Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS.............
*Mr Fox of Bakewell –
Mr Fox was the cause of much gossip and speculation in
Bakewell after he took his own life.
The full identity of “Mr Fox” was that of Mr James Fox, quarryman
of Ashford In The Water. He was around
50 years old when he committed suicide.
At the inquest which was held at the Kings Arms, Mill
Street, Bakewell his son Matthew Fox was present to confirm that the deceased
was James. Matthew was a farm labourer
and also lived at Ashford In The Water.
On the day of the inquest the Jury had the gruesome task
of walking to the quarry where they were to witness first-hand the body of
James. Matthew stated that his father
had been acting strangely in the days passed.
Witnesses were called to decipher the events of the tragic day –
John Bond a quarryman from Bakewell told how he saw James
at around 7.20am that morning and they had exchanged small talk, James had said
“Well Jack” and John had replied “Well Jim”.
John did not see James alive again after that.
George Hawkesworth also a quarryman at Chert Quarries
told how around 11am he was alerted by John Bond that James was missing. He went to Bottom Quarry, an unworked quarry
and about 150 yards from the entrance he found the body of James Fox; he was
lying in a pool of blood. About 2 feet
away from James lay a razor which was wide open. P C Keeley was called to scene immediately.
James’s fellow colleagues at the quarry told how James
had not been himself for some time, he had been short tempered and in low
spirits as though something was troubling him.
The Deputy Coroner at the inquest gave a verdict of
“suicide whilst temporarily insane”.
James was born in Monyash, Derbyshire around 1834; he was
married to Elizabeth who died at some time in-between the 1871 census and the
1881 census when James was described as a widower. The couple had at least the following
children; Matthew, David, Elizabeth, Jane and Adam. Was the death of his wife the reason for poor
James’s woes? Does anyone know any more about this family?
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*Harry Booker –
Harry was the name of the child who was tragically run
over by the coach of Dr Rooth at Barlow.
An inquest was held at the Peacock Inn at Barlow and the boy’s
parents gave evidence along with Gervase Margereson and John Spindley; the
coachman. After hearing all of the
statements the jury decided upon a verdict of “accidental death”.
Harry’s birth was registered in the March quarter of 1884.
John Spindley the coach driver had been in the employ of
the Rooth family for many years, in 1871 he was aged 21 years old and working
for them as a servant. He was born in Osgodby,
Lincolnshire. On the 1881 census John is
still living in Dronfield but is now married to Frances and they have a young
daughter named Edith. John must have
been devastated when he accidentally killed young Harry as his daughter Edith
would only have been a few years older than him.
In 1891 John is still employed as a coachman so hopefully
he was able to move on with his life after the tragedy. He has another daughter named Dora
Musgrove. A few years later another
daughter arrives; baby Ida. John and
family are living on Callywhite Lane in Dronfield in 1901 and he is now employed
as a domestic groom.
Were John’s driving days over? It looks like it as the 1911 census shows John
as a hotel keeper. He is now 61 years
old and is running the Midland Hotel on Chesterfield Road in Dronfield. France his wife and his youngest daughter Ida
Isobel are living at the hotel. John and
Frances were lucky as they are recorded on the census return as only having had
three children, but all were still living.
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