Now! Then! Sir John Stapylton of Myton-on-Swale loses a fight with a sheep

24 October 1733: Sir John Stapylton of Myton-on-Swale loses a fight with a sheep

John Hobson. 1877. The Journal of Mr. John Hobson, Late of Dodworth Green. Yorkshire Diaries and Autobiographies in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Ed. Charles Jackson. Durham: Surtees Society. A (morbid) compendium of everyday England. It is sometimes unclear whether the date given is that of an occurrence or that on which news reached his capacious ears. Get it:

Excerpt

This day Sir John Stapylton was slain near Aberford by a fall from a horse, frightened by a sheep which lay in a hedge bottom, which rose up suddenly. The horse started sideways, Sir John fell down, he spoke a few words, and died immediately. He had designed to start candidate for a knight of the shire at the next election. He is succeeded by Sr Miles Stapylton, who is about 25 years old, and will stand candidate.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

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Original

This day, Sr John Stapylton, of Myton, was slain near Abberfirth, by a fall from a horse, frightened by a sheep which lay in a hedge bottom, which rose up suddenly. The horse started sideways; Sr John fell down; he spoke a few words, and died immediately. He had designed to start candidate for a knight of the shire at the next election. He is succeeded by Sr Miles Stapylton, who is about 25 years old, and will stand candidate.

81 words.