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The West Somerset Free Press, Williton, Minehead, and Watchet Journal. Saturday 17 Oct 1891
Page 7 Column 7
SHOCKING SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY AT WEST MONKTON.
Considerable sensation was caused in Taunton and the entire surrounding neighbourhood on Thursday, the 8th inst., by the news that the body of Miss Lucy SHEERE, a young lady nineteen years of age, had been found early that morning in the fishpond of Hestercombe Park. The deceased was the niece and adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. H. BANFIELD, of Gotten Farm, West Monkton, with whom she had resided for several years. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. SHEERE, of Bitton, near Bristol, Mrs. SHEERE being Mrs. BANFIELD's sister. The deceased attended to her duties as usual on Wednesday, and paid a visit to Taunton. In the afternoon she left the house. As night came on and she did not return, Mrs. BANFIELD became much alarmed, and a careful search was instituted, but nothing was seen of her until the following morning, when a young man named Walter John CAVILL discovered her dead body, as described, in a fishpond only a few hundred yards from Gotten farmhouse. P.C. WHITE, the constable stationed at West Monkton, was immediately sent for, and he at once proceeded to the spot and assisted in removing the body from the water.
The inquest was held at Gotten Farm on Friday morning by Dr. George CORDWENT, deputy-coroner.
Walter John CAVILL was the first witness called. He said: I reside at West Monkton. Yesterday morning, the 8th inst., at about a quarter to seven o'clock, I went into a field named Broad Meadow, in order to see some sheep there, and while passing by the band of a pond of water I saw in the water what I thought to be a dead human body. The position of the body in the water was as though the deceased had walked into it. The body was in an upright position, and was covered by the water. I saw no footmarks near the water. There was hoar frost on the grass in the field, and I saw no marks of a person having passed over the grass. On seeing the dead body in the water I called two other men, named Henry FOSTER and George GAMLIN, and they came immediately and also saw the body. The dress of the body was that of a female. I then sent to the police-constable at West Monkton. Thinking I knew whose body it was, I informed her friends, who lived at a distance of a few hundred yards from the pond. I told Mrs. HILLMAN, who seemed extremely shocked. I then proceeded to Durston to inform Mr. HILLMAN, brother-in-law to Mrs. HILLMAN. He is a farmer, and is uncle of the deceased. He was away from home. I then returned to Gotten Farm. During my absence the body had been removed from the water, and some persons were bringing it to this house. I afterwards saw it, and recognised it as that of the niece of Mr. and Mrs. BANFIELD. They all appeared friendly when I had seem them in the past, and Mr. and Mrs. BANFIELD were very kind to the deceased. When I saw her she always seemed cheerful and happy. When I saw the body in the pond it was about nine feet from the brink.
Albert Edward HILLMAN said: I reside at Durston, and am a farmer there. I knew the deceased, who is my niece, she being the daughter of my sister, Mrs. SHEERE, the wife of Mr. John SHEERE, of Bitton, near Bristol. The deceased resided continuously with her uncle here at this house. Mrs. BANFIELD is my sister. The deceased seemed very happy here and well taken care of. She was about nineteen years old. I frequently saw her, and she never seemed to be in low spirits. I know of no insanity in the family. She has brothers and sisters, and no one in the family has committed suicide. I last saw the deceased on Wednesday afternoon, about two o'clock. I then saw her on these premises. I did not speaker to her, nor she to me. She came out with her aunt, and looked rather bewildered. There was an expression in her face I had never seen in it before, but it did not make any particular impression upon me. I drove on. I had an idea that there might be some cause for that bewilderment. I had been told in the morning of the same day (Wednesday) that there was something wrong with her personally; in fact, I was told that she was pregnant. This was what I attributed her sad expression to. I may say that when I saw my niece I did not speak to her because I was not near enough to carry on a conversation.
Mrs. BANFIELD was called into the room to give evidence, but she was so affected as to be entirely unable to do so, and had to be taken out of the room.
Mr. William LIDDON, surgeon, of Taunton, said: I attend as a medical man the family of Mr. BANFIELD, who reside here at Gotten Farm. I have been consulted as to the deceased. I saw her in April last, and attended her between April 12th and May 2nd of this year. I did not visit her here; she came and saw me. I did not see her again until the 5th of this month, when she again consulted me. I explained the nature of her case to her, and subsequently saw her uncle, to whom I also explained the nature of his niece's case. I may say that probably her condition when I saw her last April and May had something to do with her state when I saw her on the 5th of this month. Yesterday (Thursday) I was summoned to Gotten, and here in this house saw the dead body of Lucy SHEERE. I was informed that a short time previously she had been removed dead from a pond of water. When I saw her on the 5th, I told her she was advanced in pregnancy, and she did not appear surprised at my opinion. She certainly did not seem depressed in spirits. I explained her condition to her, and told her what steps she should take. I also advised her to make her position known to her aunt, but afterwards I promised her I would call on her aunt the same afternoon and fully explain to her her niece's condition. A short time after this Mr. T. H. BANFIELD called on me. I told him I proposed calling on his wife that afternoon, and that I had so arranged with his niece. He requested me not to do so that afternoon. I then told him what I had proposed telling his wife if I had seen her, and he promised to communicate my advice to his wife. I also said I could explain matters more fully to Mrs. BANFIELD than I could to him, and I should be happy to see her on the following afternoon if she would call upon me. He said he would inform his wife of what I had said.
The Deputy-Coroner said nothing could have been more prudent than the conduct of Mr. LIDDON.
In answer to the foreman of the jury, Mr. LIDDON said: I was told by Mrs. BANFIELD yesterday that her husband had not delivered any message to her as he promised. From my knowledge I can say that persons in the state of the deceased are very liable to sudden insanity, which may lead to suicide or any other impulse, and for that reason I generally advise their friends to be kind to them.
The woman who laid out the body was called, and she stated that there were no marks of violence on the body. The skin was not shrivelled, but there was froth about her nostrils and mouth.
The Deputy-Coroner asked if Mr. T. H. BANFIELD was to be called to give evidence, and he was informed by the foreman of the jury that Mr. BANFIELD had left the neighbourhood.
The Deputy-Coroner said it was not necessary that the jury should state in their verdict the cause of the deceased's sorrow, but it was necessary that they should know whether she was in such a condition of mind as to bring about insanity and lead a person to commit suicide. It would be strange that a young girl should commit suicide unless there were a cause for her doing so.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect “That deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.”
<NOTES: Lucy Hillman SHEERE daughter of John Davy SHEERE and Christiana HILLMAN, adopted daughter of Thomas Henry BANFIELD and Lucy HILLMAN>