From the Brighton Herald July 27^th 1839

Unreadable text is indicated by “-----“

 CORONER’S INQUEST

  On  Friday last an inquest was held before  F.  H.  Gell. at the Brunswick Hotel, on the body of William Hebden,  boot and shoemaker of 4, Market Street Brighton, whose death by drowning we mentioned last week.

        Mr. ------Elbourne deposed: I am now residing at Brighton as a ----  ----  a student at Cambridge University. I was not associated with the deceased.  I went into the sea at the same time as him, a little before one o’ clock yesterday near Brunswick Terrace. I did not speak to him. The sea was very rough. I ----- the man about twenty minutes; and when I came out I missed the decreased. I thought he might be a good swimmer and was going out farther into the sea. While I was looking for deceased two men beckoned to me and I went to the place where the clothes of the deceased were lying. They pointed to me where the body was floating, and I went in and fetched it out. It was quite warm. I occurred to me that the deceased might have been recovered with immediate assistance. I helped to lift the body onto a man’s shoulders and in about twenty minutes I reached the tap-room of the hotel where I saw the body to all appearance dead. I saw some medical gentlemen moving the arms of the deceased,  and concluded that he was dead because the jaw had dropped. I did not see the deceased after he went into the sea. I did not speak to him.

       John Wyall sworn: I am a labourer and live at No. 2 Everton Place Western Street. I did not know the deceased. I was at work yesterday near Brunswick Terrace, digging sand. About one o’ clock I saw something in the sea but did not know what. I saw some clothes lying on the ground. I called to my partner, Frank Bridger, to come and assist with all speed. Then I discovered it was a body. My partner called to the last witness, and the gentleman plunged into the sea at the risk of his own life and pulled it out. Deceased attempted to walk with his right foot, he was then alive. The gentleman  exclaimed “Thank God! I have saved his life!” I said “Thank God for it”. I took the deceased on my shoulders and brought him to the full and put my jacket over him. Dr. Battock was passing at the time and hailed him. I said, “Please Sir, come and help this poor man directly.” I did not hear his reply because I am hard of hearing. I then brought the body to the tap-room and laid it on the table. The jaw moved, but I could not perceive any motion of the heart. I do not know what took place for some time afterwards, when I next saw him he was dead. The jaw had moved several times. I was with the deceased for about twenty-five minutes. He was not quite gone when I left the tap-room. Mr Battock was getting out his carriage when I spoke to him and he saw the body.

       Francis Bridger sworn: I was at work yesterday with the last witness on the beach; he called to me and pointed out something in the water and asked what it was. I saw it was a man. And with the assistance of a gentleman who was bathing we took the body out of the water, and placed it on Wyatt’s back. I believe the deceased was alive at the time. He made an attempt to walk, but could not, and dropped. I took hold of one of the deceased’s legs and a man named Barnard took hold of the other. When we had brought the body to the full, Wyatt hailed a gentleman now in the room, Mr. Battock. Master Wyatt said he wanted Mr Battock to come to of this poor man. We told him we were going to take him to the tap, and he said he would call as he came back. He got one foot on the carriage the other on the road. We brought the body to the tap and laid it on the table, and I laid my jacket over it. I staid in the tap five or ten minutes. There was no medical man there. I observed no motion of the jaws. I went on the beach for the deceased’s clothes, and left the tap-room before Wyatt.

        By a juror: When I returned with the clothes, I saw Mr Battock in the room: I was gone about twenty minutes from the tap-room.

        Henry Barnard sworn:  I am a labourer and was beating carpets on the beach yesterday. I suppose it was about half past twelve that a person whom I believe to be the deceased came and asked me where the place was for going into the sea. I told him that I could not tell. He said “most assuredly there is such a place and I shall go in a little further off”. I saw no more of him until I saw him with Wyatt and Bridger. And I went towards them and was present when he was taken out of the water. Deceased seemed perfectly calm and collected when he spoke to me.

       William Dowden sworn:  I am a painter and glazier and I live at No.3 Everton Place. I dined at the tap about half-past twelve and just as I has about half dined Wyatt and Bridger came in with a man nearly naked on Wyatt’s shoulders. And placed him on a table in the tap-room on his side. I said “For God’s sake, send for a doctor – the man is not dead.” Wyatt said “I have seen a doctor he will be here in a minute.” I saw deceased open his mouth more than once. Mr Battock came in about quarter of an hour. He told us we ought to have rubbed the deceased. He said he thought the deceased was only vomiting when he saw him in the road. Mr Battock examined the body; but no attempts were made to restore animation. Another medical gentleman was sent for, who arrived soon after Mr Battock but he made no attempt to restore life. It was a quarter of an hour before Mr. Battock came in.

       Charles Temple sworn: I am the landlord of the tap. About twenty minutes past one on Friday a man named Barnard called in to know if I had any convenience for a drowned man and while he was speaking Wyatt brought the body in at the door. He asked where he could put it, and I desired him to place it on the tap-room table. I asked if he had seen or sent for a surgeon and he replied he had seen Mr Battock who was coming directly. Mr Battock, however, did not come till twenty minutes after the body was brought into the house. In about quarter of an hour after the body was brought into the house I saw deceased’s jaw move more than once. When Mr Battock came he felt the body and said he thought he was only vomiting when he first saw the deceased. A few minutes after Mr Battock arrived, Mr Penfold came in. Mr. Battock put his hand on the man’s chest and said he was quite dead.

        Christopher Penfold sworn: I reside at No.110 Western Road and am a surgeon. I was called upon yesterday afternoon to visit the body of the deceased at the tap-room of the Brunswick Hotel and found Mr. Battock there. I asked him if the man was dead and he said he decidedly was dead. That was also my opinion and in consequence did not attempt to restore him. The motion of the jaw referred to by the witness might have taken place by spasmodic action after the vital spark had fled. In cases of drowning it might take place in 10, 15 or 20 minutes after life is extinct.

         Stephen Hebden sworn: I am a shoemaker and resided with the deceased who was my father at No.4 Market Street, Brighton. He was 56 years old last May. 

         George Battock sworn: I am a surgeon. I received a message before nine o’ clock yesterday morning to attend a patient at No. 6 Adelaide Crescent, but not being able to come to this part of town before one o’ clock I was anxious to get there without delay. As my carriage was about to turn into the Crescent, the coachman was hailed to stop. I instantly opened the door, put one foot on the step of the carriage and the other into the road, holding the carriage door with one hand. At that instant the man carried along vomited, and one of the men said thay were going to take him to the Brunswick Hotel. From the situation in which I stood, as the coach-builder had placed the door on the wrong side, I could not see what had really happened; it did not at strike me that the man had been drowned. I said to the man “I must make a call close by and will come to you directly afterwards.”  Just as I was leaving the house in Adelaide Crescent a message came saying that the man was dying. I then hastened to the body and fully examined the state of the heart by pressure. Finding no warmth whatever in the region of the heart, and perceiving also that the pupil of the eye was fully dilated, and the eye sunk into the head, I said that the poor man was quite dead. Mr Christopher Penfold, the surgeon, came in soon after and we both concluded that it was useless to apply any remedial measures. I think I ought to add that if it had struck me that the poor man had been taken out of the water I should have ordered my groom to turn my carriage and have followed the body instead of going first to Adelaide Crescent. The body was on the Esplanade on the other side of the railings. I was taking the circuit. The man said, “Come and help this poor man”. I do not think the body could have been restored. I am a member of the Humane Society which deposited with me for twenty years their apparatus and I have had recourse to it diligently night and day. I some years ago deposited the apparatus with the police at the Town Hall, supposing it to be more available in case of necessity. From the hastiness of the moment I did not suppose the man had been taken out of the water. -The witness here remarked that he had been self-condemned; he had no excuse to offer, and that the censure passed upon him by the jury was merited. He could now see the impropriety of his conduct, but acting under the sudden impulse of the moment, it was an error of judgement; not of the heart. He had been a practitioner in the town for many years and he believed his character for humanity would bear investigation. He could only now say, as the neglect could not be recalled, that he was sorry for what had happened.

      Verdict: - “Accidentally Drowned.” The Jury observed that great credit was due to Mr. Elbourne, who at the risk of his life had rescued the body from the waves.