Tuesday 16th July 2024  

Sad death of the Quorn Parish Clerk – 1852

Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties
Friday 26th November 1852

DIED
At Quorndon, on the 22nd instant, Mr. Joseph Taylor, parish clerk, aged 65 years, who was found hanging in the belfry of the church.

Suicide Quorndon— Between one and two o’clock Monday afternoon, the village of Quorndon was thrown into a state of considerable excitement by a report which unhappily proved too true, that Mr. Joseph Taylor, the old parish clerk, had put an end to his existence by hanging himself from the railings of the gallery in the village church. On the following afternoon M. Gregory, coroner, held an inquest over the body, at Mr. Halford's, the Blue Ball public-house, from the evidence adduced, it appears deceased left home the morning of Monday about eight o’clock, for the purpose of sweeping the church, closing the pew doors, etc., his usual practice on the Monday morning; that not returning home for dinner, his friends naturally began to suspect all was not right, and on informing Mr. W. Taylor and Mrs Glover, brother and sister of the deceased, of the circumstance, they proceeded to the church, where, on attempting to up the gallery stairs they, beheld the object of their search, suspended by the neck, from the railings of the gallery, quite dead. It also appears that deceased, who lived with his son-in-law, had, on the morning of the melancholy event, some unpleasant words together—a not unusual occurrence. It further appears that he had for some time past been very low spirited, account, it is believed of not receiving salary for bell-ringing, and other duties connected with his office as clerk, being unable to work, the above salary was all he had to subsist on. In accordance with the above facts, a verdict of “temporary insanity” was returned. Before taking leave this painful subject, may we be allowed to say, that whilst writing it, the thought has forcibly struck us, how very humiliating to every true lover of the church must the reflection be, that although the church of Quorndon is frequented by the most fashionable, influential, and wealthy residents in the village, there is not sufficient zeal and love for Mother Church amongst the richer brethren, to constrain them to contribute of their abundance tor the paying of the wages of the poor clerk. Indeed, it fully believed by the majority of the villagers, that had his wages been paid regularly, as they ought to have been, the above melancholy suicide would have been prevented.


Morning Advertiser - Monday 29 November 1852

SUICIDE OF A PARISH CLERK
An inquest was held the village of Quorndon, near Loughborough, Tuesday last, upon the body of Joseph Taylor, clerk of the parish, who had committed suicide the village church the preceding day. The evidence went to show that the deceased had been in a very depressed state of mind for the last few months, and that soon after eight o’clock he left home to the church, which usually did, to put the things used during divine service on Sunday. About one o’clock, as he had not returned, his brother and sister went to the church see for him, and found him hanging from rail of the bannister the side of the stairs, leading from the belfry to the gallery of the church. He was quite dead, and had evidently been so for some hours. The cause of this depression was that he had not received any of his salary for the last year and half and that the consequence of having his shoulder dislocated by his son in law with whom he lived pushing him down in September last, since which time had not been able to perform any of his duties, which required any amount of manual labour; he was afraid he should lose the clerkship. It was also stated that being unable to get his salary due him, he, for the last three months, had not had sufficient food, and that having been in comfortable circumstances until within the last few years he was ashamed of acquainting any but his relatives with his reduced state. He was about years 66 years of age, and succeeded his father as clerk of the parish 34 years since.Verdict - "Deceased hung himself, in unsound state of mind.”

Additional information: In the 1851 census, James Taylor is recorded as living on Stoop Lane, on a part of which is now called Station Road. He was born in Earl Shilton about 1787 and married Ann Toon in Quorn on 31st December 1810.

Submitted on: 2022-02-05 Submitted by: Dennis Marchant and Sue Templeman Artefact ID: 2475 Artefact URL: www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=2475