Arsenic in a Hertford "Quack Doctor'" medicine kills Aldbury woman

Old News

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Ivan Judd has kindly drawn my attention to the following inquest where Mary Ann Parish, of Aldbury, died as the result of using a medicine containing arsenic provided by a herbalist Isaac Chamberlain, of Hertford.

See the 1866 article describing the inquest. 

So what happened to Isaac after the inquest? Don't let me spoil your fun in finding out for yourself. The article describing the subsequent trial appears in the Herts Guardian for 20th July, 1867 and the case was widely reported elsewhere. There is an unexpected follow up to the case reported in the national press in April and May 1869. 

Do you agree with the final outcomes?

You can follow up what happened to Isaac in the British Newspaper Archive (and FindMyPast) or using Google.

Death of 2nd Lieut. Crabtree and other War News from Tring on 13th February 1915

Extracts from the Bucks Herald of 13th February, 1915

Edited from British Newspaper Archive
Previous week ~~~~ Tring News Index

The only "local" military casualty connected to Tring this week was the death of 2nd Lieutenant William Crabtree of the Lincolnshire Regiment in an accident on a sharp bend between Startops and Tringford Reservoirs at Tring Ford. A taxi taking two officers an an unidentified lady from London to their unit in Leighton Buzzard crashed. The detailed report of the inquest ends with the coroner, Lovel Smeathman of Hemel Hempstead, recommending "The turn in the road was a dangerous point, and a notice warning drivers should be placed there." The corner is still dangerous, with no sign, and now car are going much faster than 10 mph! Some of the early press accounts of the paper incorrectly reported that he died in a motor cycle accident.

William Walby's Inquest, 1890 and Warren Wood, Hatfield

Following on Ann's recent query about William Walby (see  Was your ancestor a game keeper?) there have been three relevant updates:

• Ann has provided the press cutting of William Walby's inquest - when it was determined that he accidentally shot himself. The account is a very good example of how Victorian inquests were conducted. I have added brief noted on all the people involved.
• The inquest shows that William Walby's employer was Charles Butler, of Warren Wood.  I have added a copy of a photograph and biography of Charles Butler from the book Hertfordshire Leaders together with a picture and further information on Warren Wood house.
• I have added to the original posting a map of Hoppett's Wood showing where William Walby's cottage was.

In addition Ann has reported that William's father-in-law, William Webb, was also a gamekeeper and was the principle witness in a 1853 murder, an account of which appears in the Brookmans Park Newsletter.

The Problem with Victorian Inquest Records

Loretta's ancestor, James Saunders of Aldbury, died in 1882 and the death certificate records the death as accidental. She would like to know about the inquest records. but the problem is that the only official inquest record for this period was the death certificate! 

I explain what would have happened at a typical village inquest - and wonder if inquests were held in pubs so that the jurors could drink beer when listening to the evidence. The only real hope for significant details is that if a press reporter was present and I tell Loretta where the relevant local newspapers can be found. I am crossing my fingers that she might find something, but inquests away from the town where the paper was published were frequently not covered, especially if they were not particularly newsworthy.