Louis Charles KETTERINGHAM
- Inquest Report 25 July 1896 -

INQUEST AT WISBECH

     On Saturday morning, Mr W. WELCH, coroner, held an inquest at the Old Bell Inn on ... body of 
     Louis KETTERINGHAM, aged 24, gardener, who was found dead in a dyke in Tinker's Drove the previous day.  
     Mr. J. ROUGHTON was foreman of the jury.  The evidence taken was as under:-

     Harriet PALMER, wife of Lepaldro PALMER, lives at the pumping station, said she identified the 
     body just viewed by the jury as that of her husband's nephew. He was 24 years of age and lodged with the witness, 
     following the occupation of a gardner in the employ of Mr. RATH.  Witness called deceased at 5.20 a.m. on the 
     previous morning, he left home at a quarter to six.  At half past a message was brought to her husband that 
     a young man laid dead in the dyke. Her husband went to the spot about 300 yards from the house and saw that 
     it was the deceased.  He was subject to fits and often had them, the last being t.. months ago.

     Henry BALLS, market gardner, Walsoken, .... on the previous morning about half-past ten he was going down 
     to his land in Tinker's Drove and .... hundred yards off the pumping station he saw a man lying in the dyke 
     on the right hand side of the road.  He recognised it to be that of the deceased by the basket and coat.  
     Witness thought deceased was in a fit and he lifted him. He was on his face and his head was in the .......... 
     of the farm to which he was going.   ...... thought that the man was dead.
     He noticed that the face was black and a little blood trickling from the mouth.  A small piece of bread 
     and butter lay by his side. Witness was aware that deceased was subject to fits.  The dyke was partially 
     filled up, leaving only a small gripple, with nettles growing up the sides.  The nettles were upright on 
     both sides of the deceased as if he never moved after he fell.
     
     By Dr. GROOM:  He believed that the deceased had taken his medicine regularly since he had been to see a 
     doctor in London.

     Dr. Harry GROOM said he was sent for on ... previous morning, about 10.45, to see the deceased.  He went 
     and examined the body at the pumping station.  He noticed that his face was very livid, his tongue protruding 
     and gripped between ... teeth.  The whole front of his body was very livid which showed that he died of 
     suffocation when lying on his face.  There were no marks of violence on the body.  he had no doubt that 
     the deceased had had a fit, and that he died from suffocation.

     ............ consulted him ten weeks ago about ........ .......... to, and witness advised .... to see a 
     specialist in London.

     The Coroner having briefly summed up, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was 
     accidentally suffocated whilst in a fit.

                    Transcription  © Ann McClean 2002
   
                    My thanks to Jean Matthews who supplied a copy of the original news-cutting.

        Louis Charles KETTERINGHAM was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Wisbech, on 26 July 1896.
        Source: Mt Pleasant Burial Registers, Wisbech.

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