Two terrible accidents in Shrivenham

Reading Mercury

Sat 14th Feb, 1857

 

Shrivenham

 

Shocking Accident. A little boy named George Carter aged 3 years, the son of poor parents residing in this village, was on Wednesday last so severely burnt that he died in a few hours afterwards. It appears the poor little fellow taking advantage of his mother’s absence, who had gone into the garden to hang out some clothes, made towards the fire, and in a few moments he was heard screaming; a neighbour who first heard the cries quickly rushed in, and saw the child enveloped in one mass of flames; after the fire had been extinguished the child was undressed, and a horrible spectacle presented itself, pieces of flesh coming off with its garments. The little sufferer laid till about midnight when death terminated his existence. An inquest was held at the Barrington Arms before W.D. Wasbrough Esq., on Friday last when a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’, was returned.

 

 

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Western Daily Press

Sat 29 Dec, 1877

 

Accident at Shrivenham

 

An inquest was held at the Barrington Arms Hotel, Shrivenham, on Thurs evening, on the body of a little boy named George William Bullinger. Lord Barrington watched the proceedings on behalf of the parents of the deceased. From the evidence adduced, it appears that on Saturday, the 1st inst, two men named Thomas Patients and Robert Thatcher were engaged using a roller of about three tons weight, smoothing some stones on the road in Dodds Lane, and in the afternoon a number of children followed, and periodically jumped upon the machine, notwithstanding the continuous cautions of the men in charge. The deceased, in jumping up, slipped, and the result was that he passed into the framework, and sustained a compound fracture of the right leg, and the ankle joint was smashed. He was at once removed to the cottage of Mr Fairthorne. Dr Parker, who happened to be at the time at Faringdon, was telegraphed for, and upon seeing the critical position of the lad, he sent at once for Drs Maskelyne and Spackman, of Faringdon. After consultation, these gentlemen agreed that to amputate the leg would be the only chance of saving life, but that the weakness of the child’s constitution would not admit of the operation being performed. A week later Dr Fernie, of Stratton, also saw the child, and this gentleman concurred with the opinion expressed by the other practitioners. For the space of 18 days the poor child lay in a wretched, dirty state, upon a bed of old coats and a blanket, attended by an old woman named Stratton, who volunteered to act as nurse, but who did not disturb the little sufferer in consequence of Dr Parker stating he was not to be moved. The sickening condition of the child by this time had attracted the attention of several residents in the village, and Lady Craven despatched a message to Dr Kennard of Highworth. A professional nurse from the Royal Berks Hospital, named Mary Alder, was also sent for, and she at once put the child in a cleanly condition. On Thurs the 20th, Dr Kennard, who had found the knee joint in a gangrenous state, amputated the leg. The child died on the following Monday. The inquiry lasted three hours and a half, and the jury found that the deceased had met with his death from an accident caused by a roller, but censured Dr Parker for allowing the child to lie in a state of filth. Dr Parker replied that he had done everything he could to save the child suffering, as he knew that the injuries sustained would terminate fatally.