County Observer January 20th 1872
Fatal Accident at Goytrey.
An inquest was held by D E Batt Esq., coroner on the 10th inst., touching the death of a man named William Proger who met with his death in consequence in falling down stairs at the Pengroesoped public house on the evening of the day named.
Proger, after drinking 5 pints of beer at Llanvair public house arrived at Pengroesoped public house about half past nine and began at once to make his way upstairs to the club room. When he was about half way upstairs he fell backwards, receiving a severe blow on the back of his head. He was then put to sit on a settle with his arms leaning on a table.
About half past eleven the landlord Mr Rosser and two other men took him outside for the purpose of carrying him home but finding that he was too heavy they took him back into the house.
He was there left on the floor without anything under him until 8 o’clock on the Tuesday morning. He was then taken home by the landlord and others and a doctor was sent for.
It is said that Proger was in the habit of lying on the floor of public houses apparently quite unconscious after he had been drinking and this was the defence the landlord used for not treating him better.
The foreman and some of the jury who knew Proger’s habits did not blame the landlord much for his conduct but the coroner and remainder of the jury censured him strongly.
The jury found he died from a fall downstairs and coroner said was equivalent to a verdict of “Death by misadventure.”
(William Proger was 54 when he died, a carpenter employing one man, he lived at Goytrey Wharf, quite some distance from the tavern. He was buried at St Peter’s on the 11th January 1872.)