Poor Esther...and how awful for her old husband John.
SHOCKING DEATH OF AN OLD WOMAN
F.J. Malim, Esq, held an inquest here on Friday, touching the death of Esther Glazier, whose death occurred in a very shocking manner. – Charles Challen, a labourer living next door to deceased at Henly Hill, said she was 82 years of age, and in receipt of parish relief. On Wednesday last I went with John Glazier to Fernhurst , two miles off, to obtain the allowance of bread. We started about a quarter to nine, and deceased was sitting in her room. We returned about twelve, and Glazier opened the door. He said “Oh dear, Master Challen,” and I went in. There is no grate in the room but fire dogs for a wood fire on the hearth. Deceased was lying over the brand iron, and was burning. There were two logs on. I pulled her out and ran for a bucket of water which I threw over her, and put the fire out. There was no one living in the cottage beside John Glazier and the deceased, and no one lives in my cottage besides myself. The tea things were on the table. Deceased’s clothes were completely burned away round the upper part of her body. Her face was also much burned. – Mr Alex Yule surgeon, said deceased had been under his care for a considerable time. She was suffering from senile decay and a cough, and was allowed extra nourishment from the parish. She had had two or three fainting fits, but was not subject to apoplectic or epileptic fits. He though it possible she had had one of these fainting fits, and fell into the fire. She had a custom of crouching over the fire, which might have made her giddy. Under the circumstances he though she was insensible when she fell in, and that life was extinct without suffering. – The Jury returned a verdict “That the deceased was taken in a fit, and fell into a fire, and that the burning caused her death”.
Chichester Express and West Sussex Journal 26 Nov 1872