Coombs, Frederick 1902 April 11th
The City Coroner (Mr S Buchanan Smith) held an inquest at the Council Chamber on Wednesday afternoon, touching the death of an infant named Frederick Coombs, aged 3½ years, the son of Mr and Mrs Coombs, of 83, Culver Street, Salisbury. Mr W C Woodrow was chosen foreman of the jury.
Mary Coombs, the mother, was the first witness, and stated that the child had a cold and cough on Friday, and was kept indoors. On Tuesday she noticed that measles were coming out, so she went to Dr Ellis, who sent medicine. The boy went to bed quietly about 10pm. Witness got up about 12.30am and found her son dead. Her husband went for Dr Ellis, but he was not in, so Dr Ward came.
The Coroner: Did you send for a doctor at once! Yes, sir.
Dr Ward deposed that at about 12.30am on Tuesday morning he was called to see the deceased. In his opinion the child had been dead about two hours. He found no marks of violence, and in his opinion death was due to congestion of the lungs, which must have been forming some days.
By a Juryman: If the doctor had come when sent for the child’s life could not have been saved, but if a doctor had been sent for when the child was first taken ill its life might have been saved. Congestion of the lung and measles was a very dangerous thing for a child to have, in his opinion.
The jury returned a verdict of “Death from Natural Causes.”
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 