The Death of John Simson of Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire (1881)

On 14th December 1881, an inquest was held at The Angel Inn, Long Crendon, concerning the death of 77 year old Mr John Simson.

Mr Simson had been the 'turnkey' (gaoler) of Aylesbury Prison for many years, and had been suffering badly with chronic bronchitis for quite some time.

It transpired that Mr Simson had woken up that morning, and decided to return to his bed. As he ascended the stairs, he suddenly complained that he felt faint/dizzy, so sat down on the staircase. Despite the attempts of his wife, along with another woman called Mrs Dudley (presumably his housekeeper?), he died within a few moments.

After hearing the testimonies of Mrs Simson and Mrs Dudley, along with the coroner's findings, the jury returned a verdict of 'death by the visitation of God' (natural causes).

The Angel Inn (pictured below, courtesy of Muddy Stilettos) was formerly a 16th-century coaching inn, which I believe is still being ran as a restaurant to this day. It is situated roughly 12 miles from Bicester, just over the border in Buckinghamshire.

Popular posts from this blog

The History of Long Crendon (Buckinghamshire)

Image
THE HISTORY OF LONG CRENDON Situated roughly 12 miles from Bicester, just over the border in Buckinghamshire, is the village of Long Crendon. It was so-named due to the shape of the village ('long'), and 'Crendon' is an Old English term, meaning 'Creoda's Hill'. Fun fact: the nearby village of Grendon Underwood was also once known simply as 'Crendon'! Therefore, it is possible that the 'long' part was added in order to distinguish between the two!  In 1218, the village was awarded a Royal Charter, giving official permission for a weekly market to be held there. During this period, Long Crendon was quite famous, as it was one of only two locations in the whole of England (the other being the nearby town of Aylesbury) where needles were manufactured! Later on, the Charter was rescinded, leading to the market being moved to Thame. The village church, dedicated to St Mary, was originally built sometime during the 12th century, although it has und...
Read more

The History of Grove Farmhouse, Beckley (Oxfordshire)

Image
Dated 1729, Grove Farmhouse is situated in the village of Beckley, on the edge of Otmoor. It was a cattle and dairy farm throughout its history, and its owners provided jobs to many local agricultural labourers.  In March 1867, a notice appeared in a local newspaper, requesting that anyone having any demands upon the estate of Mr William Denchfield Parrott of Grove Farm should contact his solicitor, Mr Davenport of Oxford. In November 1889, Mr William Henry Hall - brother of Mr Edward Pinniger Hall of Grove Farm, Beckley - was elected as Mayor of Aldeburgh-on-Sea, Suffolk. During the 1890's, the farmhouse was occupied by the Shrimpton family; on 7th June 1891, 4 year old Louisa Mary Shrimpton sadly passed away at the property. Louisa appears to have been the daughter of John Shrimpton (born 1857 in Great Haseley, the son of John Shrimpton and Mary Louisa Hatwell) and his wife Louisa Mary Tirrell (born 1858 in Woodeaton, the daughter of Thomas Tirrell and Susannah Shaw). The second ...
Read more

The History of Park Farm Cottages, Wendlebury (Oxfordshire)

Image
Park Farm Cottages, located on St Giles' Close, Wendlebury, were built circa the 18th century; it was originally a large farmhouse, but is now comprised of two seperate private dwellings. The building has undergone various alterations throughout its history, and is now a Grade II listed building. Sadly, I cannot find much information regarding Park Farm - I suspect that it may have been known under a different name in days gone by! If anyone has any ideas as to what it may have been called, please let me know! :) It would appear that a Mr Tanner owned the property in the 1850's, and on 12th January 1942, a sale of farming stock and agricultural equipment was held there. (Photograph courtesy of Move Market).
Read more