Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
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Articles
The Monmouthshire Beacon, Forest of Dean Gazette Saturday 20 Feb 1892
Page 8 Column 3
CHEPSTOW.
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SUDDEN DEATH IN THE CEMETERY. - On Monday evening Mr. Edward LAWRENCE, deputy coroner for the Manor of Chepstow, held an inquiry at the Chepstow Petty Sessional Court, concerning the death of Frederick OATEN, aged 50 years, of Bristol (who had for a few months been working for the Chepstow Iron Store Company and lodging at the Nelson's Arms inn for the last week or two, and who dropped dead in the cemetery on Sunday afternoon. Mr. J. C. WARD was foreman of the jury. - Clara OATEN, of Lower Ashley-road, Bristol, identified the body as that of her late husband, Frederick OATEN. She last saw him alive on the previous Thursday, and he was then quite well. At times he suffered badly with the wind. He was a coachmaker and was 50 years of age. - John TAMPLIN, a labourer employed at the Bridge Works, Chepstow, stated that deceased had resided at his house for four months up till about a fortnight ago. He saw him on Sunday morning and he then appeared to be in his usual health, but complained of wind in his stomach, from which he had suffered for the last few days. In the afternoon witness went for a walk with him in the cemetery, and they went to look at two of witness's graves. Deceased said he had purchased a plot of ground for the burial of his family at Bedminster. As he uttered that sentence he fell over on his right side. Witness picked him up and asked him what was the matter but he gave no answer. He was unconscious and never spoke. He gave three heavy sighs and died. Deceased always appeared to enjoy good health, and never complained to witness except of wind in the stomach sometimes. - Dr. William Andrew SCOOLBRED deposed that he had made a post-mortem examination of deceased. He was a well-nourished man, but there was rather an abnormal amount of fat about the heart. The stomach was greatly distended with a large quantity of food and gas. The heart was undergoing fatty degeneration. His opinion was that deceased died from syncope or failure of the heart's action caused by the state of the substance of the heart and brought on probably by walking shortly after a good meal. - The jury returned a verdict of “Death from natural causes.
<NOTES: Frederick OATEN son of Frederick OATEN and Dinah BRADBEER, married Clara HORWOOD>