"At Ormskirk of John Molyneux who died by the Visitation of God."

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

"Inquisitions taken by and before John Heyes Gentleman one of His Majesty's Coroners for the said County of Lancaster.

21 February 1834
At Ormskirk of John Molyneux who died by the Visitation of God.

Life was much more exciting for 19th century coroners, it seems.

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

These records are fascinating, though gruesome.

On 26th January 1834, our coroner held an inquisition on the body
"At Bold of Thomas Finsley who was killed by falling out of a Shandry."

[ArabellaStrange]

What on earth is a Shandry?

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

A light horse-drawn cart on springs [north-west dialect], apparently.

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

22 January 1834 "At Warrington of Jane Hornby who died from excessive Drinking."

25 January "At Windle of James Livesley who was Choaked with a piece of Mutton."

[AuntieStella]

You might like this SPORCLE quiz on causes of death in 1665

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

Ooh, did you make that from the brilliant MN thread?

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

27 January 1834 "At Pemberton of Ralph Mason who was Killed by the explosion of inflammable air in a Coal Pit"

27 January "At Poulton with Fearnhead of William Lythgoe who was found Drowned in the Canal."

30 January "At Parr of Robert Wainwright who was killed by the Wheels of a Waggon passing over him on the Railway at Sutton"

These are all from the same page of the coroner's expenses claim.

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

30 January 1834 "At Lathom of Catherine Markand who was Killed by a Hay Stack falling upon her"

3 February "At Ashton in Mackerfield of Ellen Bluestone who was Burned to Death"

8 February "At Saint Helens of Alice Roughton who was Killed by falling down a Coal Pit"

14 February "At Formby of a Man unknown who was found dead on the Shore there"

15 February "At Northmeols of Thomas Rimmer who was Killed by a Cart Wheel passing over him"

[Rockdoctor]

I don't normally venture into the history club but I was drawn to this thread because I recognised the local names.

You have quite possibly just mentioned one of my ancestors

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

[YonicScrewdriver]

Good thread!

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

Oh I got distracted from this. Let me finish the page.

17 February 1834 "At Hollins Green of James Toft who being Lunatic cut his own Throat at Rixton"

19 February "At Kirkby of Henry Fairhurst who was Killed by the Machinery of a Water Corn Mill"

25 February "At Sutton of Martha Cutchley who died by the Visitation of God."

27 February "At Burscough of John Reynolds who was Killed by the Wheels of a Coach passing over him."

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

And another explosion in the coal pit. One more falling down a coal pit, one falling down cellar stairs. And two more "burned so as to occasion their death".

All neatly marked with distance the coroner had to travel to the Inquisition. His expenses totted up to £30 ninepence.

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

Since we're talking about ways of dying in the C19th, here's what I'm reading at the moment, in the Aberdeen Journal of Nov 1858 (my bolding):

Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

—During the month of October there were registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland the births of 2500 children, of whom 1331 were males, and 1169 females. Of that number 2256 were legitimate, and 244 illegitimate, which gives the proportion of one illegitimate birth in every 10.2 births, or 9.7 per cent, of the births as illegitimate. The proportions of illegitimate births in the several towns (considering Edinburgh and Leith as one town) were the following ; —ln Greenock 2.6 per cent only of the births were illegitimate; in Paisley, 7.8 per cent.; in Dundee 9.2; in Edinburgh and Leith, 9.7; in Glasgow, 10.2; in Aberdeen, 13.0 and in Perth, 14.0 per cent.

497 marriages were registered in the eight towns during the month, being 58 fewer than were registered during the corresponding month of last year; and fewer than were registered during any month of October since the Registration Act came into operation. 1812 deaths were registered in the eight towns during the month, being four fewer than during the corresponding month of last year. Of the above number 911 were males, and 901 females. Of the 1812 persons who died during the month, 982, or 54 per cent., were under 5 years of age.

The proportion of deaths under 5 years of age in the several towns was, in Aberdeen, 26 per cent, of the deaths; in Leith, 46 per cent.; in Edinburgh and Paisley, 47 ; in Perth 48, in Greenock, 50 ; in Dundee, 59; and in Glasgow, 60 per cent. Scarlet fever now rages as a severe epidemic in Glasgow and Paisley. In Aberdeen, diphtherite threatens to become epidemic, and six fatal cases were registered there during October. The lowering of the temperature during October has caused a considerable increase in the deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs.

[BitOfFun]

Fascinating, but terribly sad to think of how hard life was back then.