The death of Charles Myers

On Friday 27 May 1791, Charles Myers spent the day with his cousin David. Arriving very much intoxicated at the Bull Inn and wanting more wine, he was refused service, and instead fell asleep in the kitchen. He was then put to bed upstairs in a chamber, where he dreamed his cousin was about to leave. In order to stop him, he jumped out of the window, falling onto the pavement below and fatally fracturing his thigh. He died the following day.

The Town & Borough of Stamford in the County of Lincoln

An Inquisition indented and taken within the Borough formed on Monday the thirtieth day of May in the thirty first year of [torn] of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety one. Before John Hopkins Gentleman Coroner for our said Lord the King for the Borough aforesaid upon view of the Body of Charles Myers then and there lying dead upon The Oath of Christopher Peat John Miller Edward Clarke Henry Parnham John Allen Simeon Taylor Henry Tallis Thomas Parnham John Granger Robert Taverner John Bass and Benjamin Warrington good and lawful men of the said Borough who being then and there duly sworn and charged to inquire for our Sovereign Lord the King how and in what manner the said Charles Myers came to his Death do say that on the twenty seventh day of this instant May the said Charles Myers being very much intoxicated with Liquor and being in a certain Chamber at the Bull Inn in this Borough did between the hours of 1 & 2 oClock accidentally and by misfortune fall out of the Window of the said Chamber and did then and there fracture and break his right thigh by which fracture received from the said fall the said Charles Myers languished from the said twenty seventh Instant to the twenty eight and then and there died And so the Jurors aforesaid upon their Oath aforesaid do say that the said Charles Myers in manner and by the means aforesaid accidentally casually and by misfortune came to his death and not otherwise In Witness whereof as well the said Coroner as the Jurors aforesaid have to this Inquisition set their hands and Seals the day and year aforesaid first above written John Miller [his seal]
John Hopkins Coroner [his seal] Edward Clarke [his seal]
Christr Peat [his seal] Hy Parnham [his seal]

Stamford Coroners Records 1791/1/1.

Borough of Stamford

Deposition of Witnesses taken upon oath the 30th day of May 1791 touching the death of Charles Myers lying dead in the said Borough Before John Hopkins Gent Coroner for ysd Borough

James Spencer Waiter at the Bull Inn saith that on Monday Night the 27th Instant the deceased came to the said Bull Inn very much intoxicated with liquor and wanted Wine to drink but was refused on account of his intoxication and was taken up Stairs to bed after he had slept some time in the Kitchen And this Informant saith that he found the body of the deceased upon the pavement under the Chamber Window between One & two oClock with his right thigh broke that the said deceased was immediately put under the case of Mr Leonard Stevenson Surgeon and languished till the twenty eighth Instant & died and this Deponent doth verily believe that the deceased came to his death accidentally by falling out of the Chamber Window into the Street. James Spencer

Given before me [unfinished]

Stamford Coroners Records 1791/1/2.

Leonard Stevenson Surgeon being sworn & examined saith that on Friday morning ye 28th Instant between the hours of 1 and 2 oClock he was called to attend the deceased at the Bull Inn and the deceased had received a violent compound fracture upon the right thigh and this deponent asked the deceased how he came by his misfortune and the deceased told his deponent that the Chambermaid had shown him to bed and that he dreamed Mr David Myers his Cousin who had been with him in the day time was going to leave to him [sic] and that the deceased though he would stop him going out at the gate by the deceased going out of the Window he conceived he lay upon a ground floor and he met with the accident by falling out of the Window into the Street and that the said Charles Myers the deceased languished till about half an hour past two oClock on Saturday and died and this Deponent doth verily believe the said Charles Myers came to his death by accidentally falling out ye Window into the Street.

Leod. Stevenson Surgeon

Stamford Coroners Records 1791/1/3.