A CHILD POISONED BY ITS FATHER, BRADNINCH, 1845.

 Under this heading The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, of 1st March 1845, reported:

"During the past week the quiet village of Bradninch, about nine miles from this city, has been the scene of considerable excitement, in consequence of the following circumstances.  

"A short time ago, a husbandman residing there lost his wife in childbed.  The infant was taken into the country by a female relative, who took charge of it.

"On the day of the wife's funeral this person came to Bradninch to attend it, and during the performance of the ceremony left the child in the care of its father, who had been indisposed and was receiving sick-pay from his club, being confined to his bed.

"He had previously provided himself with a bottlle of spirits of hartshorn, unknown to his nurse, by sending a casual visitor for it during her absence.

"He took the child into bed with him, whilst the funeral of his wife was going on and administered the spirits of hartshorn to it, hiding the bottle in a crevice of the floor.

"The female relative, who had interested herself in the case of the child, on returning from the funeral found it foaming at the mouth and very ill.  She was much alarmed and took it to the minister of the parish to be baptised. That gentleman caused the infant to receive medical attention but it died shortly afterwards.

"An inquest was held on the body on Saturday, which was adjourned to yesterday, when we learn that the father was committed for trial on a charge of Wilful Murder."

As so often, one is alarmed to see how quickly and to what degree the newspaper has prejudged a case.  

This seems to be a tale of ultra Victorian Gothic horror.   The degree of misery implied is shocking. We are not given enough detail but perhaps we shall see learn more at the next Assize Court. 

Spirit of hartshorn  was literally obtained from the antlers of the red-deer and some other horny sources.  They were an ammonia solution not particularly known to be poisonous but the child could only have been some days old.

It was clearly thought more important to have the child seen by the minister than the doctor.   I am  distrustful of female relatives;  innate misogyny I suppose!

In childbed meaning giving birth is noteworthy.