Liss.
SUDDEN DEATH.—One of those awful instances of sudden death occurred on Tuesday last in this parish, which has cast a degree of gloom and sorrow around rarely experienced, and verifying the sacred truth that ‟in the midst of life we are in death.” It appears that Mr. Henry Mills, aged 61, highly respected miller and farmer, residing at Liss mill, was walking over his land on the evening of the day above named, at six o’clock, when he observed some colts belonging to a neighbour in a meadow of his adjoining the forest; he therefore proceeded to drive them out which after some trouble he succeeded in doing. He was then seen by the gatekeeper to approach the gate alongside the Direct Railway, he swerved a little and suddenly fell. Assistance was immediately rendered, but the vital spark had fled. The lamented deceased has left a wife, three sons and two daughters to lament their sudden and irreparable loss.
West Sussex Gazette — Thursday 29 September 1864
LISS
SUDDEN DEATH OF A MILLER.—An inquest was held on Thursday last on the body of Mr. Henry Mells, aged 60, miller and farmer, residing at Liss Mill. On the previous Monday deceased was walking over his land, and was observed to drive some colts out of a meadow after considerable trouble. He then went towards the railway, and was seen by a person named John Turner, in his employ, and also by a railway gatekeeper. He was giving some directions about turning some water, when he uttered a groan and fell to the ground. Mr. Peskett, medical practitioner at Petersfield, deposed to making a post mortem examination of the body. There were no external marks of violence, but the heart had lost its original texture. It was called a ‟softening of the heart,” and he was not surprised at his dropping after his exertion. A verdict was returned of ‟Died from natural causes, viz., disease of the heart.”
Ancestry shows the burial register for Henry Mells age 60 years at Lyss on 22-Sep-1864 by Coroner’s warrant. N.B. Mary Mells buried 6-Jan-1865 age 54years (Wife?)
