Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 for Wiltshire

Hardwick, Robert    1915 March 26^th     Fisherton

Death of Grimsby Man in the Infirmary

An inquest was held by Mr S Buchanan Smith (City Coroner) in Salisbury Infirmary on Tuesday evening, concerning the death of Robert Hardwick, of Grimsby, who was knocked down in Fisherton Street by a baker’s van on Saturday, March 13/5^th, and died a fortnight afterwards.

Mr G Morey was appointed foreman of the jury. Mr F H Trethowan represented Mr Witchell, the owner of the van.

Alice Hardwick said her husband was 50 years of age. He was a joiner and wheelwright, and left his home in Grimsby on December 29^th to take up work on Salisbury Plain. He was then in good health. During the time he was away he wrote to her every week. On March 17^th she received a letter in which he said he had been knocked down by a van, and the wheel went over his leg. He said he was taken to the Infirmary, where they treated his injury and he was sent home and told to come again on Monday. When he went on the Monday they said he would have to stay there. On the 18^th she received a letter in which he said his leg was going on fairly well, and he expected to be out in a few days. On the 22^nd she received a telegram, in consequence of which she came to Salisbury as soon as possible.

William James Conduit, baker, in the employ of Mr Witchell, of Milford Hill, said that at about 7.25pm on Saturday, March 13^th, he was driving a horse attached to a four-wheel van up Fisherton Street. When crossing the first bridge he overtook an empty trolley drawn by a horse. At the same time two soldiers were coming towards him in the road, and they were apparently the worse for drink. As they separated one came between his van and the trolley, and he was watching so as not to drive over them. He then saw three man standing in the road about two feet from the kerb, just by the Maundrel Hall. He shouted to them but they did not move, and as he pulled the horse to avoid knocking the soldier he noticed a cigarette fall from the mouth of one of these men.

The Coroner : You did not know yo had knocked anyone down? No, sir.

Did you go on? Yes, because I had pulled up and a gentleman told me to drive on as it was all right.

Did a policeman stop you? Yes.

He told you what had happened? Yes.

If it had not been for the soldiers there would have been plenty of room? Yes, I should have got by.

Were there many people about? Yes, a tremendous lot.

Was the van practically empty? Yes, but there was a boy named Stanley Dear with me.

Replying to the Foreman, witness said he was not driving fast when this happened. He could not avoid the accident.

PC Millett said that he saw Hardwick and others standing outside the Maundrel Hall. Conduit was driving up the street and witness heard him shout. At the same time the off front wheel of the van struck Hardwick and knocked him down, the wheel passing over his right leg. Witness shouted to him to stop, and on being told what had happened, he replied that he did know he had knocked anyone down. He had shouted for the man to get out of the way. Hardwick was taken into the Maundrel Hall, and afterwards witness went with him and two others into the Infirmary, where he was treated and then went home. He had been standing in the road, facing the Maundrel Hall, and the others were nearer the pavement. A lot of people were passing at the time, and it was rather dark.

Was Conduit driving fast? No.

Driving carefully? Yes, sir.

Did it appear to you what he was trying to avoid? It appeared to me that he was trying to avoid the people passing down the street on the other side.

Did you see another vehicle? No, because I was also watching a quarrel between two men outside the Princess Christian Home.

Replying to Mr Trethowan, witness said he did not see Hardwick make any movement after Conduit shouted to him. He was grazed by the box of the wheel.

Dr Rawlence, house surgeon at the Infirmary, said that when Hardwick came in on March 13^th he had two companions with him, who were the worse for liquor and were making a great noise. Witness could not get a rational account of the accident from any of them. Hardwick had a superficial abrasion of the skin on the right leg, and a bruise on the left elbow. He was attended to and advised to remain in the Infirmary, but his friends practically insisted on seeing him home. He was told to keep in bed and to come again on Monday morning. The man came on Monday and witness saw his leg, but it did not look very nice and he persuaded him to stop, though Hardwick was reluctant to do so. The wound went on fairly well till two or three days ago, when inflammation started in the abrasion. On Monday witness received a sudden call, and he found him suffering from general breathlessness. He was sitting up in bed panting and cold, in an extremely serious condition. He died about ten minutes afterwards. In witness opinion the cause of death was a clot of blood passing up from the vein and causing embolism of the lung. The clot would be caused by the inflammation.

Mr Trethowan : There might have been a clot of blood without the accident? Yes.

So far as you can judge, it was caused by the accident? Yes, so far as we know. I did not see the leg before the accident.

The Foreman : Was he the worse for drink when he was brought in? I would not say that, but I think he had had a good deal of drink.

If he had stopped in, it would have been much better for him? Undoubtedly. It was because we felt that he ought not to walk that we tried to persuade him to stay.

Replying to a juryman, the doctor said he thought the man was under the influence of his companions.

A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned.

Mr Trethowan said that Mr Witchell desired him to express on his behalf, regret at the accident and sympathy with Hardwick’s relatives.