Now! Then! Lewis Fenton, Huddersfield MP, falls mysteriously from the upper window of his house

Excerpt

Mr William Wilks, surgeon, of Huddersfield, examined him, and found a wound about three inches in length on the prominent part of the forehead, just above the right eye. On further examination he found an extensive fracture of the skull. A portion of the brain protruded, which he removed. The captain could speak, and witness asked him some questions, which he answered in a very incoherent manner. On his asking him how he was, he shook hands with him most cordially. Witness knew of nothing which could cause excitement; when he last saw deceased he was in excellent spirits. Witness produced some notes in the handwriting of Mr Fenton, for a speech which he was to have made at a meeting of Mr Wilberforce’s friends, which had been written by Mr Fenton as late as nine o’clock on Tuesday, which proved him to be of sound mind. Mr Wilks, after he had given his evidence, mentioned some conversation which he had had with Mrs Fenton, in which she had stated that her husband was in the habit of going into the garret (whence it was supposed that he had fallen) for the purpose of looking out of the window into a piece of ground where some turnips were growing, to see that none of his cows were trespassing in it.

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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:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

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Via Kathryn Rix at Victorian Commons (Rix 2019/12/19).

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Original

On Wednesday (Nov. 27) the town of Huddersfield was thrown into the greatest consternation, in consequence of a report that Capt. Fenton, M.P. for that borough, had fallen out of an upper window in his house, and been so dreadfully injured as not to be likely to recover. The excitement was much increased by vague rumours being circulated as to the cause of the lamented gentleman’s melancholy death. Soon after eleven o’clock the news of his death spread through the town, and reached the meeting of Mr. Wilberforce’s friends, which was being held in the Court-house, and in consequence the meeting was broken up in an irregular manner, the thanks to the chairman not being passed. During the day the greatest anxiety was felt to know the truth of the rumours respecting the cause of Capt. Fenton’s death, which was not allayed till the verdict was given on Thursday morning by the jury.

On Thursday morning an inquest was held upon the body, by Mich. Stocks, jun., Esq. coroner, and a most respectable jury.

After the body had been viewed by the jury, the following evidence was brought before them:

JAMES MICKELTHWAITE, a boy who had been employed in Capt. Fenton’s house, said that on Wednesday morning, about half-past eight o’clock, he was in the yard, when he heard something fall, and he turned round and saw it was his master. He went into the kitchen, and told the coachman, and they came out together. He fetched an old man of the name of William Crossland, a gardener on the premises, and then ran for Mr. Wilks, the surgeon. He had seen his master that morning before, between ten minutes and a quarter past eight o’clock, at which time he took his coat up to him. His master did not speak to him. He was washing himself when witness saw him. He had not spoken to witness from the window of the room where he saw him, nor did he hear him speak to anyone. He did not hear any noise that morning of any sort, either from the lifting up of a window, or from his master calling. He did not hear his master say anything after he had fallen; he did not call out for assistance: but when he fell, he said, “Oh!” Witness did not see where he fell from; he had not been in the garret that morning, nor had he ever seen Mr. F. in that room at all.

BY JURORS: His master was in his dressing gown when he fell. Witness had not been making a noise that morning, nor had there been any great noise made in the yard. He had been to shut the gate to prevent the dog from running away with a turkey, which the gardener had been killing. He did not know whether the garret window was open or shut regularly.

MARY STEAD, the housemaid of Capt. Fenton, said that she saw her master in the back yard on Wednesday morning, after he had fallen: he was laid on his side on the pavement, with his head towards the servants’ hall. The last witness told her that her master had fallen down in the yard, and she went to him and found him much hurt, he was bleeding. She did not see him again until he was dead. She went upstairs in an hour after, into the garret, and found it in the same state as usual; but the window, which opened at the top, was wide open. There was a little chair under the window, which was always placed there. She did not know that her master went into that room particularly often; but he went frequently into every room in the house. She was not certain that the window was always fastened. He often went into the garret, to see if the cows were right. She did not know why her master went there on Wednesday morning. There had not been any noise in the yard, but if there had been any she did not know whether she would have heard it. Captain Fenton was very particular in seeing that his servants were minding their business. She had not seen her master before on that morning. It was his usual time of getting up. He had not been well lately; he had only come home on Tuesday night, but she did not know whether he was in good health then or not. She had lived with Captain Fenton for the last 12 months.

WILLIAM CROSSLAND, gardener to Mr. Fenton, said he was in the stable when the first witness went to him, and told him that something was the matter with his master. He went and found him laid on his face in the back yard, but how he had fallen he did not know. He had seen him the previous night in the stable, at which time he was very cheerful, and talked with witness for some time. He had been in the yard that morning, about half an hour before the accident happened. Captain Fenton was not in the habit of speaking to him out of the windows at the back part of the house, though he had done so from those at the front of the house. He never saw hin at that window.

BY JURORS: He heard no noise in the yard that morning. He had killed some turkeys that morning, but they made no noise; there might be a noise, and he not hear it.

Mr. WILLIAM WILKS, surgeon, of Huddersfield, said that he was sent for a little before nine o’clock on Wednesday morning. He went and found Captain Fenton placed in a chair in the kitchen. After he had been removed into his lodging room, witness examined him, and found a wound about three inches in length on the prominent part of the forehead, just above the right eye. On further examination he found an extensive fracture of the skull. A portion of the brain protruded, which he removed. The Captain was insensible. He could speak, and witness asked him some questions, which he answered in a very incoherent manner. After he had done all he could for the Captain, he got the assistance of Dr. Townley; but Mr. Fenton died a few minutes before eleven o’clock. There did not appear to be any injury in other parts of the body, which evidently showed that the deceased had fallen head foremost… He did not state how he had done it… As a proof that the unfortunate gentleman, after the fall, was unable to answer a question, Mr. Wilks said, that on his asking him how he was, he shook hands with him most cordially. Witness knew of nothing which could cause excitement; when he last saw deceased he was in excellent spirits. (Witness produced some notes in the handwriting of Mr. Fenton, for a speech which he was to have made at a meeting of Mr. Wilberforce’s friends, which had been written by Mr. Fenton as late as nine o’clock on Tuesday, which proved him to be of sound mind.) He said that he had never known an aberration of intellect in the late Mr. Fenton, and he had known him for forty years.

WILLIAM CROSSLAND, having been recalled, said, that he and the coachman carried the Captain into the kitchen, where he spoke two or three words to them, asked whatever was the matter, and said things would soon be rectified.

Mr. WILKS, after he had given his evidence, mentioned some conversation which he had had with Mrs. Fenton, in which she had stated that her husband was in the habit of going into the garret, (whence it was supposed that he had fallen,) for the purpose of looking out of the window into a piece of ground where some turnips were growing, to see that none of his cows were trespassing in it.

The jury, after a moment’s consultation, returned a verdict “that Capt. Fenton came to his death accidentally, by falling from an upper window in his own dwelling into the court-yard.”

Capt. Fenton has left a widow and two daughters, in a state of suffering which may be better imagined than expressed. Nor are these the only persons who will acutely feel his premature decease. Ten orphan children, five belonging to a deceased brother, and five left by a brother of Mrs. F., who looked up to him as their protector, are doomed to a bereavement which they must feel the more sensibly, from the kind and amiable manner in which the deceased discharged those self-imposed duties. Capt. F. was of a most amiable disposition, and greatly beloved by his tenantry and neighbours. His melancholy decease has cast a deep gloom over the town which he represented, and where his private character was much esteemed.

1516 words.

Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

27 November 1833: Lewis Fenton, Huddersfield MP, falls mysteriously from the upper window of his house

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