Inquest into the death of Margaret Elizabeth Gorey

8th January 1879

PROCEEDINGS OF INQUEST held upon the body of

Margaret Elizabeth Gorey

at Gregory's Kyneton Hotel, Rochester

Robert Strickland, Coroner Colony of Victoria

An Inquisition for our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, taken at Gregory's Kyneton Hotel Rochester in the Colony of Victoria aforesaid, the eighth day of January 1879 in the forty second year of the reign of our said Lady the Queen, before me Robert Strickland Gentleman, a Coroner of our Lady the Queen for the said Colony, upon the view of the body of Margaret Elizabeth Gorey then and there lying dead, upon the oaths of:

George Francis Chamberlin (Foreman) Samuel John Jones Charles Chamberlin Oswald McDonagh James Watt Henry Read Patrick Hannan John Thomas Harper Thomas Gregory William Mackey Joseph Chappell Michael Ralph

Good and lawful men of Rochester in the said Colony, who being duly sworn and charged to inquire, upon the part of our Lady the Queen, when, where, how, and by what means the said Margaret Elizabeth Gorey came by‡ her death, do say upon their oath

That on the seventh day of January 1879, at Wharparilla, the deceased, Margaret Elizabeth Gorey, died from injuries accidentally received, by falling into a boiler of scalding water, at her parents residence, at Torrumbarry, on the same day.

In witness whereof as well the aforesaid Coroner as the Jurors aforesaid, have to this Inquisition put their hands and seals, on the day and year, and at the place above mentioned.

This deponent, Sophia Gorey, on her oath saith, I am a married woman residing at Torrumbarry.

The deceased, Margaret Elizabeth Gorey, of whose body the Jury have had the view, was my daughter, she was 2 years and 10 months old. Yesterday afternoon, the 7th instant, about one o'clock, I was in the kitchen with deceased, when the men came into their dinner. I was engaged at the table pouring out the tea when one of the men brought in from the outside a piece of timber about 10 feet long for the purpose of making a seat for the men at the table; to get out of the way of which, deceased walked backwards and I saw her fall back into the boiler, at the fire, which was, at that time, full of hot tea. The lower portion of her back and the upper part of her legs were much scalded. In fact, she fell into a sitting posture into the large pot or boiler. I extricated her immediately and applied flour and other remedies. About 6 o'clock finding that she was not likely to get better by the means at our disposal we decided on taking her to a doctor at Echuca, 18 miles distant, and I started with my husband on the journey.

When about seven miles on the road I looked at deceased who was lying at the bottom of the waggonette on pillows and then found that she was dead. We had not driven fast and had come on a good road. On discovering that the child was dead we decided to go on to Rochester, a greater distance, where my mother resides. On reaching Rochester about midday today information was given to the police.

The man who brought the timber into the kitchen did not act carelessly. I think the death of my child was purely accidental. The boiler had been taken off the fire about ten minutes and placed on the floor, in the usual manner.

Sophia Gorey Taken and sworn before me the eighth day of January 1879 at Rochester Coroner

This Deponent, Walter Nicholson, on his oath saith, I am a legally qualified Medical Practitioner residing at Elmore.

I have this night made an external examination of the body of the deceased, Margaret Elizabeth Gorey, of which body the Jury have had the view. It is that of a female child about 3 years of age. There are no external marks of violence or injury on the body, except severe scalds extending from the back of the neck, all the way down the back to the buttocks, including the sides of the chest and across the abdomen, also partially down both thighs. The cause of death was the injury described, the result of severe scalds.

W Nicholson

Taken and Sworn before me, the Eighth day of January, 1879, at Rochester Coroner.

North Western Police District, Rochester Station, 8 January 1879. Report of Constable Michael Ralph 2573

I have to report for the information of the Coroner that a child named Margret Elizabeth Gorey, two years and ten months old, was on the 7th inst at Torrumbarry, scalded by falling into a boiler of hot tea and lived only six hours afterwards. No medical man has seen the child, the body is now here in Rochester awaiting an inquest.