Thomas Baynham (1889-1911)
Thomas was born at Walsall, Staffordshire in 1889.
He died at Walsall in 1911, aged 21, after a very brief illness (his death was the subject of an inquest).
Thomas, always known as ‘Tom’, was born on 31st October 1889, in the family home at 26 Oxford Street, Pleck in Walsall.
He appears on the 1891 census, aged 1, as the youngest member of the household; he is living with his parents Arthur William (known as William) and Elizabeth, older siblings Arthur (9), Nellie (7) and Lillie (5) and a lodger Eliza (26).
By 1901 he is aged 11.
The family is still living at 26 Oxford Street, Pleck. Arthur (19) and Lillie (15) are still living at home and there are two new additions – Marshall William (‘William’) (3) (my grandfather) and Dora (1).
Nellie (17) has left home to work as a housemaid for a local family and Eliza the lodger has moved out.
In 1903, aged 13, Tom is mentioned in The Walsall Observer of 12th September in connection with Walsall Junior League football. As ‘T. Baynham 26 Oxford Street, Pleck, Walsall’, he is the contact for his team ‘Rose and Thistle’ (average age 14) in the ‘Matches Wanted’ section. It appears that their last game, against Prince Street White Star was a 0-0 draw. The Rose and Thistle beer house was located at 2 Caledon Street, very close to his home.
In 1906, aged 16, he gets another (less worthy) mention, on 7th July:
DAMAGING MOWING GRASS.
Dennis McGrath, 15, Brineton Street, was summoned for wilful damage a field of mowing grass, the property of George Griffin, Gillity Greaves Farm, on June 18th.—Mr. J. F. Addison appeared to prosecute, and said that Mr. Griffin had suffered considerable damage for a very long while from the habit of people trespasslng on his mowing grass. There was more than a mile of footpath across his fields, but although these were in good order people were not content to walk on them, but walked through the grass or lay down in it.—Police-constable Gaunt stated that he saw defendant lying down in the grass. There were notice boards up.—Defendant, who did not appear, was fined 1s. and costs, and ordered to pay the damage, 6d.—Edward Gregory, 118, Prince Street; William Gill, 308, Wednesbury Road; and Thomas Baynham, 12, Oxford Street, were summoned for similar offences on June 24th.—Mr. Addison prosecuted in this case also.—Police-constable Fisher gave evidence that defendants were walking through the grass some twelve feet from the path. Baynham gave his right name and address, but the other two gave false ones —Baynham was ordered to pay 1s. and costs, and the damage, and the other two 2s.6d. and costs and the damage each.
The same case is reported in the same day’s Walsall Advertiser, but with a more eye-catching headline:
ANOTHER HAUL OF RECKLESS YOUNG PEOPLE.
Several more youths were summoned for damaging the mowing grass on Gillity Farm, the property of Mr Geo. Griffin. On June 18th, Police-constable Gaunt was duty there when he saw Dennis McGrath, 15, Brineton Street, lying in the grass in company with a young woman. When accosted defendant said he had been there many a time and did not think be was doing any harm. Fined 1s and costs and ordered to pay 6d damage. On the 24th ult, Police-constable Fisher (73) was on duty there, and saw three youths, Edward Gregory, 118, Prince Street, William Gill, 308, Wednesbury Road, and Thomas Baynham, 12, Oxford Street, walk the full length the field some twelve yards off the footpath. The first two gave the officer wrong names and addresses. Baynham was fined 1s and costs and Gregory and Gill 2s 6d and costs.
At some point between 1901 and his death in 1911, Tom was working as a labourer in the ironworks at Hill Top.
Tom died on Sunday 8th January 1911, after a brief illness, the circumstances of which were the subject of an inquest on Wednesday 10th January 1911 at the Guildhall in Walsall.
The Walsall Advertiser, reported on the inquest on Saturday 14th January 1911:
NO PTOMAINE POISONING.
PLECK MAN’S DEATH AFTER EATING CHIPPED POTATOES.
The circumstances attending the death of Thomas Baynham (21), ironworks labourer, lately of 151, Prince Street, Pleck, which occurred on Sunday morning, were enquired into by the Borough Coroner (Mr. J. F. Addison) at the Guildhall, on Wednesday afternoon. Evidence was given Elizabeth Baynham, widow, of 151, Prince Street, Pleck, who stated that the deceased was her son and worked at Hill Top. He had never been very strong, and on Thursday following Christmas Day, he complained of feeling sick and bad, and said he had had some chip potatoes the previous day. She gave him some salt and water, and he vomited a little. The next day he was worse and she asked Dr. Thompson who was attending her daughter, whether she had better give him milk. On the Friday she asked Dr. Thompson to attend deceased, and he did so up to the time of his death. Her son did not appear to get any better, and on Thursday, January 5th, someone persuaded her to call in Dr. O’Meara, but she only gave deceased Dr. Thompson’s medicine. He died on Sunday morning. – Answering the Coroner witness said there was consumption in the family. A young woman named Gertrude Hitch, of 15, Fort Street, Palfrey, stated that she had known deceased for about five years, and had been keeping company with him for some four months. She saw good deal of him during the Christmas holidays, being in his company Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday evening about 10 o’clock, soon after they had returned home from a walk, witness’s sister brought some chipped potatoes. There was 2d. worth and four people partook of them, deceased having about half a dozen. None of the other three experienced any ill effects from the potatoes. On Christmas Day the deceased and witness went to a wedding party, and although he took part in the merriment, he did not have much to eat. On Wednesday night he told her that he had had nothing to eat all day, and did not know what was the matter with him. That was long before he had the chips. Thompson deposed to attending deceased for acute diarrhoea and sickness, probably due an irritated stomach and intestines. He could not account for all that from the chipped potatoes, but he had come to the conclusion that the cause of death was exhaustion and collapse following the diarrhoea and sickness, which thought was set up by the chipped potatoes owing to the unhealthy condition of the stomach when he had them. Summing up, the Coroner remarked that after a person’s death under such circumstances, the question arose as to whether there was not something wrong with an article of diet, and some people looked suspiciously upon ptomaine poisoning. With reference to that case the evidence had entirely cleared those suspicions away. The chip potatoes were a perfectly wholesome diet, but it was an article of food that it was unwise for the man to partake of at the time owing to the condition of his stomach. Answering a jury man, Dr. Thompson said that there was no difference of opinion between Dr. O’Meara and himself as to the cause of death. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.
Notes:
- Tom was registered as ‘Thomas Baneham’
Census and Burial Register extracts – www.ancestry.co.uk