1/ Refusing to Save a Drowning Boy, Hanwell, Ealing. April 1885
2/ Hanwell Asylum Suicide, December 1885
An inquest on the body of Mary Arabella White, the 38-year-old wife of Henry White, revealed she was an inmate of the Elingrive Private Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell and had managed to escape one night. The next morning her body was found floating in the River Brent. Deceased had outwitted her attendants and “committed suicide whilst insane”.
3/ Ealing, (Mysterious Discovery) May 1882
A mysterious discovery has been made at Ealing by a mounted patrol.He was doing his rounds when he spotted something lying on the path. He climbed down and discovered that it was a policeman lying face downwards against the railings. He tried to help the fellow to his feet, but then found that his head had passed directly through the railings and was firmly fixed to them. (Who was the policeman?/Name?)
4/ Hanwell Asylum Murder, February 1859
A murder is being investigated at the Hanwell County Lunatic Asylum. About two dozen patients were let out together one morning and among those were William Roberts and John Brady. They were put to work doing some gardening, used as employment and for therapeutic reasons. Roberts was twenty-eight years of age, who had been in the Asylum for exactly half of his life and was renowned for violence, having attacked a fellow inmate three years ago. This particular morning Brady was near to Roberts, who was digging with a fork, when the head gardener, Birch, saw Brady on the ground with Roberts stood over him jabbing at him with the fork. There was blood all over his face and one eye had come out of the socket and was laid on his cheek. Attendants grappled hold of Roberts and Brady was rushed to the Infirmary, but he died on the way there.
When asked if he was sorry that he’d attacked another inmate, he simply replied: “I meant to kill someone”. At the inquest, and before the jury, the coroner said that the accused was an epileptic sufferer and he didn’t know what he was doing before a seizure. The jury’s verdict was “Misadventure” and it questioned the validity of giving a violent inmate a garden fork to use and that this procedure must now be looked at and possibly changed.
5/ Hanwell Lunatic Asylum Fire, February 1863
Another tragedy strikes Hanwell Lunatic Asylum! It was Friday night, when most were in bed, that the fire alarm was rung, and there was mass panic among the 1600 patients. The wing that was alight was the laundry and linen rooms, which is heated by a boiler, and the flames were seen raging over the drying department. It is believed that one of the flues was defective, and this wasn’t caused by a patient playing with some matches or similar. Luckily the fire drill was performed immaculately, and this helped to limit the injuries to a few cuts and bruises, but happily, nobody was killed.
6/ Hanwell Asylum Suicide, July 1st 1870
7/ Parents Deny Child Medical Attention, Bedford Park, October 1906 (Christian Scientists pray for their child to recover)
8/ Infant Burned to Death, Allison Road, Acton. December 1880
9/ Raffle Prize Kills a Boy, Ealing. December 1880
Yesterday Dr Diplock held an inquest at the West London Hospital on the body of William Rogers, fifteen, son of Robert Rogers, drill-master at the Central London District Schools, Hanwell. On the 11th of December, the deceased won a pistol in a raffle at Ealing. Two hours afterwards he was about to shoot at a bird when his coat caught the trigger of the pistol, which went off, the bullet penetrating his right leg. The house surgeon of the hospital said the deceased was admitted suffering from a pistol-shot wound in the outer part of the leg, about two inches above the ankle. Witness removed the bullet, which he found at the base of the big toe. The deceased went on well uny=til the 18th, when lock-jaw set in, and he died on the 20th. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death”.
10/ Two Boys Drown in a Pond, Uxbridge Road. October 1880
An inquest at the King’s Arms, Acton Vale, on the bodies of two boys, named Thomas Stocker, aged twelve, the son of a labourer, living at Bannister’s Cottages, Hammersmith, and Charles Nutcher, also twelve, and from Albert Place, Starch Green, who were drowned while bathing in some water in a brick field on the Uxbridge Road. Henry Blake, a carpenter, said on Monday evening he found two suits of boys’ clothes about twelve feet from the water. It appeared that two labourers searched the water and found the bodies of the boys the same evening. The verdict of the jury was one of “Accidentally drowned”.
11/ Mother Drowns Her Baby, Gladman’s Cottages, Hanwell. December 1880
12/ Man Murders a Child at Acton. 25th October 1880 (George Pavey stabbed ten-year-old Ada Shepherd in the neck)
Tuesday, 2nd November 1880 (The Acton Child Murder)
Tuesday, 30th November 1880. (Execution Date)
Monday, December 13th, has been fixed for the execution within the walls of the gaol of Newgate of the man, George Pavey, who was convicted last week at the Central Criminal Court of wilful murder at Acton.