The Folkestone [Kent] Coroner’s book recording inquests held to investigate sudden, violent, unnatural or unexplained deaths to establish the circumstances. The ledger shows dates, name of the deceased, verdict or cause of death, costs of the inquest [room, jury, witnesses, officers] and any remarks.
Some of the deaths are particularly poignant. A male infant was found dead in the Mill Pond in July 1867; on October 12th 1866, a male infant about 7 days old was found in a garden on the Lees; a new born male infant was found dead, supposed to have bled to death in March 1877; a female infant found dead in a shrubbery in May 1885; new born female found dead in Folkestone harbour, February 1886.
Among the many suicides recorded, in 1874. Joseph Olivier, a professor of languages committed “suicide by poisoning, temporary insanity.” A number of other suicides are listed, by poisoning, shooting, even cutting their own throat, and generally were declared to have been temporarily insane to protect their families from legal or religious penalties.
Richard Hawley, a 34 year old contractor’s labourer died of gangrene, following the amputation of his leg which had been badly fractured by a fall of earth at Folkestone canal works.
A large number of deaths by accidental scalding are reported, usually infants or young children; a loose witness statement records the circumstances of the death of a 13 month old child by the upsetting of a saucepan full of boiling water.
It was common for infants to suffocate when sleeping in their parents’ bed; a number of examples are recorded
As one would expect for a coastal town there are numerous records of accidental drowning including a number of sailors, both local and foreign.
George Morley, aged 44 years, died of “Apoplexy produced by excitement consequent on his having been convicted for an assault” September 1885]
One described as “Visitation of God. Syncope. Weakly from Birth.” Another, that of a retired shipowner, aged 70, “Died from syncope by the Visitation of God.”
A 75 year old woman who died from “Starvation consequent on deceased’s own neglect.”
Murders are recorded, including that of female child of Fanny Handcock, laundress, separated from the father. The verdict was “Suffocation by drowning in the sea off Sandgate – Wilfull[sic] Murder by Fanny Handcock.”
One example of “Excusable homicide. Haemorrhage on the Brain from ruptured Blood Vessel caused by a fall on 3rd April 1892 from being pushed down by Henry Moore in self defence - lived till 17th April.”
A case of manslaughter in the case of 26 year old Fanny Gertrude Fletcher who died from “Shock to system from wound inflicted by the Doctor attending the deceased in her confinement by gross careless use of Forceps – Manslaughter.” This was a complicated case and required the exhumation of the body, a very large number of witnesses over three days and a total expense of over £38.
Of the c. 466 deaths recorded, 96 were by drowning, 58 by suicide, 23 by accidental scalding or burning, 14 infants suffocated in their parents’ beds, 19 unidentified infants found dead [abandoned], 8 declared dead by Visitation of God, 7 by murder or manslaughter, and one excusable homicide, as well as a variety of accidents and natural causes.