Sudden Deaths and Inquests from the Longtown area
From the Carlisle Journal (CJ) and Carlisle Patriot (CP) Newspapers
1843-1845
October 7th 1843 CP
Fatal Accident
On Wednesday night as a son of Mr William Irving of the Carwhinlay Saw Mill near Longtown aged 21 was leaping from a cart in which he had been riding with Mr J Graham of Hallees, his foot caught and he fell heavily on his head, which caused instant death. An inquest was about to be held on the body.
January 13th 1844 CP
Sudden Death
At Reaburnside, near Arthuret on Sunday last, Jane Beaty, wife of Mr George Beaty, farmer, died suddenly. The deceased, who was in her 30th year, had been attending divine worship at Holywell Chapel, and afterwards walked home - a distance of 2 miles; but shortly after her arrival, she dropped down and instantly expired.
The woman was seen to die by her friends and relatives, and there was no suspicion of violence, accident or poison, or other cause, but nevertheless, Mr Carrick held an inquest, and “no mistake”; the jury returned a verdict of died by the visitation of God.
February 3rd 1844 CP
An inquest was held at Longtown on the body of Jane, the infant daughter of George Edgar, labourer, aged 11 weeks, who was found dead about five o’clock in the morning by its mother.
An inquest was taken the same evening by Mr Carrick, coroner. Verdict - found dead in bed.
May 25th 1844 CP
An inquest was held at Pedder Hill on Tuesday last on the body of John Law, servant to Mr John Johnston of that place. The deceased, who was in his 43rd year, met his death from an accidental kick from a mare.
Verdict accordingly. Deodand 1s.
September 13th 1844 CP
Fatal Accident at Longtown
On Thursday the 5th inst, David Wright, a boy aged 9 years, son of a weaver in Longtown, met with his death under the following circumstances. He had been flying a paper kite in the lane leading from Longtown to Netherby, with some of his playmates, when the kite became entangled in the branches of an ash tree, about 200 yards from the town.
The deceased, it appeared, climbed the tree to disengage it, when the branch upon which he rested gave way, and he fell heavily upon his head from a height of twenty feet. He was killed upon the spot.
Inquest Verdict - accidental death.
October 18th 1844 CP
Inquest on the 2nd inst at Dykeside in the parish of Kirklinton, on the body of Bridget, the daughter of John McAnally, a child aged three years.
Verdict - accidentally burnt to death.
On the 11th inst an inquest was held on the body of Mrs Jardine of Bowness, Westmoreland, at the house of her son in law, Mr Peter Collinson, miller, Browhead, in the parish of Kirkandrews on Esk.
Verdict - Apoplexy
Another inquest was held on the 12th inst at Barclose, in the parish of Scaleby, on the body of Mr Thomas Ferguson, aged 51, who committed suicide by hanging himself.
Verdict - temporary insanity.
The deceased was in receipt of a pension of 2s 1d a day for twenty seven years service as corporal and sergeant in the 55th regiment of foot, and was the principal support of his aged mother.
November 22nd 1844 CP
Death From Wrestling
On Tuesday last an inquest was held at Brampton on the body of Robert Hobson, who was well known in the wrestling ring as a proficient in that manly sport, and who died on the Saturday previous.
It appeared that the deceased in company with a soldier in the Foot Guards proceeded to the Carlisle Hirings, and on his return home on Wednesday 13th inst he told his mother he had been wrestling somewhere in the neighbourhood of Carleton, and received some severe internal injuries.
Proper remedies were applied, but inflammation of the chest came on, and the patient lingered until Saturday morning, when he expired. Verdict accordingly.
December 13th 1844 CP
Fatal Accident at Canonbie Colliery
On Wednesday morning a young man between 16 and 17 years of age, from the neighbourhood of Hawick, of the name of Scott, came along with his father to Canonbie Colliery for coals, where they arrived before day break.
The young man being very cold when they got there, and seeing a fire on the embankment, leapt off the cart and made his way to it. The fire being on the opposite side of the pit from the direction he was coming from, some one cried out to him, but too late, for in another moment he stept into the mouth of the shaft, and was precipitated to the bottom. The pitmen being already down, the body was got out immediately but life was already extinct.
The feelings of the father who was on the spot, may be more readily conceived than described.
January 30th 1845 CP
Inquest on the 25th inst on the body of John Little of Guards Mill, who died suddenly the previous day. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased, who was 65 years of age, was in the habit of lying down for a short time after dinner, and on the day in question, on being called to attend someone in the mill, he was found dead.
Verdict - died by the visitation of God.
The deceased was brother to James Little Esq. Provost of Annan.
February 14th 1845 CP
On the 11th inst an inquest was held before Mr Lee, deputy coroner, at the Workhouse of the Longtown Union on the body of Jane McGregor, a Scotch mendicant, aged 82 years: but the investigation did not elicit anything to show the immediate cause of her death, which was supposed to proceed from old age.
The deceased had been admitted into the house on Friday afternoon last, and was found dead in her bed on the morning of Monday.
September 12th 1845 CP
An inquest was held this week at Longtown by Mr Lee, deputy coroner, on the body of David Baxter, farmer at Dashelgreen in the parish of Arthuret, who suddenly dropped down dead while in conversation with Mr John Graham of Oakshawhill. The deceased was 56 years of age, and the jury, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict of - died by the visitation of God.
October 24th 1845 CP
Fatal Accident
On Monday night last, as Mr William Johnstone of Stonehouse near Longtown, one of the guardians of the parish of Arthuret, was returning home about half past eight o’clock, with a horse and cart, he missed his road and drove over an embankment into the river Lyne, within a short distance of his own house.
The river was much swollen at the time, owing to the late rains, and both man and horse were drowned. The body was found next morning, hanging upon a weir that crosses the river at that point, within a few yards of the place where the accident occurred, and the horse and cart lay a short distance lower down the river.
An inquest was subsequently held upon the body, and a verdict of “accidental death” recorded.
December 5th 1845 CP
Death from a Shot-gun Wound
An inquest was held at Sowerby-Hill Head in the parish of Bewcastle, on the evening of Tuesday week, before William Carrick Esq. coroner, on the body of Robert Telford, labourer, aged 24 years, who was accidentally shot by his uncle on that day, whilst they were in pursuit of game. Verdict accordingly.
