Taunton Courier 15 Jan 1890 Late Mysterious Death of Child Taunton Rose DAVEY Charlotte BILLETT Thomas BILLETT Trull William DAVEY Frederick GREENSLADE ILES BLIZARD

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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal, and Western Advertiser. Wednesday 15 Jan 1890

Page 3 Column 4


The late Mysterious Death of a Child in Taunton.

An enquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Rose DAVEY, aged 3½ years, was held at the Taunton Workhouse on Thursday morning by Dr. CORDWENT, deputy coroner for West Somerset. Mr LANE was chosen foreman of the jury.

Charlotte BILLETT, wife of Thomas BILLET, of Trull, identified the body as being that of Rose DAVEY. The child, who was recently in her charge for a fortnight, was the daughter of William DAVEY, a shoemaker, now residing in Taunton. DAVEY had been twice married, and the deceased child was one of eight by his first wife. Six of those children were living, and the two youngest were dead. The two which were dead were twins, one of them being the deceased. Witness was acquainted with DAVEY because he formerly resided in the village of Trull, and it was on that account that he asked her to take charge of the child. Witness thought the child was ill when brought to her house, and she had been ill ever since, and “shook” when anyone looked at her. Her body was thin, though witness fed her on the same food as her own children. She cried very much at night, and sometimes during the day. The child was a cripple from birth, and witness finding that she could not manage to look after her, told the father on Christmas eve that he must get another place for his daughter. He promised to have the child fetched away, but did not do so. On New Year's day witness went to DAVEY's lodgings at the Rising Sun Inn, East-reach, but was told that he was not in. On Saturday the 4th inst., she took the child to DAVEY's lodgings, and he promised to come for her on the following day, but did not come. On the Monday, witness brought deceased to Taunton. When a few doors from the Rising Sun, she gave deceased to a boy, and asked him to take her into the inn and give her to DAVEY. Witness waited some time, but the boy did not come out of the inn.

By a juryman: Witness did not take the child into the inn herself, as she was afraid DAVEY would not take it from her.

Witness added that she several times told the father that the child ought to be seen by a doctor.

Frederick GREENSLADE, ten years of age, who was not sworn, stated that at the request of the last witness he took deceased into the Rising Sun inn. When witness offered the child to DAVEY he replied that he would not take her, but would fetch her to-morrow afternoon. DAVEY then told witness to take deceased to Mrs BILLETT, in High-street. Witness found one Mrs BILLETT in High-street, but she refused to have anything to do with the child. Witness then took the child to the police-station, from whence it was taken to the Workhouse.

Mr. A. R. ILES, surgeon, stated that he was medical officer to the Taunton Workhouse. Deceased was admitted to the Workhouse on the 6th inst., at which time she was exhausted, cold, and drowsy. She died the following day, shortly after midday. Since the death witness had made a post-mortem examination. He detailed the results of that examination, and expressed the opinion that the child died from exhaustion. There were no traces of anything of a poisonous nature.

The Coroner said it was satisfactory to learn that there was nothing which pointed to foul play. There appeared, however, to have been gross negligence, which would probably be dealt with in another court. The father appeared to have been very careless and neglectful of his child.

The father, who was present, expressed his desire to make a statement, and was accordinely <sic> sworn. He stated the deceased was taken from the Workhouse to Mrs BILLETT's, at Trull. Witness thought Mrs BILLETT would look after deceased properly, more especially as her husb nd <sic> owed witness a sum of money. When Mrs BILLETT sent the child in to witness she could not have waited outside more than a minute, for when witness came out directly afterwards he could not see her. Witness would have taken the child away before, but he failed in his efforts to obtain another home for her.

The Coroner: Don't you think it was a very wrong thing for you, as a parent, to send this child all through the town in charge of a little boy?

DAVEY: I don't know. I thought the boys brought her from High-street. There were two boys.

The Coroner remarked that it had been stated in the medical evidence that when the child was brought to the workhouse it was in a state of exhaustion and collapse. How far that exhaustion and cold condition was due to the father's want of proper ministration to the child was for the jury to consider, and if the jury considered the matter in any severe way, a very little straining of the evidence might place the father in custody. If the jury should take that view, and hold that the father had neglected the child by exposing her after she had been handed over to him by Mrs BILLETT, he did not know but that DAVEY might find himself placed in gaol on a charge of manslaughter.

DAVEY: Well, I don't see ----

The Coroner: No, you don't see it, but here are twelve other men who see it.

Mr John BLIZARD, master at the workhouse, spoke to the child being brought into the workhouse on Monday afternoon.

After a private consult tion <sic> the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the child died from natural causes, but expressed the opinion that the father had been careless of the condition of the child.


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<NOTES: Mrs BILLETT is Charlotte OATEN daughter of William OATEN and Keziah YARD, married Thomas BILLETT>