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A Batley Boy's Fatal Shooting
Posted on September 16, 2019 | Comments Off on A Batley Boy's Fatal Shooting
On the evening of Friday 24 April 1896 as the life ebbed from seven-year-old George Sharpe [1], he named the person responsible for shooting him – his playmate Alfred Brearey.
George was the son of rag grinder Jesse Sharpe and his wife Mary Wilson. The couple married at Batley Parish Church on 28 April 1877 [2]. It was Mary's second marriage. Her first husband Fearnley Windle died in 1875, age 19 [3], just over a year after their marriage in the same church [4].
George was born on 27 April 1888. By the time of the 1891 census the family were living in the Healey area of Batley, at 41 Healey Street. In addition to George, their other children included Joseph (12), Rebecca (9), Letitia (6), Alice (5) and Lily (4 months) [5]. Ten years later they were at 5 Clark Green Street [6]. But at the time the incident took place their address was 4 Knowles Hill, otherwise known as Baines Street, off Dark Lane in Batley, with George attending Purlwell Board School.
Healey Street – Photo by Jane Roberts
Who was the boy accused of the fatal shooting? Many of the records, including the notes of Coroner Thomas Taylor, refer to him as Arthur. But clues exist that this is not the full story. There are several other references naming him as Alfred or Alfy, many of these within the same documents which refer to him as Arthur.
The report in The Batley News of 1 May 1896 provides the answer to this confusion. A footnote states:
It will be seen that the prisoner was referred to in almost every case as "Arthur." His Christian name is Alfred.
Accordingly, Alfred was the name by which he was summoned before this Court. His birth date was also helpfully confirmed in the Batley Borough Court evidence as reported in the same edition of The Batley News – Alfred was 11 on 8 April.
Combining this information with General Register Office birth registrations, the fact he was the nephew of Benjamin Wilkinson Crossley, and his father was a carrier named Thomas all pinpoints him as being the son of Thomas and Martha Ann Brearey (née Crossley), who married in 1871. His baptism [7] at Batley Carr Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on 18 May 1885 confirms his 8 April 1885 birth date, and a Hanging Heaton residence [8].
Alfred was one of 14 children born in the marriage, but by 1911 only seven were still alive, with Alfred being the only surviving son. In 1891 the family lived at Mill Lane [9], and it was the Hanging Heaton Mill Lane Board School which Alfred attended. But, prior to the shooting, the family moved to Norfolk Street which was close to where the Sharpe family lived. It was once Alfred "flitted" here that he became friends with George.
Norfolk Street, opposite Baines Street – Photo by Jane Roberts
I have pieced together the events of the evening of George's death from various reports on the two official hearings, including the inquest notes made personally by Coroner Thomas Taylor.
First came the inquest on 27 April 1896. With a bitter twist of fate this would have been George's eighth birthday. Held at The Commercial, this piece of Batley history is no longer a public house and was ear-marked for demolition to make way for apartments. I'm not sure if that is still on the cards.
The Commercial at the bottom of Dark Lane – Photo by Jane Roberts
Two days later, on Wednesday 29 April, the boy accused of causing George's death appeared before the Batley Magistrates in a special session of the Borough Court.
In my narrative, to avoid confusion, I will use his officially registered name, Alfred. Though do bear in mind if you are searching yourself many of the original references are actually in the name of Arthur.
This is my summary of events.
On the evening of his death George came home from school at about 4.30pm and, after having his tea, he asked if he could go with Alfred to Farfield Nursery. He set off at around 5pm. This was the final time his mother saw him alive. The nursery, located near the Lady Ann Railway Crossing in Batley, was owned by Alfred's uncle, Benjamin Wilkinson Crossley – a gardener, seedsman and florist who lived at Park Farm on Grovesnor Road. The Kelly's West Riding of Yorkshire Directory of 1893 describes Crossley's multiple floristry services which included:
….ball & wedding bouquets made to order, cut flowers with ferns for table decoration, Memorial wreaths & crosses of white flowers at short notice & moderate prices.
In addition to the nursery, he had an establishment located on Branch Road, easily accessible to potential customers popping into the town centre. Presumably it was from these premises that orders for flowers could be placed.
The 1895 published map of Batley shows Farfield Nursery to be of such a significant size to feature. In 1929 when, after 48 years ownership by B.W. Crossley & Sons, the market garden and rhubarb forcing business was sold, it consisted of five acres with greenhouses, cold frames, two large forcing sheds and three dwelling houses [10]. Back in 1896 it was where Alfred's father, Thomas, had employment as a carter.
Extract of Six-inch OS Map Surveyed 1888 to 1892, Published 1895 showing location of Nursery, Hospital, Commercial (Inquest), and the streets where the boys lived – Adapted
Alfred was in the habit of going to the nursery most evenings to wait for his father to finish work. For the past month or so, whilst waiting, he had undertaken simple tasks such as pricking out and transplanting seedlings. George, at most, accompanied him to the nursery on only a handful of occasions.
This particular evening Alfred went into the potting shed to prick out seedlings, whilst George played, running about the nursery land. Head gardener George Benson left his office in the potting shed at around 6.10pm. He claimed to have locked the office door and put the key in its usual place, hanging by a nail outside the office at a height of about five feet. In the office was a single-barrelled shotgun. This was stored on a beam about seven or eight feet from the ground, but it was accessible to boys if they climbed on the office table. Used for scaring or shooting the pigeons, these birds posed a constant threat to seedlings and crops. In fact, only recently they had destroyed almost all the pea crop. However, it was debatable whether the birds should actually have been shot – many local men owned racing pigeons and some of these birds were quite valuable, as indicated in my blog post about the fate of some local Batley youths who stole pigeons to earn cash. Benson fired the gun on Thursday, and reloaded it with shot and powder on Friday morning. He placed a cap on the gun along with a label on the trigger indicating the weapon was loaded.
Within 20 minutes of Benson's departure, at around 6.30pm, Benjamin Crossley was summoned by his nephew to the nursery. A boy had fallen in the gardens and was bleeding. Crossley could get no more information from Alfred, so he hurried to the nursery to investigate. He found George face-down on the cart road about eight yards or so from the potting shed, with a trail of blood leading back to it. Crossley turned the boy over and asked what was wrong. Cinders embedded in his face from his fall, George uttered the chilling words: Alfred had shot him.
George asked for some water, and the child took a sip. Crossley then went to get medical help and the police. On his way he saw Batley Councillor Rooke Garbutt in the garden of his Howley View home and informed him of the incident. Garbutt, the manager at John Jubb and Sons shoddy manufacturers at Batley's Phoenix Mills, hurried to the nursery which quickly became a hive of activity. In the melee Arthur melted away. He went to the home of George's parents.
Jesse Sharpe was now home from work. Ironically, he worked in the same mills as Garbutt. He had eaten his tea and was smoking his pipe when Alfred turned up. It was around 6.45pm. Alfred seemed frightened and was trembling, which prompted Mary to ask where George was. Alfred spoke two words only – "He's dead." With that he left. Stunned by the news, Jesse went to find out what on earth was happening.
Back at the nursery Rooke Garbutt was doing his best to assist the boy, who had a wound the size of half a crown in his right side between his ribs. From the air being expelled from the hole, the shot had clearly entered his lung. Deep red blood flowed, which Garbutt tried to stem with his handkerchief. Garbutt judged by the jagged shape of the wound, and the absence of pellet marks, the lad had been shot at close range. He asked the child's name and, on at least two occasions, he questioned who had shot him. The response never changed. Alfred Brearey.
Dr Wilkinson arrived on the scene, and immediately judged nothing could be done. George was placed on an ambulance cart and Garbutt, assisted by others, started the journey to Batley Hospital. From the description provided, and with Garbutt said to be between the shafts, it appears this was a cart pulled by the men rather than one drawn by horses. There were various designs of these wheeled ambulance litters and carts throughout the country in this period. The example below is one of the models in use. Others, like the Bischoffsheim hand ambulance which was particularly favoured by London police in this era, were akin to wheeled stretchers. What is unclear is if the mode of transport used for George was an improvised ambulance cart, rather than an official one – especially given there appears to be no named official bearers.
An example of an ambulance, Wrington Cottage Hospital Ambulance, Horace Swete. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/act7mvnt Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY
On their way to the hospital Mrs Dyson of Grosvenor Road came out to dab George's lips with brandy. She gave the ambulance-carriers the bottle in case more should be required. George managed one final word "mother" and, as the ambulance neared the hospital on Carlinghow Field Hill, he breathed his last.
Garbutt passed him to the care of Miss Kanann, hospital Matron, who did her utmost to revive George, but to no avail. Drs Russell and Keighley arrived and pronounced death.
George did not stand a chance. The gunshot had fractured his ribs, perforated the lower part of his right lung, and caused injuries to his liver and abdominal cavity. His body was carried back to his home. Catherine Smith of Thorn Bank Cottage on Dark Lane, who had seen George leave his house at 5pm, only around three hours later was laying out his body. She burned his blood-soaked vest and shirt to spare his mother further distress, an action which earned censure from the Coroner. Evidence should not be destroyed. George's mother finally saw her son at home at around 11pm, once Catherine work was complete.
Meanwhile police brought in Alfred on suspicion of having caused the death of George Sharpe. Inspector Weightman interrogated him. He described Alfred as quite calm, but uncooperative. Alfred stuck to his story. He had found George on the ground; George had fallen; and Alfred had not seen a gun.
Weightman finally took him to the nursery at 9pm, where Crossley and Garbutt met them. The office gun had vanished from its stated place on the beam. Even then Alfred denied ever seeing a gun, but eventually said it had been in a corner of the building. A search ensued and, after around 10 minutes, the discharged weapon was found beneath a bench with the exploded cap still in place. When Alfred's father arrived, the lad said Benson had told a story – the office door was unlocked and the gun was not hung up. The police decided to release George into his father's custody whilst investigations continued.
On Sunday evening, Alfred, accompanied by his parents and a sister went to the Sharpe house. It was an act which demanded tremendous courage under the circumstances. One cannot imagine the reaction and emotions of the Sharpe family when the boy accused of killing their son turned up on their doorstep. At first Alfred denied having shot George, but when pressed by Jesse he finally admitted to it.
The Coroner's inquest, headed by Thomas Taylor, was held the following morning, 27 April. Taylor was critical of the nursery's gun practices. Firstly, he questioned the necessity for having one at all, suggesting they should employ a boy to scare the birds. He also criticised the way in which the nursery kept the gun, particularly the fact it was stored fully loaded.
As for the shooting, he pointed out only George had provided evidence that Alfred was responsible, as the admission extracted by Jesse was inadmissible in Court.
In summary, Taylor stated the boys had no right to be in the office where the gun was kept, but they had got into boy-like mischief. It was impossible to say whether they were simply curiously examining the gun or playing with it. But it was unlikely Arthur would fetch the gun and deliberately shoot his friend. If a person over 14 years old killed another it was murder, unless the contrary could be proved. However, if the person was under seven it was no crime in law. Between the ages of seven and 14, as in Alfred's case, the jury needed to consider whether the perpetrator had sufficient comprehension to know what he was doing. The jury must consider whether Alfred was playing, as boys would do, and this was an accident; or if he shot George wilfully and with knowledge and understanding. The jury deliberated for 15 minutes before returning a verdict of "Death from Misadventure."
That very day, on what should have been George's eight birthday, he was laid to rest in Batley cemetery.
The Borough Court hearing of 29 April initially did not reveal anything further, other than Alfred had never been in any trouble, and caused no problems at home. It was in Court that Alfred was finally interrogated publicly, this not being allowed at the inquest. And it was here, in a dramatic turn, he finally revealed his version of events that fateful evening.
He stated George entered the potting shed asking to see the plants tended by Alfred. The office door was wide open. George went in, got the gun from behind the door and gave it to Alfred. Alfred was trying to put it back when it knocked something and went off. Both he and George were in close proximity in the office when it happened. Sharpe ran for about 10 yards then fell.
The Mayor's summing up and address to Alfred was recorded in The Batley News. He told Alfred that his:
….future might be a bright and successful one….but a cloud would hang over him. If he desired to get on in the world he should remember that it was only by being honourable and upright that he could hope to succeed, and he hoped the events of the past few days would be a lesson to him and to boys outside not to meddle with anything that did not belong to them. Had the gun not been touched except by those to whom it belonged a great deal of misery would have been spared. A liar was worse than a thief, for doors could be locked against a thief but the mouth of a liar could not be bolted. He trusted therefore that the prisoner would take warning. If he [took to heart all that has been said] he would find himself not merely a good lad but a good citizen, and (if he married) a good husband.[11]
The Bench duly agreed with the verdict of the Coroner's Jury – George's death was the result of misadventure. Alfred was discharged.
Whether the full truth came out in Court when Alfred finally admitted responsibility, we will never know. But the scenario described by Coroner Thomas Taylor at the earlier inquest does seem plausible. This was a case of lads messing around. Whether George did get the gun, or whether it was Alfred wanting to show off to his younger friend, is unclear. What is obvious, reading through all the evidence, it does seem to have been a horrible accident. Alfred was only just 11, a child himself. He would have been traumatised by the events of that evening – in shock and extremely frightened. No wonder he did not dare admit what happened. But still he went to seek help.
As for Crossley, he unsurprisingly declined the option to take back his gun. The Coroner's words of two days earlier clearly hit home. If the gun had been stored correctly none of this would have happened. A boy would still be alive to celebrate his birthday. A mother and father would still have their son.
But even though this was all clearly a tragic accident, Mary Sharpe's reaction is one with which everyone will sympathise. On hearing the verdict, she burst into tears and said "he has got off scot free, whilst we have lost our George."
So, what became of Alfred Brearey? Did he heed the advice given by the Court? It seems he did. A warper at Taylor's Blakeridge Mills, he married Florence Shephard on 2 September 1905 at Batley Parish Church [12]. He was an active member of St John's Church, Carlinghow where he was Secretary for their football club. A sports enthusiast, he was a particularly good cyclist and member of the Yorkshire Road Club. They awarded him a medal in 1909 for his record-breaking ride to Goole and back in 4¾ hours. He went on to serve with the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) in World War One, and was killed in action on 27 August 1917. He has no know gave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. At home he is remembered on Batley War Memorial and is recognised in the Rev. W.E. Cleworth's Soothill War Register and Record book [13].
Alfred Brearey – The Batley News, 15 September 1917
For more details about Alfred Brearey see Batley's Roll of Honour website.
[1] Other records have the spelling Sharp, but for consistency I will use the Sharpe variant;
[2] Jesse Sharp/Mary Windle Marriage, Batley Parish Church Marriage Register, accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 [database on-line]. Original record at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Reference WDP37/27;
[3] GRO Death Registration for Fearnley Windle, accessed via the GRO website, reference June Quarter 1875, Dewsbury District, Volume 9B, Page 388;
[4] Fearnley Windle/Mary Wilson marriage, Batley Parish Church Marriage Register, 19 September 1874, accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 [database on-line]. Original record at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Reference WDP37/26;
[5] Sharp family, 1891 census England & Wales, accessed via Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census [database on-line]. Original record The National Archives Class: RG12; Piece: 3721; Folio: 137; Page: 31
[6] Sharp family, 1901 census England & Wales, accessed via Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on-line]. Original record The National Archives, Kew Class: RG13; Piece: 4258; Folio: 49; Page: 1;
[7] His name is entered as Brearley in the Baptism Register. The error is replicated for some of his siblings. Even the Coroner in his notes occasionally records his name as Brearley, and then this is amended. Baptisms for other of Thomas and Martha Ann's children are recorded under the surnames of Brearey or Breary;
[8] Baptism of Arthur Brearley [sic], Batley Carr Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646-1985 [database on-line]. Original record at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Reference C7/1/2;
[9] Brearey family, 1891 census England & Wales, accessed via Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census [database on-line], original record The National Archives RG12; Piece: 3736; Folio: 14; Page: 22;
[10] The Leeds Mercury, 11 September 1929, accessed via Findmypast;
[11] The Batley News & Advertiser – 1 May 1896;
[12] Alfred Brearey/Florence Shepherd marriage, Batley Parish Church marriage register, accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 [database on-line]. Original record at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Reference WDP37/36
[13] Cleworth, Rev. W.E. Urban District of Soothill Upper, Yorkshire, War Register and Records, 1914-1919. Batley: E.F. Roberts, n.d.
Inquest notes for George Sharpe, Coroner Thomas Taylor's notes, accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Wakefield Charities Coroners Notebooks, 1852-1909 [database on-line]. Original record at West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference C493/K/2/1/198
Kelly's West Riding Directory, 1893, accessed via Ancestry.co.uk
OS Map Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland under a Creative Commons licence. https://maps.nls.uk/index.html
The Batley News and Guardian – 2 May 1896
The Huddersfield Daily Examiner – 28 and 30 April 1896, accessed via Findmypast
The Leeds Mercury – 25 April 1896, accessed via Findmypast
The Leeds Times – 2 May 1896, accessed via Findmypast
The Yorkshire Evening Post – 25, 27 and 29 April 1896, accessed via Findmypast
Wellcome Collection – https://wellcomecollection.org/
Comments Off on A Batley Boy's Fatal Shooting
Posted in 19th Century, Batley, Inquests, Local History, Murder, WW1, Yorkshire
Tagged Batley, Court Case, Death, Fatal Shooting, Inquests, Local History, Yorkshire
An Example of Delayed Death Registration – Andrew Callaghan
As a general rule I don't normally 'do' recent family history blog posts. But I'm making an exception for this event in 1968. It concerns the death of my great uncle, Andrew Callaghan. The brother of my grandpa, Andrew never married and he has no direct descendants, so no-one is closely affected. I wanted to write this blog as otherwise he may never be remembered.
To set the scene, the Callaghan family were originally from the Townland of Carrabeg (Carrow Beg) in the District Electoral Division of Urlaur, in County Mayo. They were a farming family. Their two-roomed house housing eight in 1911 (two less than the decade before) was roofed not with slate, but with a perishable material such as wood or thatch. Their outbuildings consisted of a cow house and a piggery [1]. A typical rural family living from day to day.
My great grandfather, Michael, and some of his sons came over to England seasonally (East Yorkshire according to my uncle Brian) for farming work to supplement the family income. It was a lifestyle Andrew continued with, even when he took up permanent residence in England. He never really put down roots.
Mum only has vague memories of her uncle Andrew. One was a family anecdote about a cow. To pay for the passage to America for his eldest sister Bridget, Andrew was tasked with the responsibility of taking a fattened cow for sale at market. The cow was sold, but the family never saw the money. It all sounds slightly Jack and the Beanstalk-ish minus the beans and giant. Despite it all, Bridget did leave Ireland for a new life in North America in September 1909.
Another memory mum has is that of a gift her uncle Andrew gave her, a pen. It is something which stuck in her mind because presents in the family were rare, typically reserved for Christmas and birthdays. Maybe this was typical of growing up in the 1940s and 1950s.
Andrew led an itinerant lifestyle when he left County Mayo for England, moving where farm labouring work took him. He occasionally turned up at my grandparents house when he happened to be in the area, and short of cash! Grandpa usually fell soft but with a wife and eight children to support, this intermittent and unpredictable financial support was difficult.
As for his demise, mum recalls her dad being informed about the possible death of his brother following local media appeals for relatives of an Andrew Callaghan. It was mum's brother-in-law – my dad's sister's husband Denis – who alerted the family. He worked in the local media industry and put two and two together.
Mum recalls her dad identified the body and, along with another brother Martin, he paid for the funeral. It was over in Wakefield. She also remembers whilst other family members viewed Andrew's body she wasn't allowed to, being advised it was bad luck because she was pregnant.
So I sort of knew about Andrew's back-story. But you know the adage "A builder's house is never finished?" Well I reckon the same applies to genealogists. I'm that busy doing family history for others, my own research is sadly neglected. In fact most of the writing for this blog post was done in the wee small hours!
Andrew's death certificate [2] was something I never got round to ordering. The final push came with the impending General Register Office (GRO) price increases earlier this year (2019). This was a death certificate not covered by the cheaper PDF option, so I was especially determined to beat the price rise.
The certificate duly arrived in early February 2019, and it was an intriguing one. It states Andrew was 76, a farm labourer of no fixed abode. He died at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield on 7 February 1968. The copy certificate I have is dated 7 February 2019, so exactly 51 years to the date of his death. His death was not registered until some six weeks later, on 21 March 1968. This followed the 20 March inquest. Cause of death was pretty gruesome, as indicated in the certificate snapshot, below.
I was left with lots of questions. I don't know why, but the hospital death threw me. But the big questions were around why was there a delay between death and inquest which consequently held up registration? Why "insufficient evidence" around the cause of such horrific-sounding injuries? Where had he sustained these injuries? What investigations were carried out to discover the cause of them?
Yet despite these questions, once more my quest to find the answers had to wait.
Five months later I finally squeezed in an opportunity to pick up Andrew's story. I had a small window of time to look at the Wakefield Express. It's a paper which is not online, so it meant a special visit to Wakefield Local Studies Library.
The series of reports spanning six weeks and three editions sums up the tale perfectly. I've reproduced the reports in full here.
Wakefield Express – 10 February 1968
Road victim
A 77-year-old Leeds man, Mr Andrew Callaghan, of Wharf Street, who was found lying with severe head injuries in the middle of Aberford Road, Stanley, on Tuesday, died in Pinderfields Hospital on Wednesday.
He is thought to have been struck by a vehicle.
'Mystery man's death appeal'
When an inquest opened on Tuesday on a 76-year-old man found lying injured in Aberford Road, Stanley, last week, the Coroner (Mr P. S. Gill) appealed for witnesses and relatives of the dead man to come forward.
He adjourned until March [?] the inquest on Andrew Callaghan, of no fixed address, who died in Pinderfields Hospital on February 7.
D.C. G. Browne (Coroner's Officer) said Mr Callaghan was found lying in the road at the Leeds side of the Ne[w?]mark[et?] crossroads at about 12.[?] a.m. on February 6. It was snowing at the time.
He was suffering from injuries which suggested that he had been struck by a motor vehicle. He was taken to Clayton Hospital where he died next day.
No witnesses of the accident had come forward and efforts to trace relatives had failed. Investigations by the West Riding Police were continuing.
D.C. Browne said he had found in the man's possession official documents, including a birth certificate and pension book, giving his name and an address in Wharfe Street, Leeds. Inquiries had been made at the address, which was a type of lodging house, but he was not known there.
"From his clothing, I think he was of the labouring type, travelling the country," he added.
Adjourning the inquest, the Coroner said: "I hope that someone [is] able to tell us something about the accident will come forward. I include in the appeal anyone who was travelling along the Aberford Road about midnight or late at night in February 5."
Wakefield Express – 23 March 1968
Open verdict on man (76) found in road
A Wakefield inquest jury on Wednesday returned an Open verdict on Andrew Callaghan, aged 76, who died in Pinderfields Hospital on February 7 after being found lying injured in Aberford Road, Stanley.
The Coroner (Mr P. S. Gill) told the jury: "It would appear that he must have been struck by a motor vehicle, although there is no evidence that he was."
He recalled that the inquest was adjourned on February 13, when an appeal was made for witnesses of the accident to come forward.
On that occasion the Coroner's Officer (D.C. G Browne) said that Mr Callaghan was found lying in the road on the Leeds side of Newmarket crossroads at about 12.30 a.m. on February 6.
Documents in his possession gave his address as a lodging house in Leeds, but inquiries showed that he was not known there.
On Wednesday Mr John Callaghan [3], a retired trainer [4] of Moorside Avenue, [5] Dewsbury Moor, said that he had not seen his brother for five years. He was then a farm labourer. He did not know where he had been living.
John H. Kenward, of Queen Elizabeth Road, Eastmoor, said he was driving a car in Aberford Road when he saw Mr Callaghan lying in the road. He went to telephone for help and waited with another motorist, Mr David Lloyd Gladwin, of Grove Road, Wakefield, until the ambulance arrived.
"When I first arrived on the scene the body was covered with snow," he added.
NO CLUES
P.C. D. Parker said he searched the area and found nothing to indicate how the accident occurred. No witnesses had been found who could give assistance.
Dr Joseph Adler, pathologist said Mr Callaghan seemed to have been struck about chest height and had received a fractured skull, a broken neck and broken arms.
At the close of the inquest, the Coroner expressed appreciation of the help given by Mr Kenward and Mr Gladwin.
Six things struck me:
The inaccuracy of newspaper reports which reinforces the need to check against other sources. For example the first report said Andrew was 77; there are discrepancies in the spelling of Wharf(e) Street; and my grandpa's occupation and address are incorrect. So corroborate and don't take at face-value;
These newspapers were chock-a-block with road traffic accidents and offences, a sign of the times maybe with less stringent driving laws, including ones around drink driving? It was only the year before Andrew's death that the drink driving limit was introduced, but attitudes weren't the same towards the offence as they are today. Or maybe more a comment about the changes in the local newspaper industry – far much more local news back then so stories that would never make it today with limited space and far fewer papers, were actually covered. Also maybe more incidents were routinely reported to the authorities, with driving and car-ownership on the increase yet still more of a rarity in the late 1960s than today. This is an interesting insight into the history of driving and road safety;
The low-tech investigations of the time which seemed to be limited to visiting a Leeds address, putting out an appeal for witnesses and undertaking a search of the area. Also, as a lay person looking at the brief press reports, it seems incredible that they did not know whether or not the injuries were sustained by a motor vehicle. More to the point there seemed little impetus to find out;
The total whitewash of an inquest. Someone was responsible. Yet was homeless Irishman Andrew so low down in the social pecking order that investigating his death really wasn't worth pursuing beyond the preliminaries? This was the era of "No dogs, No Blacks, No Irish." Within a couple of months of his death that was that, case wrapped up;
The lonely, awfulness of Andrew's life. To be out on a clearly bitterly cold late night in the depths of winter with no place to go. Maybe it was his choice, but a 76-year-old man who had lost touch with his family, with no place to call home, and whose essential travelling documents included his birth certificate because, let's face it, there was no other place to keep it than on his person; and
That today, with increasing level of social dislocation and homelessness, this situation will be one which continues with people dying alone in their homes or on the streets with no immediately identifiable next of kin.
At least I've now managed to find out more about my great uncle. But it's an unsettling tale which has left me feeling incredibly disconcerted.
Footnote: Although it may not have impacted in this case, a delayed inquest may result in a death registration not falling within the expected Quarter, of even year.
Update via Twitter from Chalfont Research (@ChalfontR):
From the details in the blog entry, it looks like a classic example of knowing what happened, i.e. a hit & run road accident but having found no actual evidence or witnesses to be able to prove it, hence the open verdict.
Callaghan Household, Ireland – 1911 Census, 15 Carrow Beg, Urlaur. Accessed via The National Archives, Ireland
GRO Death Registration for Andrew Callaghan, age 76, March Quarter 1968, Wakefield, Volume 2D, Page 797. Accessed via Findmypast. Original Record, GRO England & Wales
John Callaghan is my grandpa
Occupation is incorrect. John Callaghan was a retired coal miner
Address incorrect, should be Road not Avenue
Posted in Callaghan, County Mayo, Death, Death Certificates, Dewsbury, Family History, Genealogy, Inquests, Ireland, Newspapers, Transport Accidents, Wakefield
Tagged 1960s, Callaghan, car accidents, Death, family history, Inquests, Police, Wakefield
The Shocking Death of George Aveyard
Family history at its most basic boils down to births, marriages and deaths. Sometimes it is easy to become immune to the true meaning of the parade of dates marking the start and end of life. There are, after all, so many in a family tree. Occasionally, though, one event does stop you still in your tracks. For me the death of George Aveyard is one such event.
George was the two-year-old son of Daniel and Sophia Aveyard. In the context of my Aveyard One-Name Study, Daniel's parents were George Aveyard (1780-1854) and his second wife Hannah Asquith. The family originated in the West Ardsley area, but somewhere between March 1832 and June 1841, they moved to Gildersome Street, an area south of the centre of modern-day Gildersome.
Daniel was the second youngest of George's 18 children, baptised on 4 August 1830 at St Mary's, Woodkirk [1]. Evidence strongly suggests George and Hannah were my 4x great grandparents.
Daniel, a coal miner, married Sophia Brook at All Saints Dewsbury Parish Church on 23 August 1852 [2]. Sophia was born on 1 June 1832 and baptised one month later at Woodkirk parish church, her parents being William and Amelia Brook [3].
All Saints, Dewsbury Parish Church – Photo by Jane Roberts
Daniel and Sophia's marriage resulted in 12 children [4]. So far, I have identified 10 of them – whilst Aveyard is an uncommon name there was more than one Aveyard/Brook marriage in the relevant period. I suspect I have identified at least one of the remaining children, but more work is required (short of purchasing the relevant birth certificates).
The so far identified children are Simeon [5] (birth registered in 1853); George [6] (birth registered in 1855); Sarah Elizabeth [7] (birth registered in 1861); Brook [8] (birth registered in 1863); twins Joseph and Mary [9], whose diminutive name appears to have been Polly [10] – yes, that is a known short form of Mary, (births registered in 1865); Ada [11] (birth registered in 1868). She was buried on 25 April 1869 at St Peter's Birstall under the name of Adah Aveyard and her father was named as Daniel [12]; Herbert [13] (birth registered in 1870); Richard Newman [14] (birth registered in 1871); and Rachel [15] (birth registered in 1872). She was buried on 21 July 1872 at St Peter's Birstall with her father named as Dan[ie]l [16].
The events in this post took place in Gildersome Street on 13 August 1858, with the inquest taking place before Coroner Thomas Taylor the following day at the King's Arms Inn, Gildersome. Whilst many inquest records do not survive for this period, with newspapers being the main information source, we are fortunate that the HM Coroner of Wakefield records at West Yorkshire Archives (Wakefield) includes the notebooks of Thomas Taylor [17] for the period 1852-1900. They include the notes for the inquest of George Aveyard.
A little over two years old, George was able to talk and had been used to walking alone for about six months. Sarah Aveyard (née Stables) the wife of one of Daniel's older brothers, Thomas, gave an account at the inquest, testifying there were "...always plenty of children playing about" [18] in Gildersome Street where the families lived.
It was clear that even though a toddler, George was amongst them. Her young nephew had been to her house on morning of his death, leaving at around 11 o'clock heading down the road. So, his aunt clearly had no concerns that he was out and about without his mother.
You can envisage the scene: traditionally based around weaving and cloth manufacture but now becoming a mining village, this was a close-knit community with groups of impoverished, grubby children, the streets their playground, freely popping in and out of houses, many of them occupied by relatives. A place where everyone knew everyone. In this period Gildersome Street really was an Aveyard enclave.
At around 11.45 am George arrived home. His mother, Sophia, gave him a piece of bread and content he once more wandered back outside. At around noon she noticed he was missing. This was out of character, as according to Sophia's evidence at the inquest "I have not lost him before." [19]. She sent out her eldest child Simeon to seek him. At this point she believed him to be perfectly safe at his grandmother's home about 80 yards away. This is most likely to be his paternal grandmother, Hannah Aveyard.
It was dinner time and Sophia was starting to feel anxious. Another neighbour, widow Elizabeth Buckley, overheard her asking one of her daughters if she had seen George. This would have been just gone one o'clock. Elizabeth in fact had seen George two or three times that morning.
Now events took on a dark, stuff of nightmares turn. Alice Aveyard, described as "going in [sic] 11 years" [20], daughter of Thomas and Sarah, and therefore cousin of little George, was the one who made the horrific discovery. I imagine it would haunt her until her dying days, a scene no adult, let alone a child, could never unsee.
According to her inquest evidence:
"…I went yesterday afternoon to George Buttery's privy adjoining the Wakefield and Bradford Road. The door was wide open. On looking thro' the hole in the seat I saw a bare knee in the soil and I imm[ediat]ely gave an alarm." [21]
In the 1851 census, Thomas and Sarah Aveyard's household details were adjacent to the entry for the family of George Buttery. In other words they were close neighbours.
So what was a privy? Well, I'll start by saying a privy was a far cry from the flushing, sanitary toilets of today. Improvements had, in fact, commenced with the landmark 1848 Public Health Act which decreed:
"That it shall not be lawful newly to erect any House, or to rebuild any House pulled down to or below the Floor commonly called the Ground Floor, without a sufficient Watercloset or Privy and an Ashpit furnished with proper Doors and Coverings." [22].
There were also provisions for the newly created Local Boards of Health to issue notices where any houses had insufficient provision:
"..whether built before or after the Time when the act is applied to the District in which it is situate…" [23]
But this is a bit of gloss which belies the true unsanitary, conditions. In the period a privy was essentially nothing more than a small wooden, sometimes brick, building which could be shared by several families. The implication, however, in the inquest notes is that the Gildersome Street houses by 1858 did not have massive communal privies shared by scores of people. Alice's evidence is that this one belonged to one household, that of George Buttery. Sarah Aveyard in her evidence stated:
"The privy does not belong to Daniel Aveyard's house." [24]
Number of families aside, the very basic interior design was a wooden board with a hole cut into it. In fact, there could be more than one hole, and these not necessarily divided into separate cubicles.
Excreta (liquid and faeces) would drop through this hole and the waste would drain and collect into cesspits. These were generally porous for the liquid matter to drain away, though this did not always happen. And when it did operate correctly, the question is where did it seep to and what contamination did it cause? The (hopefully but not always) dry waste would build up and eventually be shovelled out by night soil men. And yes, it was a job carried out under the cover of darkness. The waste would then be sold on for manure.
So, the soil referred to in Alice's evidence was actually a euphemism for human excreta.
Even if not serving a large number of houses, the stench surrounding these privies would be unimaginable at any time of year, never mind August and the height of summer. And it was in this hell hole that a child was trapped.
Alice went to tell her mother she had seen a child's leg in the privy. It was about quarter past one in the afternoon. Sarah returned with her daughter to the appalling scene, saw the knee and screamed. This attracted the attention of some local women, including Elizabeth Buckley.
Example of a Privy Seat [25]
The women removed George's body, which was lodged head first in the soil (think about the true meaning of the word soil in this context). Elizabeth testified that when they extracted him, he was dead, his eyes were partly open, there was no froth about his nose and, she observed when she washed his body, that he had no signs of injury. She also stated the the privy seat was not broken and in good order.
In other words this appeared to rule out any foul play, which view the inquest jury duly took. Its verdict was that George had "accidentally suffocated." It is a verdict which does not even begin to capture the hideous circumstances surrounding this young child's death.
Back in 1858, with its alarmingly high childhood mortality rates, a child's death was not the unexpected event it is today in 21st century England. But a child's death in such a ghastly accident was utterly shocking. Perhaps this was the reason Daniel, Sophia and their family had left Gildersome Street by the time of the 1861 census, and had moved to Boggart Lane in the Howden Clough area of Batley, near Still House Farm, which stands today [26]. They wanted to escape the scene of such personal family trauma?
Such was the hideous nature of George's death, the inquest was widely reported in local newspapers, as typified by the 21 August 1858 edition of the Pontefract Advertiser [26] which recorded:
SHOCKING DEATH OF A LITTLE BOY – An inquest was held on Saturday, at the King's Arms Inn, Gildersome before T. Taylor, Esq., on the body of George Aveyard, aged two years, son of Daniel Aveyard, coal miner. On Friday last, about noon, deceased went out of his father's house, and no more was seen of him until one and two in the afternoon, when he was discovered in the soil of an adjoining privy. When extricated he was found to be quite dead…."
It is a death which over 160 years later, and amidst so many other deaths recorded in the course of my family history research, I cannot forget and one that does not cease to sicken.
As for location, the buildings of Gildersome Street have long been erased from maps. Ironically the present-day area is one which I frequently visit. It lies among the network of busy roads and the industrial estate areas, all within minutes walking distance from where West Yorkshire Archives (Leeds) now stands.
[1] Baptism of Daniel Aveyard, St Mary's Woodkirk Baptism Register. Accessed viaWest Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910 [database on-line]. Originals at West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; New Reference Number: WDP108/1/2/1
[2] Baptism of Sophia Brook, St Mary's Woodkirk Baptism Register. Accessed viaWest Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910 [database on-line]. Originals at West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; New Reference Number: WDP108/1/2/2
[3] Marriage of Daniel Aveyard and Sophia Brook, All Saints Dewsbury Parish Church. Marriage Register Accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 [database on-line]. Originals at West Yorkshire Archive Service; Leeds, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; Reference Number: WDP9/28
[4] 1911 Census, Aveyard family entry. Although Sophia is now a widow her Particulars as to Marriage details have been completed. Accessed via Findmypast. Originals at The National Archives, Kew. Reference RG14PN27255
[5] Birth Registration of Simeon Aveyard, March Quarter 1853, Hunslet Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 219, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[6] Birth Registration of George Aveyard, December Quarter 1855, Hunslet Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 184, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[7] Birth Registration of Sarah Elizabeth Aveyard, June Quarter 1861, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 475, Mother's Maiden Name Brooke. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[8] Birth Registration of Brook Aveyard, December Quarter 1863, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 502, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[9] Birth Registration of Mary and Joseph Aveyard, March Quarter 1865, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 550, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[10] 1891 Census, Aveyard family entry. Accessed via Findmypast. Originals at The National Archives, Kew. Reference RG12/3722/12/17
[11] Birth Registration of Ada Aveyard, June Quarter 1868, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 575, Mother's Maiden Name Brooke. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[12] Burial of infant named Adah Aveyard, 29 April 1869 at St Peter's, Birstall. Accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985 [database on-line]. Originals at West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; New Reference Number: WDP5/1/4/3
[13] Birth Registration of Herbert Aveyard, March Quarter 1870, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 578, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[14] Birth Registration of Richard Newman Aveyard, March Quarter 1871, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 604, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[15] Birth Registration of Rachel Aveyard, March Quarter 1872, Dewsbury Registration District, Volume 9B, Page 603, Mother's Maiden Name Brook. Accessed via the General Register Office Website Birth Indexes.
[16] Burial of infant named Rachel Aveyard, 21 July 1872 at St Peter's, Birstall. Accessed via Ancestry.com. West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985 [database on-line]. Originals at West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; New Reference Number: WDP5/1/4/4
[17] Taylor was the coroner for the Honour of Pontefract from 1852-1900, deputy county coroner 1855, 1861-1864, and county coroner 1864-1900.
[18] Coroner's notes at the inquest into the death of George Aveyard, 14 August 1858 Originals at West Yorkshire Archives, Thomas Taylor, West Yorkshire Coroner's Notebooks June to November 1858, Reference C493/K/2/1/9
[22] Public Health Act 1848 (11 & 12 Vict. c.63), An Act for promoting the Public Health – 31st August 1848. Accessed via Legislation.gov.uk website, delivered by The National Archives http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/11-12/63/contents/enacted
[24] Coroner's notes at the inquest into the death of George Aveyard, 14 August 1858 – Ibid
[25] Example of a dry toilet for illustrative purposes. This one is from a railway station in Vrbčany in the Czech Republic. Source Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suchy_zachod_zastavka_Vrbcany_detail.jpg, Attributed to Ludek [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D
[26] 1861 Census, Aveyard family entry. Accessed via Findmypast. Originals at The National Archives, Kew. Reference RG09/3401/107/24
[27] Identical reports featured in The Leeds Mercury of 17 August 1858 and The Leeds Intelligencer of 21 August 1858
Posted in Aveyard, Children, Death, Family History, Gildersome, One-Name Study
Tagged Aveyard, Children, Death, Gildersome, One-Name Study
Mother-in-Law Murderer – Unlucky Friday 13th
Friday 13 June 1794 proved an unfortunate day for both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Both ultimately paid with their lives. One suffered a slow, agonising death. The other's head was subsequently placed in a noose. Mary and Ann Scalberd are names long since forgotten, but in the summer of 1794 they must have been the talk of Batley and Dewsbury, if not Yorkshire.
The unusual name "Scalberd" has a number of spelling variations in the records, including Scalbird, Scalbirt and Scalbert. But, to avoid confusion, I will stick with "Scalberd".
On 6 April 1760 Benjamin Scalberd, from Batley, married Mary Milnes at Dewsbury Parish Church. It appears clothier Benjamin and Mary had four children – John baptised on 16 January 1761, Mary on 21 March 1762 and Moses on 7 October 1764; there is also a burial for a second daughter, Sarah, on 4 May 1772, but I have not traced her baptism. All these events took place at Batley Parish Church. The same church hosted the marriage on 22 January 1787 of their son Moses to Nancy Oldroyd, daughter of Joseph Oldroyd. Like his father, Moses worked as a clothier.
Seven years later his wife faced accusations of murdering his mother.
Batley Parish Church – by Jane Roberts
Coroner Richard Linnecar heard evidence of the circumstances surrounding Mary's death at the Batley Carr inquest on 21 June 1794. Witnesses included Mary's son John and unmarried daughter Mary, along with Sarah Newsham, two surgeons and two employees of a third surgeon. Although none of the witnesses actually saw the incident, the dying woman told several of them what occurred.
Witnesses stated Mary Scalberd was very well on the morning of 13 June. That afternoon Ann, known to the family as Nance, begged Mary to come to her house to look after her children whilst she went out on an errand. Batley parish church records show the baptism of one child to Moses and Ann, a daughter Sally, born on 23 May 1793. However the statements imply the couple had at least one other child.
When Ann returned from her outing she insisted Mary eat some warm milk and sops she had prepared for the children. Initially Mary refused, saying the children needed it more. Ann continued to press her until eventually Mary gave in. When she reached the bottom of the pot containing the concoction she noticed a gritty substance. Challenged by Mary as to what it was, Ann claimed perhaps some lime had fallen into the container. One witness, John, stated his mother told him when she accused Ann of poisoning her, Ann left the room without uttering a word.
Within half an hour of having the milk Mary was taken ill. Her daughter, who lived in Batley Carr, and confusingly also called Mary, told the inquest she saw her mother later that afternoon by which time her now swollen body was wracked by violent bouts of sickness and diarrhoea. Her mother accused Ann of poisoning her. Mary stayed with her throughout these final agonising days, during which her mother suffered "the utmost misery and pain".
The horror of her decline is unimaginable, both for Mary and those witnessing the scene. No indoor flushing toilets, plentiful clean water and disinfectants. Instead sparsely furnished, basic houses with few rooms and comforts, possibly not even a bed per person. And all the time unremitting episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea, with no treatment other than possibly pain relief.
Other visitors to the sickbed included Sarah Newsham, a married woman from Batley Carr. According to her, the rapidly declining Mary "constantly said that Nance Scalberd had poisoned her and if she died at that time she ought to be hanged".
Son John Scalberd, residing in the Chapel Fold area of Batley, gave similar evidence. He saw his seriously ill mother on 15 June and her condition, combined with her allegations, caused him so much concern he immediately sent for a Dewsbury surgeon, George Swinton. The circumstances and her symptoms, including the uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea, led the experienced doctor to suspect ingestion of arsenic.
Arsenic was cheap and readily available during this period. Used around the house for vermin control, it was also popular with those owning sheep as a sheep scab treatment. In the 18th century this involved applying hand washes containing lime, mercury, nicotine, turpentine or arsenic. As a poison, it resulted in an excruciating death over a number of days. The symptoms included fluid accumulation, nausea, constant vomiting, diarrhoea which was often blood-streaked, excessive thirst, a feeling of pressure and swelling in the stomach, intense pain and distressingly, up until the end stages, the victim remained lucid. However many of these symptoms could equally apply to common illnesses such as English cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea. This, combined with the lack of a definitive test and rudimentary medical expertise about poisoning, resulted in only a small number of trials and convictions in this period.
The doctor was unable to do anything to save Mary. She endured agonising suffering for six days, before she finally died on 19 June. However, his suspicions meant he referred the case. Another eminent local surgeon was sent for, Benjamin Sykes of Gomersal. Both he and Dr Swinton opened up Mary for the inquest on 21 June. They concluded her death was the result of arsenic.
Collection: Wellcome Images Library reference no.: Science Museum A600213 Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The final two inquest witnesses worked in the shop of Dewsbury surgeon Robert Rockley Batty. They claimed that on, or just before 13 June, Ann Scalberd attempted to buy a penny-worth of white mercury (the name by which arsenic was known in Yorkshire) from the surgeon's assistant, Henry Hudson. She claimed she wanted it for sheep. Hudson explained that they never sold it. His evidence was backed up by Peter Cannings, a book-keeper for the surgeon. Was this the errand Ann did whilst her mother-in-law looked after the children? To buy the poison with which to commit murder.
Mary was buried the day after the inquest, on 22 June, at Batley Parish Church. As a result of the inquest Ann Scalberd was committed to York Castle, charged with the wilful murder of Mary Scalberd. She would appear at the York Summer Assizes at the beginning of August. They took place in front of Sir Giles Rooke and Sir Soulden Lawrence.
Ann's trial contained a very curious incident, subsequently cited in case law. During examination of one of the first witnesses a juror, Thomas Davison, fell down in a fit. The trial was halted and the juror carried off to a public house to recover. He failed to return and eventually another juror, accompanied by a bailiff, were dispatched to enquire as to his health. The juror duly reported back. Mr Davison would not be well enough to continue. Justice Lawrence discharged the jury and ordered the swearing in of another. This comprised the initial 11 well jurors plus another. The trial continued.
In the face of overwhelming evidence, including that Ann visited several shops attempting to procure the poison, the jury had no hesitation in delivering a guilty verdict to an impassive Ann. She was sentenced to death.
A second trial twist then occurred. Ann "pleaded the belly". In other words she declared she was pregnant, knowing this could be a chance to evade the death penalty. The authorities would not execute a pregnant woman, as this would take an innocent life. If a woman was deemed "quick with child", that is the foetus could be felt to move which was deemed the point when the unborn child had a soul, the execution would be delayed till after birth. Inevitably this meant it would not take place at all, the sentence probably commuted to imprisonment.
In order to establish the validity of this, a jury of matrons was convened. It comprised 12 older women, pulled together from those within the court room, with experience of pregnancy. They adjourned to a private room to conduct the examination.
Ann's last-minute ploy failed. The women reported back – Ann was not pregnant. She would face the death penalty. One newspaper, the "Leeds Intelligencer" stated she now confessed her guilt. However the motive for murder remains shrouded in mystery.
Between 1735-1799, 703 death sentences were passed at York Assizes, resulting in 217 executions. Ann's execution took place on 12 August 1794 at Tyburn, south of the city and the Knavesmire area which now forms part of York racecourse. This is the spot where highwayman Dick Turpin met the same fate in 1739. Ann was one of only three people hung there in 1794, and her execution is a rare occurrence of a woman receiving the death penalty. Her body was given to surgeons for dissection. Her husband Moses died within months and was buried on 7 December 1794 at Batley.
Site of York Gallows – Jeremy Howat. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
This is my final post about Batley in my March focus on local history.
The National Archives, Northern & North-Eastern Assize Papers, Reference ASSI 45/38/2/84B-84C – Ann Scalbird (Depositions) – Thanks to Carole Steers
Batley All Saints Parish Registers
Dewsbury All Saints Parish Registers
Newspapers via the British Newspaper Archive, FindMyPast – Bury & Norwich Post 6 August 1794, Derby Mercury 14 & 21 August 1794, Kentish Weekly Post & Canterbury Journal 17 August 1794 and Leeds Intelligencer 30 June & 18 August 1794
Poisoned Lives – Katherine Watson
Capital Punishment UK – http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/
British Executions – http://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/
The New and Complete Newgate Calendar: Or Villany Displayed in All its Branches, Vol 6
Cases in Crown Law, Vol 2 (1815)
A Short History of Sheep Scab – J D Bezuidenhout
Wellcome Images, Library reference no.: Science Museum A600213, Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Wikimedia Commons – site of York Gallows by Jeremy Howat
Posted in Batley, Criminal Ancestors, Death, Dewsbury, Executions, History, Murder
Tagged Batley, Death, Dewsbury, Executions, Murder, Yorkshire
The Fateful Effects of Intemperance: Knife Crime & Premature Death
In "Attempted Murder in Halton" I wrote about the nasty confrontation which occured in 1842 between my 4x great grandfather Francis Hill and his eldest son William. This resulted in the detention of Francis, accused of stabbing his son in so serious a manner as to endanger his life.
I was reminded once more of Francis whilst doing my Cause of Death Pedigree Charts. He died on 5 April 1857 in Leeds Infirmary.
Described as a farmer, his death certificate states he died as a result of "Disease of the Brain". I think farmer was used in its loosest terms. The 1847 Tithe Map of Temple Newsam shows Francis renting a cottage and garden in Halton from Joseph Asquith. The cottage was the equivalent of 1 perch and the garden 15 perches. A perch equates to 1/160th of an acre. The cottage and garden were not adjacent and the area was surrounded by mainly grassland with some patches of cultivated land. So he did have a little land to cultivate, but not a farm. And I can't see things changing at the time of his death.
Starting off as a butcher, essentially throughout most of his adult life Francis worked as a general labourer. He, and some relations, seemed to have set up together as hay dealers in the 1820s, but this petered out. Other sources at the time of his death described him as labourer, and putting it together with all other documented sources for his occupation I'm inclined to question the death certificate information.
The death certificate also inaccurately gives his age at death as 71. Wrong – he was 67 years old.
Francis' funeral took place at St Mary's, Whitkirk on 7 April.
Whitkirk Parish Church
I did wonder about his cause of death and why it occurred in Leeds Infirmary. Also his death was registered by the Coroner, Mr Blackburn. So what had happened?
Further investigations left me stunned.
With hindsight the drunken argument with his son 15 years earlier provided a clue. Things though hadn't always been so bleak for Francis. When I first started researching him I felt optimistic that he and his wife Grace Pennington (in early documents her family name appears as Penitent) would have a fairly good life. They married by licence at St Mary's Whitkirk on 25 September 1811. This, I hoped, was an indication of a more comfortably off background, where life wouldn't be quite such a struggle.
Initially they settled in Francis' home parish of Sherburn in Elmet. This is where their first two children were baptised, Mary (1812) and William (1814). And it is where William was buried in 1815.
By the time their next child was born the family were back in Halton, from where the Pennington family hailed. This baby was also named William. He of the 1842 stabbing incident. And his baptism was not without controversy either.
The parish register entry at St Mary's Whitkirk, records William's baptism on 14 July 1816. However his surname is down as Pennington, and the entry states he was the illegitimate son of Grace. This was an extremely serious error. If left uncorrected the stigma could have significant consequences in terms of the family's perception amongst their neighbours as well as for William's future inheritance rights. At a time before general registration and birth certificates, the entry in the parish register was crucial providing legal proof of the antecedents of an individual, so the error could have grave implications. It came to light weeks later and the register does contain a corrigendum, a reflection of the legal importance of baptism entries.
It is not clear exactly how the error was discovered, but the correction does contain hints and it is clear that Francis took swift action to put the record straight. The fact that the couple's marriage took place within the parish and appeared in the marriage register would have simplified a resolution of matters.
A note in the parish register states that on 1 September 1816, when William was brought to church having being privately baptised on 14 July, the original entry was discovered to be erroneous, Grace being lawfully married. It points out that the correct entry should read that William was the son of Francis and Grace Hill of Halton and that Francis worked as a butcher. Both the vicar and Francis signed the amendment. Perhaps the private nature of the baptism is a clue – William may have been ill at birth and the baptism rushed, possibly not in church, without Francis' attendance.
Francis and Grace had four further children: Joseph (1821), John (1822), Francis (1824) and Sarah (1827).
Back to events in April 1857 and his cause of death. One headline in the 11 April edition of the "Leeds Times" summed it up: "Frightful Death Of An Intemperate Man". On the same day the "Leeds Intelligencer" reported under the banner "Deaths from Drunkenness"
The multiple use of the word "death" shows this wasn't an isolated incident. Alcohol-related deaths featured regularly in the Victorian newspapers. The 1830 Beerhouse Act (amended 1834 and 1840) was designed to curb the consumption of gin and steer working people towards the lesser evil of beer drinking. The Temperance Movement of the time supported the change. They were primarily an anti-spirit movement in the early 19th century, who regarded beer as more wholesome alternative.
However the Acts led to the rapid expansion of beer drinking establishments. Drunkenness from beer drinking was added to that from gin drinking, and the Temperance Movement switched to being one of teetotalism. Newspapers were filled with tales and warnings of the evil of intemperance, its effects and impact on the moral, social and industrial fabric of Victorian society.
Francis' life, and death, should be seen in the context of this background.
At midnight on Thursday 2 April, Francis was discovered in a state of helpless intoxication, lying in mud, on York Road. He was taken to the police station and from there to Leeds Infirmary. He died in the hospital on Sunday 5 April, just over two days after his prone body was stumbled upon.
The inquest took place on 6 April. It appears from the unnamed witness that Francis was a regular and well-known drinker in the area – the number of Halton beerhouses, inns and taverns would have provided ample opportunity for socialising of an evening. York Road was less than a mile north of where Francis lived. How long he lay in the dark, wet, unlit road before his discovery is not mentioned in the reports. Neither is the person who found him named, but presumably the fact that he was taken to the police station and not to his home may indicate it was not a friend searching for Francis.
In accordance with the evidence presented by Mr R.G. Hardwick, house surgeon to the Infirmary, the inquest jury returned a verdict of "Died from disease of the brain; but whether it was induced by lying in the wet, or some other cause, there was no evidence to show".
Once again the family were centre-stage for the wrong reasons. The events surrounding Francis' death would have been the topic for much tittle-tattle in the local community, only adding to the family's anguish. Maybe older residents remembered the earlier incident of 1842, and all this too was dredged up by Halton gossips, much to the embarrassment of the family. Perhaps the mental afflictions of Grace's aunt were also poured out by these same scandalmongers.
Francis' widow Grace died in 1873. In the years after Francis' death she features regularly in the Whitkirk parish charities' records, receiving money from four separate parish charities. And in the 1871 census, age 80, she still worked as a herb gatherer, an indication of the tough financial circumstances of her old age. But her life wasn't always thus. I will return to another twist in her story at a later date. And that twist may also shed further light on the 1842 stabbing.
Illustration of Whitkirk Parish Church by J.A. Symington from Morkill & Platt's "Records of the Parish of Whitkirk" 1892. Copyright expired and in the public domain
Death Certificate for Francis Hill
Whitkirk Parish Records – parish register & charities' records
"Leeds Times" & "Leeds Intelligencer" – 11 April 1857 -FindMyPast newspapers
Tracks in Time, the Leeds Tithe Map Project: http://www.tracksintime.wyjs.org.uk
Posted in Ancestry, Family History, Genealogy, Halton, Whitkirk, Yorkshire
Tagged Death, family history, Intemperance, Victorians
Cancer, Colic, Chest Complaints & Constipation: Causes of Death
Following my Birthplace Pedigree post, I'm turning my attention to a more macabre topic: a Cause of Death Pedigree.
Victorian Headstones – Photo by Jane Roberts
This is based on evidence provided in death certificates, so is time limited to after the introduction of General Registration in July 1837. Burial entries in parish registers have provided a cause of death for some of my ancestors prior to this date. However, given the small numbers this applies to and the fact these are normally reserved for "unusual" deaths, for the purposes of this exercise I decided against including them.
As it is based on the General Registration period it goes beyond the popular five generation format for my English lines. For my Irish ones I've had much less success. The other tweak is I've started with my grandparents as, thankfully, my parents are still alive. Something I didn't think would be possible this time last year when my dad was living under the shadow of a terminal cancer diagnosis and given a matter of weeks to low months to live. That turned out to be a misdiagnosis, only discovered 12 months later…..but that's a whole new story.
I've also gone beyond a simple cause of death. I've included ancillary conditions listed on the death certificate. I've also included an age and year of death to see if the length of my ancestor's lives improved in line with medical and public health advances. Where I have no proof of birth date I have accepted the age of death given on the certificate, although for some I do have doubts. If I know the age is definitely wrong on the death certificate, through other documentary evidence such as a birth certificate or baptism entry, I have amended it to reflect my ancestor's correct age at death.
I've created separate charts reflecting the lines of all my grandparents. Those charts containing Irish ancestry are significantly shorter than the ones for my English branches.
The first, for my paternal grandmother, is one such example. This is very limited in terms of cause of death information. As yet I've to trace death certificates for three of my four Irish 2x great grandparents.
Chart 1: Paternal Grandmother Cause of Death Pedigree
The next charts (2a and 2b) reflect the causes of death in my paternal grandfather's line. His is a mix of English and Irish ancestry. Because of the size I've split this one in half. The cross-over point is my 3x great grandparents, who feature in both parts. Hopefully this makes things easier to read than a 17th century document!
Chart 2a: Paternal Grandfather Cause of Death Pedigree
Chart 2b: Paternal Grandfather Cause of Death Pedigree
The next set of charts are for my maternal grandmother, a purely English line. Again, given the size, I've split this into two parts. My 3x great grandparents are the cross-over point featuring at the end of 3a and the start of 3b:
Chart 3a: Maternal Grandmother Cause of Death Pedigree
Chart 3b: Maternal Grandmother Cause of Death Pedigree
The final pedigree chart is another Irish one, my maternal grandfather's ancestors.
Chart 4: Maternal Grandfather Cause of Death Pedigree
One feature I was pleased, and surprised, to see is the relative longevity of both my maternal and paternal lines. I'm hoping that holds true, given my impending surgery. The average age of death for mum's line is 71 and dad's 66, far higher than I anticipated before doing this analysis. It illustrates yet again childhood was the most dangerous period. By their very nature direct line ancestors survived till adulthood – and mine seemingly fared well in the longevity stakes.
The range of death causes, particularly on dad's side, also struck me. Looking at his line the most common death cause appears to be general old age. And sticking with this branch, in terms of diseases traditionally associated with Victorian England, phthisis (TB) struck a couple of ancestors, and that was it despite living in increasingly urban areas of Yorkshire.
Of note is the ovariotomy resulting in the death of my 3x great grandmother in 1881, a procedure with a lamentable success rate in this era. In fact, controversially during this period, an ovariotomy could be performed to remove normal ovaries, not just for treating diseases such as cysts and tumours. This practice started in 1872 and it became the fashionable treatment for menstrual madness, pre-menstrual syndrome, neurasthenia and "all cases of insanity". The practice of removing normal ovaries was supported by distinguished gynaecologists and psychiatrists, becoming one of the great medical scandals of the 19th century.
Turning to mum's side, other than general old age, chest problems feature prominently. Some are occupational, but others are definitely not. These range from bronchitis and pneumonia to long term conditions such as asthma. There are also a number of possible stroke-related deaths. The diabetes-related death of my great grandfather has health repercussions in the family today. And once again there are very few of those historic infectious diseases particularly associated with the 19th century. There is a single case of typhus.
A few other quick points, not rocket science but amply illustrated in this "cause of death" sample:
the imperfection of diagnosis in the 19th century. Not a shock, given my 21st family example. But it's interesting to see concrete demonstrations back then. One of my ancestors has a death certificate which actually states "1 day ill, cause not known". Another certificate stated "cramps";
linked to these diagnostic limitations, perhaps some of these cases of old age, general debility and natural decay, as well as prostate gland enlargement, masked other illnesses such as cancer. Cancer started appearing in death causes for my family in the early 20th century, particularly on my paternal line;
illnesses manageable or treatable today, such as bronchitis, asthma and diabetes, were fatal back then. Some other conditions are curable. One of my ancestors died of an obstruction in the bowels from costivenes (a word for constipation). Again an imperfect diagnosis, possibly cancer, but potentially eminently treatable in the 21st century; and
despite the passage of time and medical advances, my oldest ancestor in this sample died in 1852 age 96. So luck plays a part.
I've found this exercise particularly worthwhile and informative on a number of levels. Apart from the causes of death and ages, it has highlighted there are three English death certificates on my maternal line I need to track down. So a genealogical help, encouraging a critical review of information and information gaps. Also, looking to the future, there are definite identifiable illness susceptibilities which feature in the descendants of these ancestors today. So potentially a medical help.
Posted in Ancestry, Death, Family History, Genealogy
Tagged Ancestry, Death, family history, genealogy
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text:
Robert Shafto (sometimes spelt Shaftoe) (circa 1732 – 24 November 1797) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1760 and 1790. He was the likely subject of a famous North East English folk song and nursery rhyme "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" (Roud #1359).

Biography
Robert Shafto was born around 1732 the son of John Shafto and his wife Mary Jackson, daughter of Thomas Jackson of Nunnington, Yorkshire at his family seat of Whitworth near Spennymoor in County Durham. He was educated at Westminster School from 1740 to 1749, when he entered Balliol College, Oxford.

He succeeded to the family estates on the death of his father John in 1742. Both his father and uncle Robert Shafto had been Tory Members of Parliament. He continued this tradition, becoming one of the two members for County Durham in 1760, using his nickname "Bonny Bobby Shafto" and the now famous song for electioneering purposes, defeating the Whig Sir Thomas Clavering, with a campaign supported by Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle, who was the prime minister, Henry Vane, first earl of Darlington, and the bishop of Durham. However, once in parliament he dropped this allegiance, supporting the administrations of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute and Pitt the elder. He held the County Durham seat for two parliaments until he declined to stand in the election of 1768.

On 18 April 1774 Shafto married Anne Duncombe (died 1783), daughter and heir of Thomas Duncombe of Duncombe Park, Yorkshire, by his marriage to Diana Howard, a daughter of Henry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle. Shafto and his wife had three children, John (1775–1802), Robert (1776–1848), and Thomas (born 1777). His wife, Anne, had inherited property in the rotten borough of Downton in Wiltshire and he became one of its two members in 1780. He is known to have supported William Pitt the Younger during the regency crisis of 1788–9 and did not seek re-election in 1790. Robert Shafto died on 24 November 1797 and is buried in the Shafto family crypt beneath the floor of Whitworth Church. He was succeeded in his estates by his elder son, John Shafto.

The song

The song is said to relate the story of how he broke the heart of Bridget Belasyse of Brancepeth Castle, County Durham, where his brother Thomas was rector, when he married Anne Duncombe of Duncombe Park in Yorkshire. Bridget Belasyse is said to have died two weeks after hearing the news, although other sources claim that she died a fortnight before the wedding of pulmonary tuberculosis. Even if the song was not composed about him, his supporters almost certainly added a verse for the 1761 elections with the lyrics:

Bobby Shafto's looking out,
All his ribbons flew about,
All the ladies gave a shout,
Hey for Bobby Shafto!

Thomas and George Allan, in their Tyneside Songs and Readings (1891), argued that the "Bobby Shafto" of the song was in fact a relative, Robert Shafto (1760–1781) of Benwell. It is likely that his grandson, Robert Duncombe Shafto, also used the song for electioneering in 1861, with several of the later verses being added around this time.

References

External links
Famous North Eastern people
Portrait of his son, Robert by Sir Joshua Reynolds
 Midi file of "Bobby Shafto"

1732 births
1797 deaths
People from Downton, Wiltshire
People from Spennymoor
People educated at Westminster School, London
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Bobby Shafto
Northumbrian folklore
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1754–1761
British MPs 1761–1768
British MPs 1774–1780
British MPs 1780–1784
British MPs 1784–1790
Songs about politicians
Cultural depictions of British men

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The pieces started to fit together the night they dropped her. For years Cathy Land had been by the sense that something wasn't quite right. There were periods of unaccounted missing time, mornings when she felt heavy and lethargic despite a full night's sleep, an unsettling sense of somehow having been visited.
"It finally made sense," she recalls.
Her son's comment propelled her to the Internet, where she found some Christians who didn't dismiss her experiences as nonsense. Her faith was enriched and deepened by as she discovered that God's power could free her from her years of torment.
An office manager for a medical supply company, and one-time stock-car racer and singer-musician, Land began to read all she could to learn more about what she had trouble learning for so long. She had been fascinated by UFOs since early childhood, one time reporting a seashore sighting to the police.
One time her son told her of a frightening encounter he'd had with "a tall man." She admits that his account had scared her.
Land's anger over the years her life was "held" spurred her to tell her story to other's caught in the UFO mesh.
An active part of her local Baptist church in Jacksonville, Florida, Land says that she now has a peace she never knew before. "I didn't know it for years," she says. "It was a miserable existence from day to day. Nobody should be victimized like that. If I can save only one person from being harmed, then I have to do this for God. It's my offering to Him.


text:
Two men suffer facial injuries in 'targeted' attack at home in Cleveleys
Festive lights are shining bright for Fleetwood after bumper switch-on
Fleetwood is all lit-up for Christmas after a spectacular switch-on extravaganza at the weekend.
For the first time, the event was staged over two days with a range of activities across the town on both Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday evening saw the return of the lantern parade down Lord Street after last year's cancellation, with mascots in fancy dress and a huge turn-out from the Fleetwood public.
Fleetwood Old Boys Band, an ever-present fixture in the town's big events, were part of the parade and there was also a heritage bus - a late replacement for the Fisherman's Friend tram which couldn't make the journey to Fleetwood after a building collapsed close to the tram track in Blackpool.
Festive lights are shining bright for Fleetwood after bumper switch-on. Ravenswood Photography
The switch-on itself then took place at the Marine Gardens with Chaucer Primary School pupil Kayden Butterworth getting to press the switch after reaching the final of a find the elf competition.
There was also a switch-on concert featuring Larkholme School choir, the Starmaker theatre group and father-and-son singing duo Wal and Dion Mitchinson. Organisers were delighted with the turn-out on Saturday night, in bitterly cold and blustery conditions - especially as there were fears that Storm Arwen might cause the event to be cancelled.
Julie Dalton, secretary of Fleetwood Christmas Lights Committee, said: "On Saturday morning we were worried about safety but thankfully the weather calmed down as the day wore on.
"We couldn't have been more pleased with the turn-out, especially as it was so cold. The Fleetwood people did us proud, we were humbled."
The event was jointly coordinated by Wyre Council, Fleetwood Town Council and the Festive Lights Committee.
Although the blustery weather caused the festive funfair in the Marine Gardens to be cancelled, there were still plenty of activities over the weekend.
In the Marine Hall and gardens there will be a magical Festive Fayre starting each day, featuring delicious festive food and drinks, Christmas crafts and gifts for festive shopping.
Traditional Victorian Carol singers performed festive hymns throughout Saturday, while on the Sunday the Mount Pavilion underwent a true festive transformation to become Santa's Grotto.
Now, in the run-up to Christmas, Lord Street will feature dazzling white festive lights and two illuminated trees for some festive cheer.
FleetwoodLord StreetOrganisersMarine Gardens

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: System problem detected Recently, after booting the window appears "System Problem Detected" - and I choose "Report problem". So how can I find out what actually is the problem? Otherwise everything works as expected. Xubuntu 18.04 on HP15 laptop.

A: The "System Problem Detected" popup usually means that a crash occured.
The apport application listens for crashes. When one occurs, it constructs a .crash file in /var/crash with plenty of details for bug triagers to understand how and why the crash occurred.
Look in /var/crash for the .crash file to learn the cause. It's an ordinary text file - you can open it in any text editor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


1. What is KTS InfoMate?
KTS InfoMate is a software package to remotely manage digital signage systems / digital notice boards and its contents.The software package is shipping with all necessary tools and technologies to remotely administer form the comfort of your PC.
2. What are main components of KTS InfoMate?
KTS InfoMate has 2 main components namely Digital Signage Management Software (called KTS InfoMate Client), A Digital Signage Player (called KTS InfoMate Server) and an optional Web Content Management System(CMS) to display the organizations contents from the Website. For more details click here.
3. What are main system requirements of KTS InfoMate?
Any PC which can run WindowsXP SP2 and above with at least 5 GB of Hard disk space, 1GHz and above processor speed , more than 1GB RAM and with a minimum display resolution 1024 X 768 . For more details click here.
4. What are the different types of contents that can be displayed in KTS InfoMate?
Currently the system supports, text, images, videos, streaming videos, web pages, web sites, RSS feeds, Flash video files, Power point files etc..
5. Can I use KTS InfoMate in Event Management ?
Yes, you can use KTS InfoMate in Event management (especially video event related functions). KTS InfoMate ships with 3 special features (event item , group layout , as well as setting a layout to a specific destination) which will greatly aid in event management functions.
6. Can I split a display screen and display different items like images , videos etc?
Yes, you can logically split a display screen into different compartments and display different items like image, flash, videos, RSS feeds, web sites, live video stream etc.
7. What all type of video streaming technologies are supported by this application?
8. Can I display video from my local camera or cable TV connected to my PC?.
Yes you can display video from Local camera or cable TV to the Signage Player. The only requirement is the camera or cable TV hardware should be DirectX technology compatible.


text:
Congress agrees to a Covid stimulus deal. Here's who's likely eligible for a $600 check and when you'll get it
After months of failed negotiations, lawmakers have finally agreed to a new $900 billion coronavirus relief package.
Congressional leaders have not yet released text of the more than $2 trillion legislation — which will include broader government spending measures — but the pandemic recovery bill was set to include direct payments of up to $600 to eligible adults, plus $600 per child dependent.
While the adult benefit would be half the size of the first stimulus check, the amount earmarked for qualifying dependents was raised by $100.
Wondering whether you qualify? Here's what you need to know.
Who's eligible
Under the new Covid relief package, at the full benefit amount, a family of four could potentially receive $2,400, though the income criteria for the second stimulus check have not yet been released.
However, if it follows the same structure as the March CARES Act, those qualifying for a full stimulus payment include individuals earning up to $75,000, or $112,500 as head of household and $150,000 as a married couple filing jointly. For every $100 earned over these income thresholds, payments are reduced by $5, up to a specified maximum income.
However, it is worth noting that the CARES Act checks were worth twice as much, so it is not yet clear how the $600 checks will be phased out.
When you'll get it
First in line will likely be individuals who already have their direct payment information on file with the IRS.
Within two weeks of the CARES Act going into effect in March, more than 81 million payments were disbursed, totaling more than $147 billion, all through electronic transfers to recipients' bank accounts, according to the Government Accountability Office.
"I was surprised last spring at how rapidly the Treasury Department was able to roll out the economic impact payments," said Janet Holtzblatt, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has already promised a similarly aggressive timeline, saying that he could start processing checks as soon as the legislation passes.
"I can get out 50 million payments really quickly. A lot of it into people's direct accounts," Mnuchin previously said in August.
That includes those who signed up to receive a refund by direct deposit when filing their 2018 and/or 2019 taxes, and it may also extend to the 14 million people who previously registered their details via two new online tools the IRS built this spring to collect banking and contact information.
The Treasury did not respond to CNBC's request for comment as to whether previously captured banking information would be reused, should there be a second round of stimulus checks.
If the qualifications for compensation remain the same as those outlined in the CARES Act, many individuals who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will also be eligible for full rebates.
But how fast that money is received is largely dependent on whether the recipient already uses direct deposit for their monthly benefit payment. If they do, the stimulus cash will likely be credited to their account automatically.
If Social Security benefits are sent by mail, however, a longer wait is expected.
For those who are eligible for a stimulus payment but have not shared their bank account details with the IRS, they can expect to instead receive a paper check or a prepaid debit card.
The Treasury has the capacity to deliver five to seven million paper checks a week, in addition to checks for other federal programs. IRS and Treasury could again prioritize the mailing of the second stimulus checks to the country's lowest-income earners, starting with individuals making less than $20,000 per year.
Still no $1,200 stimulus check?
Keep in mind, there are still people waiting for all or part of their first Covid relief payment. Tax experts say it is not too late to request that cash.
"They can get the stimulus payment they are eligible for in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 taxes," said Lisa Greene-Lewis, certified public accountant and TurboTax expert.
The payments included up to $1,200 per individual or $2,400 per married couple, plus $500 per child under 17. The tax credit would either lower the amount of tax you need to pay, or increase the value of your tax refund.
The easiest way for a taxpayer to get a stimulus payment, or additional payment — if they are, in fact, due more — is to apply on their 2020 tax return, explained Mark Steber, chief tax officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.
"There will be a schedule and line on the tax return to reconcile what they have received so far, and the amount actually due to them based on their 2020 tax return," continued Steber.
The IRS says that eligible individuals can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. These forms can also be used by people who are not normally required to file tax returns but are eligible for the credit.
For those concerned about how this might complicate the filing process this year, Greene-Lewis tells filers not to worry because automated tax preparation software will factor this in for you.
"TurboTax has guidance related to stimulus payments and other impacts of Covid-19," explained Greene-Lewis. "It will ask up front if the filer received a stimulus payment and then calculate the Recovery Rebate Credit based on actual 2020 income."
Whatever your circumstances, tax experts agree that filing early will be an especially good idea this year.
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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
Stock futures flat as lawmakers reach last-minute stimulus deal
Mon Dec 21 , 2020
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a news conference with other Senate Republicans at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 15, 2020. Tom Brenner | AFP | Getty Images Stock futures held steady in overnight trading on Sunday as Congress managed to seal a coronavirus stimulus […]
Wealthy investors see nothing that will stop this relentless bull market
Hong Kong extradition law could jeopardize special economic agreement with the US
Chinese markets drop beyond 7% amid virus fears on first trading day after Lunar New Year holiday
Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Uber, Shake Shack, Myriad Genetics and more
FAN Editor 1 year ago
Gold prices regain some ground, but technician warns they have further to fall
Doctors share their ideas on how to get people to pay attention to Covid restrictions


A lobster's shell can't grow, so as the lobster gets bigger and older, it molts and forms a new shell. Molting occurs about once a year in an adult lobster. This is a vulnerable time in which the lobster retreats to a hiding spot and withdraws out of its shell. After molting the lobster's body is very soft and it can take a few months for its shell to harden again. When fish markets advertise... A frozen lobster has many benefits compared to a live lobster. It costs less, is easy to prepare, and can be stored for a very long time in the refrigerator, until you are ready to cook it. It costs less, is easy to prepare, and can be stored for a very long time in the refrigerator, until you are ready to cook it.
How to cook lobster. Including boiling, steaming, grilling and serving. Including boiling, steaming, grilling and serving. There are several ways of cooking lobster, however the simplest and most common method is to boil or steam it.
They know the exact location to place the blade in to cut and instantly kill the lobster by slicing the brain in two. The lobster meat can then be removed from the shell and the tail chopped off to be sold. The dead lobster can also be cooked as is, in the shell.