Samuel Watkins, Queen's Head

Death 17th November 1862

Burial 20th November 1862

Age 56

 

Mary Watkins, Queen's Head + Central Railway Inn

Death 27th July 1882

Burial 31st July 1882

Age 65

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hereford Journal - Saturday 22nd November 1862

Manslaughter at Knighton

       On Wednesday last an inquest was held before W. Stephens, Esq., coroner, touching the death of Mr., Samuel Watkins, of the Queen's Inn, Garth road. The following gentlemen were sworn on the jury :—Mr. Ruder, Foreman ; Mr. Rocke, tailor ; Mr. W. Baldwin grocer ; Mr. Thomas, grocer ; Mr. Mason, wine vaults Mr. Oldberry, grocer ; Mr. Bowen, grocer ; Mr. Phillips chemist ; Mr. Cooper, butcher ; Mr. Roberts, Chandos Anus; Mr. Watkins, builder ; Mr. Abley, grocer ; Mr. Smith, ironmonger.

       Mary Watkins, wife of deceased, who was first examined, stated that on Thursday, November 6th, being Knighton fair day, about nine o'clock in the evening, eight or nine men came to the house. She only knew one of them. his name is Richard Woosencroft. One of them whom she was afterwards told was named Evans had a long stick in his hand, which he kept continually flourishing about. Her husband told him quietly not to do so. When another man, whose name she was afterwards told was Edward Brown, got up and struck her husband a violent blow in the stomach. My husband, she said, told him not to do so again, when Richard Woosencroft got up and struck my husband two violent blows in the stomach. He did not fall down but staggered back from the force of the blows. At this time I heard a cry of murder in the passage, and going there I found the man Price, who lodges in part of the house, on the stairs, covered with blood, and my son on the floor, also bleeding from the ears. Brown and Evans were standing over them, and threatening to kill my son before they had done with him. I got my son up and took him into the kitchen, there I found all the parties who had been making. the disturbance were gone. My husband did not complain of being hurt that night, but in the morning he did so, and I recommended him to go and see Mr. Covernton, surgeon. He did so, and got a little better, till the next Thursday, when he was taken worse, and gradually sank, and died on Monday last. He was in his usual health on the day of the assault, and did not complain of being unwell. He was 56 years of age, The parties who came into the house and created the disturbance were not drunk. They had five glasses of gin at the door before they came in. This was all they had.

       Edward Price, the next witness, stated that he and his wife lodged in part of the house occupied by the deceased. He with his wife was sitting in the kitchen between the hours of eight and nine o'clock in the evening of the 6th of November, when eight or nine men came in. I only knew Wooseneroft, Brown, and Evans. The latter had a long stick which he kept swinging about over our Heads. The deceased told him not to do so, or he would break the face of the clock. Upon this, Brown, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, struck deceased a severe blow on the left side. The deceased did not return the blow. Richard Woosencroft then got up, and struck the deceased several times about the chest, and on the left side. I asked Woosencroft, said the witness, why he struck the poor old man ? I was immediately knocked down and dragged into the passage by Evans, Brown, and Woosencroft, where they made several attempts to get at my eyes, which they with an oath said they would tear out. I was then insensible for a few minutes. When I came to myself, I saw all the parties that had been making the disturbance, leaving the house, and assaulting another lodger named Greaves. whom they struck down against the horse-block at the door. The blows given to the deceased by Woosencroft appeared to be severe, and he would have fallen but for my wife who caught him in her arms. The deceased was quite sober. l have never seen him in liquor.

       At the close of the evidence by this witness, the coroner said that there were several more witnesses ready to be examined, but be thought that they could throw no more light on the subject, as they could only prove that the deceased was struck by the men Brown and Woosencroft. He proposed, therefore, only to call Mr. Covernton and Mr. Warren, surgeons, whom he had directed to make a post-mortem examination on the deceased.

       Mr. Covernton, surgeon, examined : The deceased came to my surgery on Friday, the 7th of November. I was not at home. I went to see him during the day. I found him suffering from a slight inflammation of the left lung. I examined him, but could discover no marks of violence upon him. He improved in health till Thursday, the 13th instant, when he became worse, and gradually sank, and died on Monday last. I have today, with the assistance of Mr. Warren made a post-mortem examination on the body of the deceased. We found the left lung slightly inflamed; the right one in a diseased state of long standing, such as one would expect to find in a person troubled with asthma, which the deceased was. The heart was large, fatty, and diseased. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th ribs on the left side were disunited, hut not displaced. I discovered discolourance of the skin on the left side some days before his death, which, no doubt, was brought on by violence. I also found the deceased was ruptured. The complaint from which we found he had been labouring, no doubt would have caused his death ultimately. but I am decidedly of opinion that owing to the violence he received on Thursday night. the 6th of November, his death was accelerated. Mr. Warren fully concurred in all Mr. Covernton had said. The Coroner very clearly pointed out the evidence bearing on the case, stating that although there appeared to have been a great many persons in the house making a noise, and that the man Evans was taking a very active part in it, still there was no evidence to prove that he or any one else struck the deceased, with the exception of Edward Brown and Richard Woosencroft. Upon the evidence of Mr. Warren and Mr. Covernton it was clear that the death of the deceased was accelerated by these blows. The Coroner then very lucidly pointed out the law on the subject to the jury, and left the matter for their decision. After consulting a short time, they, through their foreman, Mr. Rutter, unanimously returned a verdict of manslaughter against Edward Brown and Richard Woosencroft. The Coroner at once issued a warrant for their apprehension. The two men, Brown and Woosencroft, who were found guilty by the coroner's jury, on Wednesday, of manslaughter on the man Watkins, were apprehended on Thursday, and taken before R. Green Price, Esq., who remanded them till Thursday next. Bail was accepted for their appearance, themselves in £50 each, and two others in £25 each.

 

Hereford Journal of the 29th November 1862

Charge of Manslaughter.—Edward Brown Richard Worzencraft, both surrendered themselves to their bondsmen to answer to a charge of the manslaughter of Samuel Watkins. Committed to take their trial at the assizes, bail being taken in £100 each, of two sureties, and the prisoners in £50 each. After some slight delay Mr. Jeremiah Brown and Mr. Edward Brown were accepted as sureties.

 

Hereford Times - 3rd January 1863

ASSAULT. —John Bamford and Edward Brown, of Beguildy, were charged by Thomas Grieves, with assaulting him on the 6th of November, at the Queen's Head, on the night of the affray which caused the death of the landlord, Thomas Watkins. Bumford was fined 10s. and costs, and Brown was discharged.—Richard Wosencroft, William Evans, and Edward Brown, were next charged with assaulting George Watkins, the son of the deceased Thomas Watkins. The evidence showed that these fellows endeavoured to push out the eyes of the complainant on the night of the fatal disturbance. Mr. Arthur Cheese, of Kington, ably defended the defendants. Fined £3 each and costs.

 

Hereford Times - 28th March 1863

the outcome of the trial which took place at the March Assizes in 1863, was that the Judge stopped the trial and directed the jury to find the prisoners 'not guilty' - this despite them having beaten the poor chap with a stick and laid into him with their fists, and him not dying until 10 days later. The surgeon who examined the deceased discovered long term disease and concluded that the inflammation he found, and despite the injury to his ribs being caused by a blow - it could have been caused by a cold........

 

 

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