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The concealment of a birth 1874
Loughborough Advertiser - 30th April 1874.
(see also Assizes report, Artefact 266)
Mary Jane Wilders, was charged on remand with concealing the birth of her illegitimate child, at Quorndon. Wm. Wakeling, a labourer, said he was emptying an ashpit near prisoner's house, when he came upon the body of a newly-born male child. He cover it over and went to inform his master. On his return he met PC Higgs taking the body towards the village. Matildia Waite, wife of Thos. Waite, of Quorndon, who lived near prisoner, spoke to seeing prisoner on the 9th April come from a privy, and go into her mother's house. She appeared to be ill, and looked as though she could scarcely drag one leg after the other. She was holding her clothes between her knees. Soon after this she saw her return to the privy with a brick, and heard a splash as though a brick had been thrown into the privy hole. About a week afterwards she met prisoner, who said she was given to understand she had said she threw bricks into the privy hole, and a child also. She told prisoner she had never mentioned her throwing a child in.
Eliza Wootton, spoke to defendant telling her about two months ago, she was in the family-way. PC Higgs said on the 30th ult, he found the dead body of the child, and took it to the White Hart inn. He afterwards apprehended the prisoner. He told her a child had been found in the privy hole amongst the manure. She replied that her mother was there when they took the manure, and saw nothing, so that it was not true.
Mrs Holloway, wife of Sergt. Holloway, said prisoner had admitted to her that she was taken ill when on the closet seat, and the child came away then. Dr Harris said he had examined the body, and found that it was about a seven months' child; but he could not say if it had breathed or not. This was all the evidence adduced, and the Bench formally committed prisoner for trial at the assizes.
Prisoner, who is a diminutive person, and deformed, was then removed in custody.
Note: In the 1871 and 1881 census returns, the Wilders and Wooton families were living in 'New Quorn'. This was the area beyond (what is now) Rawlins school and covered the current Sarson Street, Castledine Street, Barrow Road and part of Loughborough Road.
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Submitted on: |
2009-07-03 |
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Submitted by: |
Kathryn Paterson |
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Artefact ID: |
141 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=141 |
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Print: |
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