Abergavenny Inquest – “Wicked Waste of Petrol”
Sebastapol Man Criticised

The use by a Sebastapol man of petrol for what was described as “pub crawling” was severely criticised by the Coroner (Mr W R Dauncey) at the inquest at Abergavenny on Monday on Arthur Thomas (Buller) James, aged 39, a married man, of Ton (Chestnut) Cottage ,Goytre, near Pontypool. James was found lying in the road near Porthmawr Lodge, Llanover early one Sunday morning. The driver of the car by which he had been knocked down did not stop.
Dr J B Parry said the severe internal injuries from which James died would have been caused when he was first struck and the numerous abrasions by his being dragged by the second car.
The wife, Mrs Lillian James, said deceased left her on the Saturday afternoon to go to Abergavenny to see some friends.
Samuel Green, The Cottage, Llanellen, said that at 11.30 on the Saturday night he saw James lying on the grass verge asleep. He did not disturb him and later, while he (witness) was talking to his sister who lived further down the road, James caught them up and remained talking until midnight. He then went on home and it was obvious that he was three-parts drunk and was wandering about the road a little.
Leonard Cordell, of 60, Waunddu, Pontnewynydd, said that, with three others, he passed the scene of the accident at one o’clock, but could see no sign of James.
PC Frederick Jermaine said he was called at 5 a.m. by the driver of the car (Jones). After two attempts, they lifted the car off James, but there were no marks on the car to indicate that it had collided with him. The police had been unable to trace all the cars passing along the road during the night.
Witnesses Warned
John Noel Winston, of 1, College Road, Penygarn, said he had passed along about one o’clock, but did not see anyone, nor did he knock anyone down or run over anyone lying on the road. He was warned by the Coroner that, as he was a driver of one of the other cars which might have been involved in the accident, his evidence might be used in proceedings against him.
Clement Cecil Jones, of London House, South Street, Sebastapol, who was similarly warned by the Coroner, said he and two friends had left Abergavenny about 3.15 a.m. His visibility was seven yards and as he was driving at only twenty miles per hour he could pull up in about five yards. He saw nothing of deceased before feeling a bump.
Jones was closely questioned by the Coroner about the time which elapsed between the accident and the police being called. The Coroner asked witness if he got supplementary petrol, and Jones replied “No.”
The Coroner: Do you realise that men are dying to bring over petrol to this country, which you are using for what I cannot otherwise describe than pub-crawling?
The other two passengers in the car said they did not see James until after he had been hit. They tried without success to release him from underneath the car. One of them, Frederick George Hughes, of 57, George Street, Griffithstown, told the Coroner they had done all they could for James.
Stringent Comments
Returning a verdict of “Misadventure,” the Coroner said some aspects of the evidence were really dreadful. The journey made by Jones was not necessary and should not have been undertaken. It was a wicked waste of petrol at a time when every drop was brought here at the cost of men’s lives. This man used a car from four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon until four o’clock the next morning for what could be more properly described as “pub crawling.” There was no suggestion that the driver was intoxicated, but it was a shocking state of affairs.

Goytrey Man’s Death – Pneumonia follows fall in the house

Verdict of Accidental Death

Mr E Charles Jones Newport District Coroner recorded a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ at the inquest on Wm. Jenkins, 81 a retired farmer of Goytrey House Lodge, Nr Pontypool at Newport on Friday.

Mrs Adelaide Ellaway, a widow who kept house for Jenkins, her brother, said he fell down in the house on June 7^th and sustained a fracture in his left leg.

Dr Joseph Eldon, a house surgeon at the Royal Gwent Hospital said deceased showed signs of congestion of the lungs a fortnight ago and developed hypostate pneumonia brought on by the injury. This caused his death on August 13^th.

The Coroner explained to Mrs Ellaway that pneumonia often developed in people as old as her brother after an accident and the accident brought on pneumonia which caused his death

Free Press Friday March 4th 1927 – Crushed To Death

Mason’s Labourer Under Fallen Wall – Inquiry at Llanover

On Friday at Llanover Mr W R Dauncey, district Coroner held an inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Philip Jenkins 63, a mason’s labourer of Pengroesoped who was killed while engaged on a reconstruction work at the Masnochdy Cottage Llanover on the previous Tuesday. He was excavating for a foundation for extensions when a wall collapsed, buried and killed him instantly.

Mr Horace Lyne, solicitor Newport, appeared for the Llanover estate and Mr A Fotheringham H.M.I.F. for the Home Office.

Mrs Elizabeth Evans said deceased was her brother aged 63 and was a mason’s labourer employed on the Llanover estate. She last saw him alive on Monday night when he was in good health. She was not aware the he suffered from any physical affects; he was not lame and his eyesight was good. He had been a mason’s labourer for about three years. He served in the war and subsequently worked on farms.

Mary Louise Evans, niece of the deceased gave evidence of identification.

James Voyce, foreman mason on the estate said he was working with the deceased outside the wall, outside of the house Masnochdy which was being reconstructed. Jenkins and another man named Mathews were excavating for a foundation for an extension . When witness was at the end of the building he heard a shout “look out” he thought it might have been a brick inside falling, but turning round he noticed the pine end leaning outwards and shouted to the men outside to clear. Mathews also noticed this and got almost struck by falling stone. The wall was 14ft high. Jenkins made an attempt to get out of the trench but witness was doubtful whether deceased saw the danger as his back was towards the wall. He was completely buried.

While the other men were extricating Jenkins witness ran to the estate office to get aid. It seemed as if the man had been killed instantaneously. They had made an examination of the wall afterwards and found there had been nothing to indicate that it was in an unsafe condition. No support had been taken away from it, only the roof had been removed but that might have helped to hold the wall. If witness had noticed the condition of the wall earlier he would have had it removed at once.

In reply to Mr Lyne, witness said the building was an old one.

P.C. Rodwell, Llanover stated that when he was called to the scene of the accident Jenkins was still partly buried. The back of the skull was crushed in.

The Coroner returned a verdict of “Accidental Death.”

The Coroner said he was satisfied that the accident could not have been foreseen, but he hoped that when dealing with old buildings in future the foreman would make a through examination and instruct his men to that effect.

Mr H S Lyne: That will be done Sir; in fact it has been done already.

July 27^th – Mrs Annie Jones

Fall Hastened Death

Eighty Four years old Mrs Annie Jones of Park View, Goytre, died from hypostatic pneumonia said the Monmouthshire Coroner, Mr D J Treasure.

He recorded a verdict of “Accidental Death” at a Pontypool inquest, after he had been told the woman had fallen in her bedroom.

Mrs Gertrude Hayes, of Arrow Cottage, Goytre, said her mother had been a widow since 1912.  Since 1916, a Mr Edward Thomas had lodged with her.

Each night she used to visit her mother and put her right for the night.  Last Wednesday morning when she called on her mother she said she had fallen in the bedroom and had been helped to bed by Mr Thomas.

Witness said she called a doctor and her mother was taken for x-ray, but no fractures were fond.  She died on Sunday.

In her report, Dr E Siddons said Mrs Jones had always received the best of attention from her family.

Recording his verdict, the Coroner said death had been caused by hypostatic pneumonia accelerated by the fall.

Free Press 17th January 1909 – Drowning Fatality

Inquest at the Carpenters Arms Penperlleny into the death of Emily Louisa Lindsay 10 years of age who was found drowned in the canal at Mamhilad sometime during Friday night. William Lindsay, father of the deceased said his daughter was a strong child and he last saw her at 9am that morning when she was going to school. She usually returned home about 4.45 but on that night she was going to Pontymoile to meet her mother who was returning from Cwmbran. She did not meet the child however and he became uneasy when his wife arrived home without her.

His wife walked back to Pontypool to search for her and also to inform the police that she was missing and a search was made in the canal with aid of lamps until 5 o’clock in the morning and as no trace was found of her the search was abandoned.

The body was found lower down the canal at about 10.40am on Saturday morning.

Laura Jones 12, daughter of David, Lansoy said deceased was in school all day Friday and they came out at 4 o’clock. She last saw the deceased at Park-y-brain bridge about 4.45. She asked where she was going but deceased did not reply, she was then going in the direction of her home.

Arthur Jenkins, carpenter, Penperlleny said that he was working at Mamhilad house on the Friday and left about 5pm, he walked along the canal back home and when about 500-600 yards from the spot where she was found he met the girl.

William Hill, labourer Pengroesoped said that he saw the body in the canal just below the bridge 96 on the Saturday morning. He went to Mrs Rowlands who lived nearby and told her to send for Lindsay and give information.

Found Drowned

10^th January 1958

Goytre Woman Killed when car plunged down embankment

A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned by a jury at the Blackwood inquest on Mrs Mary Elizabeth Litten aged 73, of Westleigh Bungalow, Goytre, who died when the car in which she was a passenger plunged 75 feet onto a railway line near Maesycwmmer.

The jury added a rider that the road where the accident occurred had been in a bad condition for a number of years and some notice should have been taken of the fact.

A fence through which the car passed before going down the bank consisted of two strands of wire on posts, wide apart, it was stated.

Sidney James Walton, of Bellvue Farm, Goytre, the driver of the car, said he was taking Mrs Litten and a Mr Sims to visit Pontypridd Crematorium.

Post Snapped
When he entered a straight between the Crown Hotel, Pontllanfraith and Maesycwmmer the car would not obey the steering, went to it’s offside. A nearside front wheel struck a concrete post, which snapped.

“Had there been one good strand of wire then this would never had happened” he said.

I have been driving 40 years and have never seen anything like it. It was so simple.

He said there was nothing to stop the car going down the bank. There was no fence and some of the posts which should have been upright were lying down.

15^th April 1938

The family of the late Martha Merrick, Goytrey, Pontypool wishes to thank relative’s friends and neighbours for expressions of sympathy and floral tributes in their recent bereavement.

Octogenarians Fatal Fall
Friday 15^th April

Widow of former school master of Little Mill reformatory.

Myocardial degeneration accelerated by a fracture of the right thigh accidentally caused by a fall was the cause of the death of an aged widow stated Dr. J.F. Blain at an inquest at Pontypool on Friday afternoon.

Mr D J Treasure district coroner sat without a jury to inquire into the circumstances of the death of Mrs Martha Merrick, the widow of Mr Charles Merrick a former school master of Little Mill reformatory which was closed under the economy axe.

Mrs Dorothy May Merrick, wife of Mr Charles William Merrick and music teacher of Feltham Cottage, Newtown Goytrey stated that Mrs Martha Merrick lived with her husband and that about 2.30 pm on Monday the 22^nd she accompanied her mother in law to another part of the house. They were returning when witness left Mrs Merrick to close the scullery door which led to the garden, then looking round she saw her mother in law falling and rushed to catch her, witness grasped her wrist but she fell onto her right side. Mr Merrick heard the fall and at once went to his mother’s assistance.  Together they raised her and put her in a chair in the kitchen, Mr Merrick went for Nurse Price who came at once and telephoned Dr Blain. Mrs Merrick was put to bed and on Dr Blains arrival he ordered her to be removed to Pontypool and District Hospital where she died at 6.30am on the 6^th.

For the past three years my mother in law has been in a delicate state of health physically and mentally and I had to watch her day and night, she was 82 years of age.  Charles Merrick gave corroborative evidence and Dr J F Blain gave cause of death as stated in accordance. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The Funeral
The funeral took place on Saturday afternoon, the coffin having rested in the church overnight.
The Rev.d Luther Evans who has been doing duty for the Rector of Goytrey, the Rev.d T J Richards in consequence of his serious accident, officiated.

Mrs Merrick was the seventh daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Ivor Wilks, a family very well known and respected, not only in Goytrey but also in the county generally.  She married Mr Charles Merrick who was a schoolmaster at Little Mill Reformatory for 30 years. It is some 31 years since Mr Merrick died.

She was a staunch churchwoman and in her younger days was a member for years of the Monkswood Church Choir with other members of her family. Her only son Mr Charles William Merrick of Newtown Goytrey, organist at Goytrey Church, survives her.

The family Mourners were Mr and Mrs Charles William Merrick, son and daughter in law: Miss Rachel Wilks, sister; Mr John Wilks, Little Mill and Mrs Agnes and Frances Wilks; Messrs Ernest and William Jackson, Goytrey and Abergavenny; Harry Wilks, Cardiff; Mr David Wilks, Merthyr; and nephews and neices.

Many friends of the family assembled at the church to pay their last tributes of respect and there were a number of beautiful tributes.

The Bearers were Messrs: R J Cecil and Alfred Rosser and Harry Owen