PETERSFIELD.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday an inquest was held at Steep, before E. Hoskins, Esq., coroner, on the body of a lad named James Baker. It appeared that the deceased was in the employ of Mr. Maxwell, a farmer living at Steep, and on the morning of the 15th inst. he had to go on errand, and took his master’s pony, and in riding across a meadow, from some cause or other, his head was struck by the branches of a tree. He was almost scalped, and on Friday he died. Mr. F. J. Prince, of the firm of Messrs. Whicher and Cross, surgeons, at Petersfield, stated that he was called to attend the boy on the morning of the accident, and found him quite insensible. He had a large scalp wound extending from the nose over the left ear, which laid the skull completely bare. There were bruises about the mouth which might have been occasioned by a fall. He had attended the deceased ever since, and he never recovered sensibility. It was his opinion that the injuries were the result of riding against a tree.— George Inwood, a farm labourer, who went to the scene of the accident, said the pony deceased was riding was 14 hands high, and several of the branches of the tree hung very low. On the branch above where deceased was lying was some hair, which exactly corresponded with the lad's hair. It was a quiet pony. He assisted in bringing the body home.—The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death.”
Hampshire Advertiser 25 July 1868
PETERSFIELD, Saturday, July 25.
CORONER'S Inquest.—On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at the house of Thomas Croucher, in the parish of Steep, before Mr. E. Hoskins, coroner, and a respectable jury, touching the death of James Baker, aged 16 years, under the following painful circumstances. The first witness called was Eliza Croucher, who deposed as follows:—I am the wife of Thomas Croucher, a farm labourer, living at Steep. The deceased was my son by a former husband, and his name was James Baker. He was 16 years of age, and was employed in farm labour under Mr. Maxwell, a gentleman farmer here. On Wednesday morning the deceased left the house alive, well, and quite cheerful, and bade me good bye. About 7 o'clock the little daughter of George Inwood, a labourer of Mr. Maxwell's came to fetch me to his house, saying deceased was hurt very much. I went; deceased was insensible; blood was all over him; it had come from his mouth and nose. I had him brought home, and Dr. Prince sent for. There was a cut upon the top of deceased's head, as if some weapon had been used. He never recovered sesnibility, so as to account for the injury. Deceased died yesterday morning, the 17th instant. I know of no one who bore him ill will.—Frederick Tickle Prince deposed: I am a qualified medical practitioner with Messrs. Robert Shackleford Cross, and Whicher, registered medical practitioners at Petersfield. 0n Wednesday morning I was called to see deceased about half-past 8, who I found in bed. He was then perfectly unoonscious. He had a large scalp wound, extending over the head to behind; it laid the skin of the skull completely bare. It was apparently an incised wound; tne edges were not jagged in the least. It appeared to have been violently inflicted. The blood was flowing profusely. There were some bruises about the mouth which might have been occasioned by a fall. I attended him to the time he died, whioh was yesterday morning. Deceased never recovered sensibility, so as to account for how the injuries sustained had been received. In my opinion those injuries might have been sustained by falling from the back of a horse, and coming in oollision with some sharp instrument, or, whilst riding, being struck with the branch of a tree. I could not judge from any direction how the blood came.— George Inwood deposed: I am a farm labourer in the employ of Mr. Maxwell. I have known the deceased for years. He was no relation of mine. He was engaged on the farm as under carter. Henry Wait was head carter. On Wednesday morning, at 6 o'olock, I told the deceased to go for George Welch, half-a-mile off, from master's orders, to come to a pond to help me take the mud out. I told him he might take master's pony to ride. He then went. I saw him about a quarter of an hour after. I was in my garden. I saw the pony grazing. I heard no cry. He was just in the direction where he was to go to. I called Henry Wait, and we both ran across the meadow and we saw the poor boy lying under the tree. I saw the blow on the head, thought he was dead. I saw nobody near him. There were some branohes hanging over the part of the meadow very low, and I saw his hair left on the limb of the tree, which corresponded with his hair. I assisted in bringing him home. The pony had no saddle on, but the bridle. I did not see anyone.— The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."
Ancestry shows the Burial register at Steep of James Baker aged 16, on 19-Jul-1868
