Sudden Death in C19th Suffolk

Geoffrey Robinson was born in a terraced house in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, to working class parents.  A fine grammar-school education was gradually wasted, yet he succeeded in becoming an analytical chemist, specialising in power-station chemistry.  His love of history finally came to the fore in 2010 when he re-calibrated his life and began to research the Suffolk parish where he lived — Worlingworth.  Further studies of a wide range of local-history subjects have led him to start writing and self-publishing, which he enjoys immensely.

He gives talks on a variety of subjects ranging from Buffalo Bill's Wild West to Napoleonic Volunteer companies.  This, his most recent talk, is one on "Sudden Deaths in C19th Suffolk" — his interest in the subject came about when he spent time searching newspapers for items on Worlingworth and read about some of the astonishing ways in which the poorer classes met their Maker.  He has written a book on the subject, and a second volume might be on the way.  His talk takes the audience through many examples of sudden deaths, and looks at how different hazards, inside and outside the home, affected people in a number of ways.

Following the recent storms that have wreaked such havoc across the country, our February meeting welcomed popular local historian and author, Geoffrey ROBINSON, to speak about the equally ‘cheery’ subject of sudden deaths in 19th Century Suffolk.  The material for his highly entertaining, at times sobering, but always thought provoking, presentation had been gathered during two years of painstaking research, drawing on articles printed in the "Ipswich Journal" and surviving Coroners’ reports.

Geoffrey’s talk provided many poignant reminders of just how hazardous life was for our forebears and included several harrowing accounts of the accidents that occurred around the ‘cottage hearth’.   In these tragic cases, young children left unattended by their parents, and sometimes charged with the care of younger siblings, died from burns suffered when their clothing caught fire or from being scalded by boiling water from an overturned pan.   

Curiously, seen through the eyes of the present day ‘where there’s blame there’s a claim’ society, the juries convened by the coroner invariably returned a verdict of ‘accidental death’, with no recriminations against the parents.  While this may initially seem strange when viewed from a modern perspective, the culture of the time was more fatalistic, with some deaths simply attributed to the ‘will of God’.

Notwithstanding such stoicism, the audience was also encouraged to reflect upon the shocking impact that the horrific deaths of young children must have had on those who witnessed the accidents first-hand and were subsequently called to testify at a Coroner’s inquest.

The talk then highlighted the increased danger to life associated with the Industrial Revolution.  More sophisticated agricultural machinery and, from 1845 onwards, railway rolling-stock posed new threats, not only to those working with the ‘new-fangled’ equipment, but also to those who lived near to farm buildings, mills or railway tracks.

It was also interesting to learn that the circulation numbers of local newspapers expanded rapidly as more accounts of untimely deaths were published in detail.  In addition, as literacy increased, those who were able to read could also relay the sometimes lurid accounts to their families or workmates.  In the absence of Facebook, newspapers were regarded as the ‘social media’ of the day.

For those interested in learning more about the tragic and often bizarre ways in which people of Suffolk met their end, Geoffrey Robinson has published a book entitled "Misery and Misfortune – Sudden Deaths in Suffolk 1800-1850".  The publication is available at a cost of £10 from local bookshops or online providers.

Chris Broom