Deaths in a Water Tank
It's not often that we hear of a death in a water tank. And even rarer that we hear of two. Perhaps because, nowadays, most water tanks hold about 10 litres for use in our water closets. Or perhaps because many of us no longer live or work on farms or factories.
But then I listened to the GenealogyGems podcast from 8 December 2014. Lisa Louise Cooke stumbled upon the sad story of her husband's great-grandmother, Mary Ann Cooke of Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The newspaper report on 21 August 1908 of her coroner's inquest noted that she had been suffering for some years from her nerves. Her neighbours and her young son, by candlelight, found her body in a roof tank; she was dead at age 41. The newspaper report describes the layout of the house, the neighbour who cared for her in her last days, and the testimonies from the doctor and police.
Verdict: death by drowning.
We have a similar tale in our family. The Honey family has roots in Oxfordshire and an old-school visit to the wonderful Oxfordshire History Centre concentrated on viewing entries in the local parish registers. We found lots of christenings, marriages and burials. As is usual, the quantity of people with rare [naive assumption alert] surnames always exceeds expectation! My wife's great-great-grandmother, Hannah Honey [nee Illet], married Charles Honey in Headington in the June quarter 1865. They had 4 children: George born 1866, Henry 1868, Alfred 1869, and Fanny 1871, and were living in Minster Lovell.
I found the burial entry for Hannah, aged 43, on 20 January 1875; at that time, her children ranged from 8 down to 4 years of age:
This was the first time that I had seen an annotation of "inquest" on a register entry. So the search progressed on to the Coroner's records. In England, there was, apparently, no requirement to retain the actual records from an inquest. In fact, I have seen remarks that the reports are the property of the Coroner and may be destroyed [after some time]. It was not surprising that the report was not located. However, the financial details of an inquest ARE retained and Hannah's was no exception. These Coroner's bills are stored under the Quarter Sessions by district - in this case, Western District of Oxfordshire - Easter 1875. The paperwork is bound in a ribbon and bundled with other inquests in archival boxes. Wearing white gloves, I worked my way through the box and located her bundle.
The witnesses and jury members called by the Coroner are listed as they are paid for their attendance. The jury was paid 8s[hilling]. The policeman, William Nevill, was paid 1s. The medical witness, George Barker, received £1 1s. H[orace] C[harles] Ripley, vicar, and Jane Aston, neighbour, each received 3s.
Even her husband, Charles Honey, received 1s. And because of his participation, we have a record of Charles' signature!
The verdict was also listed: Drowned herself at Minster Lovell on 16th January 1875 in a water tank being of unsound mind
The next step was to search for a newspaper report on the inquest. It was published on the back page of the Witney Express on the following Thursday, 21 January 1875. The story is quite similar to Mary Ann Cooke's, in that she was nursed by a neighbour during an illness, and then disappeared from view. The surgeon said that she was suffering from fever and erysipelas severely. Erysipelas is a painful rash easily cured by 21st century antibiotics; unfortunately, Hannah lived in the latter half of the 19th. Charles obtained a lantern from the neighbouring public house and, after an unsuccessful search, went to the policeman, Nevill. After a search of the house, he found her body in the water tank. The report does not state the exact location of the tank, either indoor or outdoor, ground level or roof; the house did have at least one upstairs floor as the bedroom was 'up' from the sitting room.
We may never know why Hannah took her own life but nobody in my wife's family was aware of her existence much less her story. Thus ends the sad tale of Hannah Illet Honey.
According to Wikipedia, erysipelas was the cause of death of many notable people. Those on the list nearest Hannah's death include: John Stuart Mill [1873] and John Brown [1883],
Sources:
GenealogyGems
http://genealogygemspodcast.com/episode-174-shocking-revelations-in-my-family-tree-that-may-benefit-you
Kent and Sussex Courier [subscription required]
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19080821/050/0003
Swinbrook Parish Records - Register of Burials - PAR264 - Repository: Oxford History Centre, St. Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxfordshire OX4 2HT
Coroner's Bills, Oxfordshire Quarter Sessions Easter 1875, Citation: "Expenses and Disbursements paid on holding inquest on the Body of Hannah Honey" 1875 January 16th, Repository: Oxford History Centre, St. Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxfordshire OX4 2HT,
Date Viewed: 20120522
Witney Express 1875 [subscription required]
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002300/18750121/063/0008
"Cellulitis and erysipelas: antimicrobial prescribing", NICE guideline, Draft for consultation, April 2019, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-ng10131/documents/draft-guideline [viewed:20190616]
Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 1). Erysipelas. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:39, June 16, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erysipelas&oldid=899800218
But then I listened to the GenealogyGems podcast from 8 December 2014. Lisa Louise Cooke stumbled upon the sad story of her husband's great-grandmother, Mary Ann Cooke of Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The newspaper report on 21 August 1908 of her coroner's inquest noted that she had been suffering for some years from her nerves. Her neighbours and her young son, by candlelight, found her body in a roof tank; she was dead at age 41. The newspaper report describes the layout of the house, the neighbour who cared for her in her last days, and the testimonies from the doctor and police.
Verdict: death by drowning.
We have a similar tale in our family. The Honey family has roots in Oxfordshire and an old-school visit to the wonderful Oxfordshire History Centre concentrated on viewing entries in the local parish registers. We found lots of christenings, marriages and burials. As is usual, the quantity of people with rare [naive assumption alert] surnames always exceeds expectation! My wife's great-great-grandmother, Hannah Honey [nee Illet], married Charles Honey in Headington in the June quarter 1865. They had 4 children: George born 1866, Henry 1868, Alfred 1869, and Fanny 1871, and were living in Minster Lovell.
I found the burial entry for Hannah, aged 43, on 20 January 1875; at that time, her children ranged from 8 down to 4 years of age:
 |
| Burial Register entry for Hannah Honey - Swinbrook - 20 January 1875 |
This was the first time that I had seen an annotation of "inquest" on a register entry. So the search progressed on to the Coroner's records. In England, there was, apparently, no requirement to retain the actual records from an inquest. In fact, I have seen remarks that the reports are the property of the Coroner and may be destroyed [after some time]. It was not surprising that the report was not located. However, the financial details of an inquest ARE retained and Hannah's was no exception. These Coroner's bills are stored under the Quarter Sessions by district - in this case, Western District of Oxfordshire - Easter 1875. The paperwork is bound in a ribbon and bundled with other inquests in archival boxes. Wearing white gloves, I worked my way through the box and located her bundle.
The witnesses and jury members called by the Coroner are listed as they are paid for their attendance. The jury was paid 8s[hilling]. The policeman, William Nevill, was paid 1s. The medical witness, George Barker, received £1 1s. H[orace] C[harles] Ripley, vicar, and Jane Aston, neighbour, each received 3s.
Even her husband, Charles Honey, received 1s. And because of his participation, we have a record of Charles' signature!
 |
| Signature of Charles Honey - 16 January 1875 |
The verdict was also listed: Drowned herself at Minster Lovell on 16th January 1875 in a water tank being of unsound mind
The next step was to search for a newspaper report on the inquest. It was published on the back page of the Witney Express on the following Thursday, 21 January 1875. The story is quite similar to Mary Ann Cooke's, in that she was nursed by a neighbour during an illness, and then disappeared from view. The surgeon said that she was suffering from fever and erysipelas severely. Erysipelas is a painful rash easily cured by 21st century antibiotics; unfortunately, Hannah lived in the latter half of the 19th. Charles obtained a lantern from the neighbouring public house and, after an unsuccessful search, went to the policeman, Nevill. After a search of the house, he found her body in the water tank. The report does not state the exact location of the tank, either indoor or outdoor, ground level or roof; the house did have at least one upstairs floor as the bedroom was 'up' from the sitting room.
 |
| Coroner's Inquest Verdict - 16 January 1875 |
We may never know why Hannah took her own life but nobody in my wife's family was aware of her existence much less her story. Thus ends the sad tale of Hannah Illet Honey.
Sources:
GenealogyGems
http://genealogygemspodcast.com/episode-174-shocking-revelations-in-my-family-tree-that-may-benefit-you
Kent and Sussex Courier [subscription required]
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000483/19080821/050/0003
Swinbrook Parish Records - Register of Burials - PAR264 - Repository: Oxford History Centre, St. Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxfordshire OX4 2HT
Coroner's Bills, Oxfordshire Quarter Sessions Easter 1875, Citation: "Expenses and Disbursements paid on holding inquest on the Body of Hannah Honey" 1875 January 16th, Repository: Oxford History Centre, St. Luke's Church, Temple Road, Cowley, Oxfordshire OX4 2HT,
Date Viewed: 20120522
Witney Express 1875 [subscription required]
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002300/18750121/063/0008
Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 1). Erysipelas. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:39, June 16, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erysipelas&oldid=899800218
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