George
Taylor was my great grandfather. He married Margaret Smiles in 1877 and they
went on to have 12 children, including my grandfather William Taylor (1890-1972).
Information about George’s life can be found in my item about Margaret on this
blog.
It is now
possible to order a digital image of a death register entry from the General
Record Office for only £2.50. This covers deaths in England and Wales from 1837
to 1957. I used this service to obtain information about George’s death.
The death register
entry shows that George died on August 23rd 1903 at the Seaman’s
Hospital, Greenwich. He was a labourer, aged 54, living at 7 West Street, New
Charlton. The cause of death was shock and exhaustion following a fractured leg
and amputation. It was consequent upon a fall in the street on August 1st
last and by misadventure. The death was certified by the Deputy Coroner for the
County of London. An inquest was held on August 24th 1903.
I found items
in the British Newspaper Archive which provide further details. The Woolwich
Herald published the following on Friday 28 August 1903
GREENWICH
WOMAN'S AWKWARD POSITION.
"An inquest
was held at Greenwich on Wednesday on the body of George Taylor, aged 54, of 7,
West-street, Charlton. who, it is alleged, was pushed down, on August Ist, by
Ada Parkinson, who stands remanded on bail until September 7th on the charge of
causing grievous bodily harm to deceased.
The Deputy
Coroner (Mr. H. B. Sewell) said it appeared two boys were fighting in
Woolwich-road. and deceased attempted to separate them, but was pushed down by
Parkinson, who was unable to be present, as she had just been confined.
Margaret
Taylor. wife of deceased, said she saw deceased on an ambulance on August Ist.
He was taken to the Seamen's Hospital, and on August 2nd he told witness he was
parting two little boys who were fighting, when a woman (Mrs. Parkinson) pushed
him down and fractured his leg. Deceased was not a drunkard.
Leslie
Parkinson, a schoolboy, eight years of age of 1, Ransom-road, Charlton, said he
was fighting with Alfred Garrett. Deceased smacked witness's face and told him
not to fight any more. Witness went house and told his mother. Witness had a
sore on his ear, and deceased hitting him made it bleed. His mother ran out and
pushed deceased, who fell on his side.
Lily
Parsons, of 2, Ransom-road, Charlton, a charwoman, said she saw the two boys
fighting, and deceased strike a boy. Witness considered deceased was the worse
for drink, and told him (deceased) not to strike one more than the other.
Deceased replied " Mind your own business." Witness then went and
told Mrs. Parkinson, who went after deceased and caught hold of his coat and
asked him for an explanation. She let go of deceased's coat, and he fell.
Elizabeth Heyburn, of 8, Ransom-road, Charlton, corroborated. The Coroner said
witness would have done better to have minded her own business.
P.C. 106 R
said he was in Woolwich-road, Charlton, when he saw accused go up behind
deceased and push him down. Dr. Berry was called, and ordered deceased to the
Seamen's Hospital. Witness then went back to Mrs. Parkinson and took her to the
station, and read the charge, to which she made no reply. The man was sober,
but appeared feeble on his feet.
Dr. Burgess,
assistant house surgeon at the Seamen's Hospital, said that both bones of the
ankle of deceased were broken. On the 17th it was necessary to amputate the
leg. Deceased collapsed after the operation, and died last Sunday. The cause of
death was exhaustion following the operation, which was necessary.
The jury
returned a verdict of "Death from misadventure." The Coroner
disallowed the expenses of witnesses Parsons and Heyburn. It was stated that
the accused paid the doctor's fee the same night, and expressed regret at the
occurrence."
The Woolwich
Herald followed this up on Friday 11 September 1903
CHARLTON
MAN'S SINGULAR DEATH.
"Ada Ellen
Parkinson, of 1, Ransom-road, Charlton, on remand with unlawfully inflicting
grievous bodily harm upon George Taylor by knocking him down and fracturing his
left ankle. The previous evidence showed that there had been a dispute over a
lad, and Mrs. Parkinson had pushed the man, and he fell, breaking his ankle,
which afterwards necessitated amputation. The police now stated that the man
had since died, and at the inquest the jury had returned a verdict of
"Death from misadventure," and they asked for the case to be
withdrawn. This the magistrate agreed to.
Earlier in the day a woman made application, who stated that she was the widow of Taylor, asking whether she could claim any compensation for the death of her husband. The magistrate stated that her only course was in the High Court, which would cost her a lot of money, and perhaps she might find that the woman had nothing, and applicant would then have to pay the costs."
