The following information is taken from contemporary press reports of inquests, the first three being held at the Seven Stars pub, Marsh Baldon. Additional information is taken from census records.
Joseph Fruin, aged 7
It seems that at the Baldon Feast, in August 1825, a bizarre-sounding (and unofficial) game was played. The game entailed throwing sticks at snuff boxes! (Perhaps this was an ad hoc version of the game Aunt Sally, with the snuff box sitting on a pole?). A large group was gathered around with several children sitting nearby. One stick was thrown by a George Swiman, which glanced off a boy named Richard Weston and then it hit Joseph William Fruin, causing “almost instant death”. Joseph was the son of William and Elizabeth Fruin, of Court House, Toot Baldon, and the older brother George William Fruin.
The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The (unnamed) owner of the boxes was committed to the County Gaol, under the Vagrant Act.
Frederick Thomas, aged 10
James Thomas was a gamekeeper, living in Marsh Baldon, employed by Sir John Willoughby. One day in June 1885, Walter, who was James and Maria’s 14-year old son, “was given a loaded double-barrelled muzzle-loading gun with which to mind pheasants”. Whilst Walter was showing his younger brother, Frederick, how the hammers worked, the left hammer slipped, the gun exploded and the charge entered young Frederick’s head. The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
George Stevens, aged 14
Daniel Stevens, from Headington Quarry, was a brick-burner / labourer. On the 11th March 1895, he and his son George were travelling by pony cart to the farm of Mr Hoskyns, Marsh Baldon. George was leading the pony as they were crossing a field on the approach to the farm. The pony took fright at something, throwing George down onto the limb of a fallen tree, striking the side of his head, causing concussion. He died within a few minutes. The verdict was that he was accidentally killed.
Henry William Bushnell, aged 9
Henry, who lived in Toot Baldon, was having his lunch break at Marsh Baldon School one day in October 1934. He and a fellow pupil were playing in a shed in the playground. Henry tried to swing from a beam above the washbasin when he fell, hitting his head on the concrete floor. He subsequently died. The cause of death was determined to be inflammation of the meninges following fracture of the skull.
At the inquest the headmistress, Miss E M Young, acknowledged that nobody was in charge of the children at that time. The school’s managers were criticised saying that the accident would not have happened if proper supervision had been arranged.