THOMAS GREEN HUGHES (MARSH GIBBON, 1884):

In February 1884, an inquest was held at The Red Lion Inn, on view of the body of 28 year old assistant schoolmaster Mr Thomas Green Hughes, known as Tom.

Local farmer Mr John Coggin Plater deposed that the deceased had suffered a stroke seven years previously, and had experienced weakness on one side of his body ever since; "I last saw him alive at about three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, sitting in the tap-room of The Red Lion, and he appeared well and cheerful. At about ten minutes to four, the deceased dropped on one side. Mrs Young, the landlady, came in just at that time. I said, "Oh Tom, whatever is the matter?". Mrs Young and I caught the deceased, he gave a sharp shake, and lots of phlegm came into his throat. The sofa was fetched and we put him on it to convey him into the parlour. He never spoke again, and was unconscious until he died, about ten minutes after five o'clock. He was a very sober man."

Landlord Mr John Young - husband of the aforementioned Mrs Young - said: "I have known the deceased all his life, he was always a very sober man. I sent for Dr Benson, but Tom had died by the time he had arrived."

Retired schoolmistress Elizabeth Crook said that the deceased had lodged with her for about three years, and that he had suffered two attacks of 'paralysis' during that time; "He was a very sober man, who never took but little of anything."

Dr Philip Lambert Benson - a surgeon practising in Steeple Claydon and the surrounding neighbourhood - told the jury that Tom had asked him to provide some medicine for 'derangement of the stomach' (possibly diarrhoea?) a week previously, but that he'd otherwise been pleased with his progress following the stroke. He also mentioned that the deceased had experienced two attacks of 'apoplexy' (seizures/strokes) since, and that he'd received treatment in a London hospital for the paralysis before coming back to his native Marsh Gibbon. He was of the opinion that another attack of apoplexy was the most probable cause of death.

The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

ELLEN FAULKNER (LUDGERSHALL, 1880):

In February 1880, an inquest was held at The Five Bells Inn, Ludgershall, on view of the body of 13 month old Ellen Faulkner - daughter of James and Ann Faulkner.

During the proceedings, it transpired that little Ellen had been poorly for three or four days prior to her death, but her parents hadn't sent for the doctor, as they'd assumed that her issues were due to teething. Sadly, the little girl died very suddenly one morning.

The post-mortem revealed that there was nothing at all suspicious about Ellen's untimely demise, although they were not able to confirm precisely what had been the cause.

A verdict of 'death by natural causes' was given, in accordance with the medical evidence.