BELL - Boxford or Little Cornard

[DrJon]

Hi Rene

Found this when I was looking for something else:

The Norwich and Bury Post: 21st June 1854
Suicide: On Tuesday morning Mr John Bell farmer of Little Cornatds, aged 64, left home about 6 in the morning, avowedly to water some cattle; but his daughter seeing him go in a different direction proceeded in search of him, and in about half an hour after found him in a pond of water, her attention having been attracted thither by his hat laying upon the bank. Her screams brought assistance, and the deceased was got out, but was quite dead.
An inquest was held on Thursday last, by G.A.Partridge esq., when it appeared that he had been in a low state of health and spirits for some time arising from disease of the brain, and in the opinion of Mr Bestoe Smith, Surgeon of Sudbury, who attended him, was at times insane.
The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity.

Jonathan

[DrJon]

Spelling mistake in first line of last post - it should, of course, have been Cornard!

[rene oliver]

Thank you for that Jon.

His name does not seem to appear on the Index of Graves for Little Cornard.  Would he have been buried outside the graveyard if he had committed suicide?

The other evening I spent several hours delving through entries in papers for the 1800`s, hoping to find something about the Bells or Cooks.  These entries were under something to do with Foxearth.  I will now enter Norwich and Bury Post to see what turns up.

Genealogists never die, they just lose their `census`.

Thanks once aain.

Rene

[Suffolk Mawther]

Hi Rene, It's the local history group at Foxearth, a village just over the border into Essex that has a wonderful web site on which they have put lots of local stories extracted from old newspapers.


www.foxearth.org.uk



Pat ...

[rene oliver]

Thank you Pat,

As we write I am looking at the entries for 1750,  they are so good.  Many surnames are still around today.  Some criminals if found guilty of striking someone etc. had their hand `burnt`.  I wonder what that was.  Looking at some of the punishments metered out in those times, it is a pity that some are not metered out in these sad times.  One of my ancesters was sent to the Bahamas for 7 years to help build a Fort in 1827.  He stole 4 turkey chicks.  Harsh?  Did he learn from it?  I wonder.

Nice to hear from you.  I doubt if I will get to Sudbury this year.  Thinking about it - the last time I actually left Colchester and went anywhere was my half day in  Sudbury.  How sad is that.

Just mowed the lawn and scrapped around on the borders.  Now I can sit back and let it rain tomorrow without any guilt.

Take care.   Irene

[DrJon]

Hi Rene

There is a grave marked "JB 1854" on the graveyard index (No 91), that I think must be his. However, I can't find its location on the map. Unfortunately, the chap who did the graveyard map died several years ago, so I can't ask him where it is. I suspect as John Bell was a suicide, it is probably tucked away somewhere round the edges. I will pop up there on the way home from work this evening and see if I can spot it.

J

[DrJon]

Hi Rene

I went up to the churchyard yesterday evening. There is a cluster of two headstones and three footstones right by the porch at the south door. John Bell (died 15th June 1854, age 61) and Mary Bell (died 3rd May 1860, age 67) share a grave with a nice headstone and footstone, so obviously the verdict of temporary insanity allowed a suicide to be buried properly in the churchyard - the fact that he was a wealthy farmer probably helped!

The second headstone/footstone combination is Abraham Bell the younger, John's eldest brother, who died 31st March 1829, aged 41 "after undergoing much suffering with Christian like resignation".

The third grave just has a footstone, marked "GB 1823". This is obviously John's younger brother George, who died in 1823, aged 29. Not sure what happened to his headstone.

Jonathan

[rene oliver]

Hi  Jonathan,

Thank you once again.  Now it looks as though I have a big typing session ahead of me to get all this information down and safe.

I have sympathy for all those future generations who have to plough through cremation records.  Just think of all the pleasure you had yesterday evening - getting hot and sticky, walking through damp grass, tripping over molehills or twisting your ankle in rabbit holes, getting stung with mossies or nettles. (with tongue in cheek)!!!  Wish I could have done it.

Thank you once again.

Irene

[rene oliver]

Jonathon,

Here I am again.

Just found an entry - Allegations for marriage licence...........Little Cornard

John Bell/SusannahTown - 1st November 1756

This is most likely the marriage of the Parents of Abraham Bell born in  1758 (the first Bell in the Bell Dynasty).

Would there be any chance of verifying this fact?

Irene