HeatherW

Fascinating, thanks again @Canny lass

@Canny lass, thank you so much....this is such a detailed and impressive set of information that’s saved me a chunk of digging! 

I wonder if Dr John wrote any memoirs? I think the murder would certainly feature. 

Thank you again. The Trotters were such an interesting and active family. 

Thank you, @Canny lass.....I think it’s likely ‘my’ doctor T was the son of the Bedlington one. 

There are some other local doctors in the story, as two of them gave evidence at Newcastle assizes that Annie Rath was unfit to plead. I’ll decide whether to follow those rabbit holes, when I decide how far to look at the treatment of mentally ill people in Northumberland and elsewhere at that time. Many of you will know that throughout the nineteenth century, attitudes became more and more enlightened - not really by modern standards, but certainly in comparison with what had gone before. 

Hello, all. I have a thread in Friends and Family but thought I would include some names here, as I have some corrections and amends, now I have tried to read original documents again. I'm aware of other sources of information eg census, trade directories, but I have not yet got that far. These are all names connected with a murder in Guidepost - witnesses, inquest jurors and the family of little boy killed  by his mother (details see my post elsewhere). All these people are from Guidepost, Choppington or Bedlington. They may have living relatives in the area. I hope this is not construed as spamming these boards. 

Anyone know any of these: 

John Frederick Rath, pork butcher, German born

Annie Rath, nee Richardson, his wife, born Elswick, Newcastle, who killed her son

Charles Frederick Rath, not quite two years old, the victim

Joseph Richardson Davidson Lynn - coroner

Mrs Elizabeth Thompson - witness. Neighbour of the victim, in Blyth Terrace

Mrs Elizabeth Hare  - witness and neighbour. Wife of John Hare, miner. Mrs Hare was illiterate, as she does not sign her statement but leaves her mark X

Dr John Trotter - witness, possibly related to James Trotter of Bedlington

Policeman Robert Stuart, a constable stationed at Guidepost; born Bamburgh, married to Isabella born Chatton. Later lives in the police house in Bedlington

Inquest jurors were:

William Johnstone, landlord of the Anvil Inn (another forum user is descended from this man)

William Harrison

Andrew Napier

Ernest Wheatley (butcher in Guidepost)

Armstrong Cole 

John Kidd

James Nicholson

Peter McHugh

George Rutter

William Horsham

James Young 

George Ternant (possibly Tennant)

@Rigger, I am uploading in order the pages of the inquest which your ancestor hosted, and served at, as a jury member. The originals are in the Northumberland archives. The copies are not great, and when I can, I plan to return to the archives and ask permission to scan them. The paper is thin and it was written on both sides so there is show-through. 

I'll try to upload in order. 

There are contemporary reports of the inquest and of course the whole incident in local newspapers but the inquest report is obviously more detailed with the names. 

Hi @Rigger. I have a photograph of the handwritten inquest report - from memory it’s about four pages and I think William Johnstone’s name is mentioned three times. I am happy to upload the pages here, as they may be of interest to others...it’s local historical stuff, after all. I’ll do this tomorrow. Thanks for your reply. 

Thanks Alan. Yes, I saw that first time I looked at this forum a year or so ago....and in fact it is the same person. When I looked again at the inquest record, and at the spelling of the name of the landlord - host of the inquest and also on the inquest jury - it’s Johnstone 👍

This is indeed one of the men who judged how little Charles died. 

Shout out to @Riggerin case he has any family knowledge. A murder inquest, esp for a child killed by his mother, would be a huge event in the village at that time, and likely to be remembered for a while, anyway, even after the death of the next generation or two. 

No problem! Perhaps his son....will check him out 👍

Thank you so much! I’ll certainly check out Dr T’s memorial and check it’s the same man. In-person research has been curtailed in recent months. 

Another name is the police constable who arrived at the scene. 

This was Robert Stuart, born Bamburgh 1865, who acc to the census lives in the police house in Bedlington in 1911. He was married to Isabella, orig from Chatton and they have sons Robert junior, Joseph, Albert Edward and daughter Mary Elizabeth. He died in 1919. 

What I’m hoping for, I suppose, is for someone still living who remembers their relative hearing the story from their own older relative. That’s how my own family heard a version (incorrect, as it turns out) of it. 

Thanks again 😀

Hello, everyone. I'm researching the murder of a child in Blyth Terrace,  Guide Post 1898. The basic story is here if anyone would like to read it

https://www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/post/the-shocking-tragedy-of-choppington

A number of names come up in the reports, and currently I'm looking at the inquest, which was held in the Anvil Inn on July 1, 1898. The names of witnesses, the coroner and the inquest jury are in the handwritten account of the inquest, which I've copied from the Northumberland archives. Is anyone on the forum descended from these people, or knows more about them? I haven't done any further research into the names yet (trade directory, census, births/marriages/deaths etc). I have not been to the scene yet, either.

Here we go:

Joseph Richardson Davidson Lynn - coroner

Mrs Elizabeth Thompson - witness. Neighbour of the victim, in Blyth Terrace

Mrs Hair - witness. Likely to be a neighbour

Dr John Trotter - witness

Inquest jurors were:

William Johnson, landlord of the Anvil Inn

William Harrison

Andrew Napier

Ernest Wheatley (I think he had a butchers)

Armstrong Ede (can't be sure of this last name - handwriting not clear)

John Kidd

James Nicholson

Peter McHugh

George Rutter

William Horsham

James Young - two of these, apparently, but it may have been an error in the clerk's report

George Ternant (again, not sure of this name)

Hope someone has a link or even a family story that hooks up with the murder or any of these people. 

Thank you!