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

 Kelly, William            1911 April 14^th          Tidworth

An inquiry was held at the Mooltan Barracks, North Tidworth, on Monday, by Mr W J Trethowan, Coroner for South Wilts, into the circumstances attending the death of a two-year-old boy named William Kelly, the son of a private in the West Riding Regiment, stationed at the Candahar Barracks, South Tidworth.

Mr Edward Pass was appointed foreman of the jury.

Matilda Kelly, wife of Private John Kelly, said the deceased was their son. On the afternoon of March 16^th she left him in his cot in the bedroom. He was alone, the other children being downstairs. She went outside to look after some washing, and about two or three minutes later her son John came to her and said, “Mam, come on, Billy is on fire.” She went in, and, halfway upstairs, saw Mrs Pell and Mrs Carter on the top of the stairs, holding the boy, and extinguishing fire from his clothes. She sent somebody for her husband to take the boy to the hospital, and this was done. He was attended to, and remained in the hospital until April 9^th, when he died. There was no fire in her bedroom, but her son Albert, a boy of four, afterwards told her that he took some matches upstairs and caught the curtain at the back of the cot alight. There were only the three children in the house when she went to the washing. She did not know where the child could have got the matches. There were none in the bedroom.

John Kelly, a boy of eight, said he was downstairs with his brother Albert, who had some matches, and went upstairs with them. He did not know where Albert got the matches, but he saw him come down, and afterwards heard the baby crying, so he went upstairs and saw he was on fire. He pulled him out of the cot, left him on the top of the stairs and went for his mother. When he came back Mrs Pell and Mrs Carter had the baby. The cot curtain and the baby’s clothes were on fire when he got into the room. He found his mother in the garden. She had only been out two or three minutes.

Bridget Margaret Pell, wife of Private John Pell, living next door to Mrs Kelly, said that as she was folding clothes in her kitchen, she heard children screaming next door. She ran in and went upstairs, and saw the child on the top of the stairs on fire. She asked Mrs Carter, who was there, to get a blanket, which was brought at once, and wrapped round the child and extinguished the flames. The child was taken to the hospital after being attended to downstairs. He seemed quite calm and not suffering. The child was wearing flannel clothes.

Reginald Cowey, captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, stationed at Mooltan Barracks, said he saw the child at the hospital after he had been dressed by the Orderly Officer. There were superficial burns over almost the whole of the left back, the left side of the abdomen, the back of the head and outside of the left leg, and a few superficial burns about the face. The child remained in the hospital until April 9^th, when it died at 4.10am. The cause of death was inflammation of the brain membrane, following burns.

A verdict to that effect was returned.