The February 2012 edition of Village Voices is now available
Accidental Death at Wisbech St Mary
From the "Wisbech Telegraph" Saturday
February 6th 1858
"An inquest was held at Wisbech St
Mary on the body of a widow named
Mary Francis, aged about 70, who was found in her home burnt to death
on the preceding Thursday.
"Deceased appears to have been
sitting on her chair when her clothes
took fire, and she was literally roasted. The legs of the chair were also
burnt away, and it had sunk down with the corpse upon it, which
presented a shocking spectacle. Verdict: ?Accidental death."
"Mrs Mary Francis was, in fact,
77 years of age. She was a former school
mistress at the Free School in Tholomas Drove, employed by the Trustees
when Mr William Stanton was Master."
This page was compiled by Brian Payne, a
local historian living in the village of Wisbech St Mary. Brian
is also Vice-Chairman of the Parochial Church Council and is
currently engaged in raising £20,000 for urgent repairs to
our beautiful fourteenth-century parish church [see appeal page]. If you
found these pages, which give an insight into the past social
life of the parish, interesting, you might wish to make a
donation to the Appeal. Any offerings would be most gratefully
accepted and acknowledged. Contact Brian on
