31 May 1844: Mrs Haslegrave is savaged by her brother-in-law’s bear at his pleasure garden in Wakefield
Henry Schroeder. 1851. The Annals of Yorkshire, Vol. 1. Leeds: George Crosby and Co. Get it:
.Excerpt
On the 1st of June, a frightful accident happened at Wakefield to a female named Haslegrave. She lived at the house of her husband’s brother, who kept some pleasure grounds in Back Lane, in which was kept a bear and other animals. The bear was confined in a pit made for the purpose, and in the middle of the pit was a pole, up which the bear was in the habit of climbing. On Friday morning the animal climbed the pole, and springing from it on the wall of its den, made its escape. It attacked Mrs. Haslegrave who happened to be near the place, got her down, and mangled her dreadfully with its claws, tearing away part of one of her breasts, and inflicting other serious injuries. Assistance was rendered, and it was with some difficulty the animal was beaten off and afterwards shot.
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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Original
On the 1st of June, a frightful accident happened at Wakefield to a female named Haslegrave. She lived at the house of her husband’s brother, who kept some pleasure grounds in Back Lane, in which was kept a bear and other animals. The bear was confined in a pit made for the purpose, and in the middle of the pit was a pole, up which the bear was in the habit of climbing. On Friday morning the animal climbed the pole, and springing from it on the wall of its den, made its escape. It attacked Mrs. Haslegrave who happened to be near the place, got her down, and mangled her dreadfully with its claws, tearing away part of one of her breasts, and inflicting other serious injuries. Assistance was rendered, and it was with some difficulty the animal was beaten off and afterwards shot.
148 words.
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- Accident (25)
· - Animal attack (1) ·
- Bear pit (1) ·
- Bear (3) ·
- Menagerie (2) ·
- Pleasure garden (1) ·
- 📌Wakefield (36), cathedral city on the River Calder in the West Riding/West Yorkshire ·
- Zoo (1) ·
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