Life story retold by Yota Dimitriadi
Oliver James WHITBURN was 2 years and 6 months old when he died on Thursday 29 September 1898. He lived at 45 Bell-street, Reading. His dad was a carpenter. The inquest into his death was led by the coroner, Mr. Wm. Weedon, on Friday 30 September at the Berkshire Hotel, Reading. According to Oliver’s mum, Mary Jane WHITBURN, she was getting dinner on Wednesday, when she heard her child scream. She found him the scullery. She took the boy’s clothes off and saw that his body was scalded. Martha Ann DARE, Mary’s mother, said that at the time in question she was boiling kitchen-cloths. She took some dirty water from the boiler and put it into pail outside the back door. Then she heard the boy cry, and found him in the pail.
The child was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital as soon as possible. Mr. M. H. Sayers, house-surgeon at the Hospital, said the Oliver was admitted at 2.15 on Wednesday, suffering from scalds on the back. He died of shock on Thursday morning.
A verdict was returned of ‘Death from shock, from an accidental scald.’ During the same meeting a second inquest into the death of the 3 year old, Albert Edward Dore, who was also burnt to death, was held.
unmarked grave, unconsecrated part-location unknown at this time