Dr. James Butler Norris Cane

In our previous blog of 29 August 2021 we highlighted three Glenmore inquests that took place in 1866. Today, we are going to feature three inquests that were held in 1868 involving the deaths of three men under entirely different circumstances. One died from pneumonia, another from asphyxia, and the third drowned in a well.

John Forrestal (c. 1813-1868) of Carrickcloney, Glenmore

On 18 November 1868 an inquest was held at Carrickcloney on the body of John Forrestal, aged 55. It was reported that the deceased was formerly a farmer who retired from the management of the farm in favour of his younger brother, Thomas Forrestal. Evidence was produced that the deceased had complained of having a pain since the previous week. “No doctor attended him as he said he did not want one. He had had tea and whey, but no medicine. His sister-in-law, Mrs. Thomas Forristal, deposed that she had used some of both the tea and the whey herself, and had not received any bad consequence from it. He took to his bed, in the barn, in which he remained till his death, which took place on Sunday morning.  It was given in evidence that the deceased and family lived on good terms. Neither clergyman nor Doctor had seen the man, and he was discovered dead in bed about 10 o’clock, on Monday. A man slept in the barn, and had not been aware of his death.”

Dr. Cane examined the body and testified that the deceased’s death was caused by pneumonia, and that the valves of the heart were also diseased. Dr. Cane went on to explain that “pneumonia is a disease of the lungs, and the death took place from natural causes…there was nothing to indicate poison.” The jury accordingly found a verdict of ” Death from natural causes” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 21 November 1868, p.  3).

For further information concerning the dispensary doctor, James Butler Norris Cane (c. 1840-1906), who was the doctor covering Mullinavat and Glenmore for decades, see our previous blog of 29 April 2020.

Patrick Darmody of Smithstown

On 31 October 1868 the body of Patrick Darmody, a schoolteacher, from Smithstown, was found by a farmer named Walsh dying in a field at Ballynooney half way between Mullinavat and Glanmore (sic). Earlier in the week the deceased had stopped at the farmer’s house. At said time the deceased stated that he was suffering from a sore throat, and had great difficulty in swallowing. He obtained some medicines from a “quack doctor” named Doolan, at Mullinavat. The medicine comprised an internal wash for the throat, and a bottle for external application. Both of the bottles were properly labelled, and the external medicine had a caution on the bottle that it was poison. “The chief object of the inquiry was to ascertain if the man had received injury from the use of either of these prescriptions, or if he could have accidentally used internally that intended for external application. It appeared, however, from testimony adduced, that the deceased had been most careful and cautious in the use of the bottles.”

Dr. James Cane, Mullinavat, examined the body as well as the bottles and testified that the death was due to asphyxia. The deceased had a large abscess on his right parotid gland that pressed on his trachea. He observed that there was no injury on the body caused by the medicines applied or otherwise. On this evidence the jury—of which Mr. William Costello, of Mullinavat was Foreman — arrived at a verdict ‘Death from natural causes’” (Kilkenny Moderator, Wed., 4 Nov. 1868, p. 3).

John Walsh (c. 1833-1868) of Forristalstown, Glenmore

An inquest was held on 12 September 1868 at Forristaltown, near Glanmore (sic)  on the body of John Walsh, a farmer’s son, who had been discovered dead in a well adjoining the farm yard, on the previous morning. The coroner’s jury heard that the deceased was going to take a cow to the fair of Ross early the morning in question. When the family got up at the usual time, about six o’clock, the cow was discovered in the field, although John Walsh was not in his room. A search was then made for the deceased, whose body was discovered at the bottom of a well 30 feet deep, head downwards, and even the feet nearly covered with water. “It appeared his sister, Ellen, discovered his coat in his room, and knowing that it had been his habit to go to the well in the morning to raise a bucket of water to wash his person, she went there, and, looking down, saw his feet above the surface. She promptly let herself down by a rope, and shortly, assisted by her cousin, named Edward Doherty, got up the body. The windlass over the well was found out of order, the iron handle, at one end, being out of its place; and it was conjectured that the deceased had lost his balance in consequence of the sudden disarrangement of the machinery and fallen into the well, head foremost. The skull was injured, and it was conjectured it came into contact with the bucket in the fall. The deceased was 35 years old and unmarried.”

Dr. Mullin, of Ross, was summoned by the constable to determine if the injury to the deceased’s head had been inflicted maliciously before death.  After examining the deceased’s body Dr. Mullin concluded the head injury was accidental. The jury arrived at a finding that the deceased came to his death by having accidentally fallen into the well (Kilkenny Moderator, Wed. 16 Sept. 1868, p. 3).

Thus, the juries in all three of the 1868 inquests above found that the deaths were accidental although it is understandable, under the circumstances, how each of the deaths needed to be investigated. Each of the inquests gives fascinating insight into the ordinary lives of local people from the man who would not see a doctor, a teacher who relied on a “quack doctor,” to a tragic accident on a fair day and his extraordinary sister finding and retrieving the corpse by climbing down into the well.

The drawing of the well above is older than the wells of the 1860’s and it does not have a windlass. Robert, Hubert (1733-1808). Woman drawing water from a stone well. 1763 – 1764. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/90b4e4a4-4c99-1240-e040-e00a180601fd. (Accessed October 21, 2021.)

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh