S DEATH FROM STARVATION, Taunton Courier and Western Adviser, Wednesday 16 August 1933. Retrieved 17 October 2023 from britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
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So many sad stories in the old newspapers. Unfortunately they seemed to focus on shock quite often. I’m trying to find some happier stories.
This definitely would have been an Occ Health and Safety Issue today, Anne.
some very sad cases. I find I learn a lot about life in general when reading inquests. Frequently there is a reluctance to assign blame it seems in the Victorian era – for example I think there would have been blame assigned for the unsafe ladder these days.
I agree, more to the stories than the brief news articles cover. So sad, all of them — and such disparate circumstances.
It would be a dreadful job, for sure.
I’m sure there is more behind the stories in the old newspaper. Unfortunately we don’t always get the full detail
Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but all these stories suggest to me there must be more behind them. Aren’t they kind of weird?
I don’t envy the coroners their job… so many sad cases.