Somerset County Herald 17 Apr 1948 Two Women Die in Fire at West Hatch Mrs Elizabeth MALE and Miss Marjorie Emily MALE

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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier Saturday 17 Apr 1948

Page 6 Column 5


Two Women Die in Fire

West Hatch Tenant Escapes from Window

Savings of £564 Amid Ruins

A West Hatch (Taunton) old-age pensioner, his septuagenarian house-keeper and her unmarried daughter were trapped upstairs when most of their four-roomed detached cottage, on the Taunton-Ilminster main road, was destroyed by fire at 3.30 on Saturday morning. After making desperate, but unavailing, efforts to help the two women to escape, the tenant, Mr. Robert STONE (78), of Meare Elm, squeezed through a 30-inch square window and dropped 9ft. 6in. to safety, suffering nothing worse than mild shock.

The victims of the tragedy were Mrs. Elizabeth MALE (71), widow of Mr. Thomas MALE, farm labourer, and her daughter Miss Marjorie Emily MALE (30) a kitchen assistant at Messrs. Maynard's Cafe, Taunton. The bodies were recovered by firemen, sitting astride the small window sill, after dense smoke and flames had frustrated their attempts to enter the cottage downstairs. The Brigade quickly got the outbreak under control and property nearby was not endangered.

LIFE SAVINGS FOUND.

Amid ruins on the ground floor, police officers later found Mr. STONE's life savings of £564 in notes in a partly-burned wooden box. It had fallen, with collapsing flooring, from his bedroom, over the seat of the fire. Many of the notes were singed, but all were intact, and Mr. STONE will lose nothing in hard cash.

A detective's theory that an accumulation of smouldering soot ignited a chimney beam and so led to the tragedy was accepted as the probable cause by the West Somerset Coroner (Colonel Geoffrey P. CLARKE), at the double inquest on Monday. He recorded verdicts of “Accidental death.” and expressed sympathy with Mr. STONE, and relatives of the victims describing it as an “extremely sad case.”

SURVIVOR DID HIS BEST.

He commented: “We are all satisfied that Mr. STONE did his best. He tried first, with the two women, to get down the staircase: that was hopeless. Then he tried to get them out of the window. He was smaller than either of them and when they did not feel able to go, or could not go, he got out himself. He went for assistance and endeavoured to cope with a most difficult situation.” He added that the Fire Brigade did everything possible and turned out with “very great speed.” He thought it very unlikely that either of the women was still alive at 3.40, about 20 minutes before the bodies were found.

Mr. Sidney George MALE, a twist hand in a lace factory, of 11, Coronation-street, Chard, identified his step-mother and her daughter.

Dr. Crichton MacGAFFEY, pathologist, who examined the bodies, said in his opinion Mrs. MALE died from shock due to burns, with carbon monoxide poisoning as a secondary cause: and her daughter from carbon monoxide poisoning with shock from burns secondarily.

FELT MYSELF GOING OFF.”

Mr. STONE, the tenant and survivor of the tragedy, said Mrs. and Miss MALE had shared the cottage with him for about nine years. On Friday he went to bed at 8.30 p.m. and Mrs. MALE and her daughter soon after. He was wakened early in the morning by Miss MALE, who said “There's a fire downstairs.” Jumping out of bed, he went to their room and Mrs. MALE exclaimed “We shall be burned to death.” He told them to catch hold of him, and he tried to lead them down the staircase, but escape that way was impossible because of flame and smoke, which were now entering his own bedroom.

I felt myself going off because of the smoke in me (he continued), but managed to push through the window. I went out head first and sideways. I put on only my trousers. I remember hanging to the woodwork and trying to persuade them to follow me. I then fell to the ground. I shouted up to them, but got no answer.”

STONE described how he called neighbours – Mr. MEAD, Miss STODGELL and Mr. QUICK – who gave assistance at the fire. The Brigade soon arrived. Before going to bed the kitchen fire was practical out, if not entirely so. Everything was safe. They went to bed without a light. When he was outside the burning cottage a lorry and car passed, but did not stop.

The Coroner: There was a substantial sum of money found in the cottage, but that does not affect my inquiry.

A TERRIFIC HOLD.”

Mr. Norman Geoffrey STODGELL, plumber, of Broad Close, West Hatch, said he was wakened by Mr. STONE knocking at the door of his house at 3.35, and saw the flames from his window. Mr. STONE had gone when he got outside. The whole kitchen was ablaze when witness arrived, and flames were leaping through the doorway. He called out, but got no answer from inside the cottage. He shone a torch from the road, but nobody was visible. He had taken two buckets with him and threw water on the flames, but it was useless, as the fire had a terrific hold. Mr. MEAD and Mr. HEMBROW then arrived. The Brigade turned up within five to ten minutes.

Questioned by Police Inspector A. BROWN as to whether the front door was open or closed. Mr. STODGELL said there was a space, but he could not say whether the door or a part of it was hanging or was burnt off.

Mr. Sidney James GREADY, mailvan driver, of 1, Clarence-terrace, Trull, said he passed the cottage at about 3.40 and saw a man, whom he now recognised as Mr. STONE, looking down at the fire. Witness added: “He made no movement as if wishing to stop the van, and, seeing the position was hopeless, I dashed to the nearest 'phone box to call the Fire Brigade.”

BOTH DEAD SOME TIME.

Fire Brigade Sub-Officer Stanley James BRAY said a call to the Taunton Station at 3.39 was at once answered. They found the cottage well alight, and entrance downstairs was impossible owing to dense flame and smoke. A ladder was put against one window, and as nobody was inside, it was transferred to the other which was closed. He saw a body in a sitting position near the window, and when he tried to get it out the legs appeared to be trapped. Witness and a colleague sitting astride the small window sill, then saw the younger woman lying across her legs. Witness thought it would have been very difficult for Mr. MALE to have got out of the window. Both women appeared to have been dead some time. The bodies were lowered to the ground and taken to the mortuary.

SMOULDERING SOOT AND BEAM.

Detective-Sergt. CURRAN said he knew Mrs. MALE and her daughter personally, and did not think either could have got through the window. He and Divisional Fire Officer HUMPHREYS closely examined the cottage. It was detached, stone-built and tiled, with two rooms downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. The living-room had a large open type of fireplace fitted with an open grate, and the mouth of the chimney was sealed with a metal register, except for the grate opening. The chimney appeared fairly clean, but removal of the register released an abnormal quantity of soot, which was caked to as much as eight inches thick. There was evidence that the soot had been smouldering and a thick oak beam at the front top of the grate showed signs of heavy burning on the inside, gradually lessening to the outside.

Sergt. CURRAN thought there was no doubt this was the source of the fire, and that it then spread to the centre of the cottage and turned upwards through the bedrooms and roof. He thought, judging from the condition of the front door, that it was open part of the time during the fire.

Mr. STONE told the Coroner he had never had any trouble with the beam and never smelled burning there.

Chief Fire Officer BARRETT associated himself with the Coroner's condolences, and expressed appreciation of the co-operation of P.S. BARRATT (Ilminster) and other police officers during the fire.

DOUBLE FUNERAL.

Many friends and villagers attended the double funeral at West Hatch, on Wednesday. The service was conducted by the Vicar (the Rev. H. P. BOLTON). The bodies were laid in the same grave.

In the following list of family mourners the relationship to Mrs. MALE is indicated:- Mr. N. WHITE (son-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. S. MALE (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. P. GILLETT, and Mr. and Mrs. S. PENNECARD (daughters and sons-in-law), Mrs. A. VICKERY (sister), Mr. F. CROSS (brother), Mr. W. VICKERY (nephew), Mr. E. SARGENT (brother-in-law), Mrs. HAWKER and Miss HAWKER (friends). Mrs. N. WHITE (daughter) was unable to attend owing to indisposition.

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. E. WHITE & Sons, Ltd., Taunton.


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<NOTES: Elizabeth MALE is Elizabeth CROSS daughter of Henry CROSS, married Thomas MALE

Marjorie Emily MALE is Margery Ethel or Marjory Emily MALE daughter of Thomas MALE and Elizabeth CROSS

Sidney George MALE son of Thomas MALE and Evelyn HOOPER, married Olive Elizabeth WOODLAND>