Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths in South Yorkshire by Geoffrey Howse

Author:Geoffrey Howse
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783408689
Publisher: Wharncliffe
Published: 2013-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

Lord Wharncliffe (Edward Stuart Wortley), 3rd Baron and later 1st Earl of Wharncliffe. Roy Young Collection

The inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday 13 December, before Thomas Taylor, Esquire, the District Coroner, at the house of Mr Sykes, at Pilley, where a post-mortem examination had been carried out on the body of George Thirkell the previous afternoon. At the inquest it was heard that the post mortem was carried out by Mr Wainwright, surgeon, of Barnsley and Dr Watson, of Wortley. The gunshot had entered the abdomen about five inches below the naval at an oblique angle, causing severe damage to the bowel, which protruded from the wound. Such was the extent of the damage to the vital organs that there could be no doubt as to the cause of death. The deceased was an exceeding strongly built man and was possessed of a remarkably stable tenacity of muscle.

On Sunday 15 December the funeral cortege left the house of the deceased head gamekeeper, situated at the lower end of Holings Wood, a little after eleven o‘clock. The procession was headed by eight young women attired in white dresses and bonnets. Then came the hearse bearing the body of Matilda Thirkell. Following this was a funeral bus, which as well as conveying the chief mourners to the church, also bore the coffin in which lay all that remained of the once powerful and stalwart George Thirkell. Then, walking two by two, were a number of the personal friends of the deceased, several farmers and the principal servants at Wortley Hall. Also in the procession were Dr Watson and J J Smith, Esquire, steward to Lord Wharncliffe. The bearers were all gamekeepers who had acted under the deceased man, namely Thomas Mayes, James Peacock, Joseph Woodcock, William Thornhill, William Brockwell and Robert Dixon. Among several other people processing to the church was Thomas Oram, who was with George Thirkell when the fatal shot was fired. All the children of the deceased, two or three of whom were very young, followed their sister’s and father’s bodies to their final resting place. The cortege arrived at St Leonard’s Church, Wortley, shortly after the morning service had finished. The funeral service was conducted by the incumbent, the Rev G Brewin. During the committal proceedings at the graveside the grief of George Thirkell’s little children was very intense, moving many of the spectators to tears. The funeral itself was a simple one, differing only from many others by the large number of people who followed the coffins to the grave. The general public also showed great interest in the proceedings. Some of those living further afield, curious enough to witness the sad event, were under the impression that the funeral and internment would take place later in the day. About forty people came over from Sheffield arriving on the one o’clock train. Several others arrived on foot but they were to be disappointed, because by the time they had arrived at St Leonard’s Church, the internment had already taken place.

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