Whitehaven child starved Print E-mail
The Maryport Advertiser - Friday, July 21, 1882
CHILD STARVED AT WHITEHAVEN
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An inquest was held before MR. H. J. WHITESIDE, deputy-coroner, at the Punch Bowl Inn, the Ginns, Whitehaven, on Tuesday afternoon, on view of the body of MARY CARR, aged 13 months, daughter of JOSEPH CARR, a labourer at the Pottery, and living at Pipe Shop-lane, Binns.  SARAH CARR, the mother of the deceased, was called, and stated that the child suffered from fits from eleven o'clock to four on Saturday, when it died.  She also stated that on Saturday morning the child ate a piece of herring and bread.
   BRIDGET WELCH stated that she was in the house when the child died, and corroborated the evidence of the mother with regard to the fits.  She also stated that DR. LUMB was sent for, but could not say who was the messenger. [It was afterwards proved that no one had been to DR. LUMB's].

The mother was recalled and stated that her husband allowed her sums of money varying from 15s to 30s per fortnight.
   DR. M'LAUGHLIN stated that he had made a 'post-mortem' examination of the body of the child in the presence of SERGEANTS GRAHAM and BELL, and found that  the bowels and stomach were entirely empty and void of food altogether.  The heart also showed that the child had been wasting for a considerable time;  and it was his opinion that the child had died from starvation.  The bladder was full of water, and it might have lived upon that for some time.  The statement of the mother that the child ate a piece of herring and bread on the Saturday morning was not true, the bowels and the stomach being entirely empty.

The Coroner,  in summing up, said the evidence would scarcely justify them in returning a verdict of manslaughter against the parents, as the law was somewhat strict upon the point, and required that a wicked intent be shown on the part of the parents.

The jury returned the following verdicts: -

"That the said MARY CARR, on the 15th July, at 53, Pipe Shop-lane, Whitehaven, died through the want of a sufficient and proper supply of food and nourishment, which JOSEPH CARR, the father of the child, carelessly neglected to supply."

   The parents were then called into the room, and the Coroner, addressing them, said they had just escaped being committed for the manslaughter of their child.  It was a scandalous case altogether, and they ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for their heartless conduct.

The man and his wife made no reply, and offered no justification of their conduct.

The Coroner then quoted the law upon the point to the jury, and said that although they could not be proceeded against for manslaughter, yet they could be proceeded against by the guardians for wilfully neglicting to supply the child with proper food, and the jury could recommend that course to the guardians.

The jury, however, thought no good would arise out of it, and it would only be putting the guardians to a great deal of trouble.  The jury were then discharged.

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