seahall
RootsChat Marquessate
       
Posts: 7091

Remembering those care free days of childhood
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From the Northampton Herald 1843.
A CHILD FOUND DEAD IN IT'S MOTHERS ARMS.- On Monday last an inquest was held before P.Hicks, Esq., who acted on behalf of the coroner, G. Abbey. Esq., on the body of Owen Betts, a child about five months old, who was found dead in bed by the side of it's mother, on Sunday morning. Mr. Fitzpatrick, surgeon, saw deceased on Sunday morning, it was then dead. He asked the mother whether it had been ill previously, and she said no, it had been very healthy, and that she had not given it any medicine. The night previous it had been particularly well: in the morning it was dead and cold at her side. Witness had examined the body externally, and should say that death was occasioned by fits, produced by teething. The gums were swollen, and there was no apperance of its having been overlain. Martha Betts, of Harding Terrace, the mother of the child, stated that she went to bed at half-past 12 o'clock on Saturday night. Her baby was then alive, and apparently in perfect health. About seven o'clock next morning witness woke, and found it dead. It was lying on her arm. She woke her husband, who carried it down to witness's mother, and then directly sent for Mr. Fitzpatrick. Her husband was out of bed about half-past two, to see after the other children, but seeing her and the baby apparently asleep, he did not disturb them.
Verdict ---- Natural Death. Sandy
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