The Husband, the wife and the mother-in-law - In May 1881 John Thomas Farrier had been charged with striking his wife, Selina Jane, and his mother-in-law, though it would appear he may have had some grounds “For the last five years she had been running about with other men to the to balls, and she had told a person that one or more of the children did not belong to him (the prisoner). It was very hard for him to know this.” A friend who went with him witnessed that he had not struck or pushed either his wife or mother-in-law. He was sentenced to one month’s hard labour in both cases.
The death of Mrs. Selina Jane Farrier, of 18, Kenllworth-road, St. Leonards, occurred the Municipal Hospital Friday last week the age of 87. She is buried at EK D19 with her daughter, Louisa Susannah Swaine.
Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 05 December 1914
NOT LEAD POISONING.—The inquest at the death John Thomas Matthew Farrier, painter, of St. George's Road, Hastings, was resumed the- Market Hall on Thursday evening before the Borough Coroner, W J. Glenister. Mr. F.W. Morgan, solicitor. Hastings, represented widow, and Mr. Grant McLean. Solicitor, Brighton. represented Messrs. Hutchinson, of St. Leonards, for whom Farrier had worked for some weeks before his illness.
The enquiry had been adjourned in order to ascertain by analysis the cause of death (which was supposed to have been lead poisoning, until Dr. Batterham after the post-mortem examination, gave his opinion that death was due to syncope from cardiac trouble. Dr. A. Headley Huckle said he assisted Dr. Batterham in the post-mortem examination. He agreed with Dr. Batterham as to the condition the arteries of the heart being sufficient to cause death. He tried keep an open mind to whether there was lead poisoning. He saw no symptoms of it. He thought the death was due to heart failure from natural causes. From his subsequent chemical analysis of internal organs he found no evidence of lead poisoning. He had now no doubt that the cause of death was cardiac failure, through natural causes. If there had been lead in the system he would have discovered it. He had never known of lead poisoning through inhalation in the case of painter working outdoors.
—The Coroner having reviewed the circumstances under which Mr. W L.. Pruen (who had attended Farrier) quite naturally thought the symptoms consistent with lead poisoning, the Jury returned a verdict of Death from Natural Causes.
