Living at Breach Down Dover Accidental Death Gamekeeper, Shot by Sir Henry Oxenden Folkestone Observer 6th February 1869 A very and Melencoly occurrance took place at Barham on Monday last resulting in the death of Edward West, the old and faithful game keeper of Sir Henry Oxenden Bart. It appeare that Sir Henry, his brother and a party of gentlemen out shooting, attended as usual by the game keeper and his assistants.And it was whilst they were in Covet wood that the distressing accident happened. A Pidgeon rose a short distance from Sir Henry Oxenden who fired and killed it, but to his great dismay the game keeper who was standing at a distance of 15 yards as well as the bird was observed to fall. It was found that West had received several shots from Sir Henry's gun in his head and his removal to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital was deemed advisable. On this being accomplished the sufferer was promptly examined by the House Surgeon, who at first pronounced the case a slight one, but subsequently Apoplexy set in and on Tuesday the poor old man expired. He was over 60 years of age and had been employed as keeper on Sir Henry's estate for nearly 40 years. On Tuesday evening an inquest was held on the body of the deceased before T.T. Delavaux Esq. Sir Henry Oxenden Bart and his brother Mr. George Oxenden were present. Stephen Keeler deposed - I live in the parish of Barham and am a Labourer. On Monday last I was out beating with Sir Henry and Mr Oxenden who were shooting in Covet Wood, the deceased was also there, and like myself was beating, he had four or five dogs with him. Sir Henry and Mr Oxenden both fired their guns, killing game between 2 and 3 o'clock, I heard a gun fire and saw the bird, a Pidgeon fall, Sir Henry immediately afterwards called and I ran to him, when I saw the deceased lying on the ground bleeding from his head and mouth. The bleeding must have been produced by either a blow or a gunshot wound, but I couldent say which as his face was covered in blood. I have since seen the body and I believe the injuries were caused by shots from a gun. No one said at the time how it had happened. When I first saw the bird falling it was about 5 or 6 feet from the ground and not in the direction in which the deceased was standing. Deceased was brought to the hospital in Canterbury. The Coroner asked if Mr George Oxenden could give any more detailed occurance. Mr Oxenden said he could'nt as he was 200 yards off when the accident happened. Witness (I am assuming it means 'when questioned') by the Coroner - I have been in the habit of going with Sir Henry Oxenden for years. I have known shot to glance off from the direction in which they have been fired. By the foreman- When I went up to the deceased I saw Sir Henry, who said here is a bad accident, and he told me to go and get some men, Sir Henry went to get a Doctor and Mr Oxenden remained with the deceased. By the Coroner - Sir Henry was close to the deceased when I went up to him Sir Henry did not say how it happened. By the foreman - No one said how it happened, but we thought it was done by a gun. By the Coroner - I didn't ask how it happened, I cannot say how far Sir Henry was from West when the gun fired. By the foreman - the wood consists of springs and high trees. By the Juror - There were other persons shooting in the wood but about a 1/4 of a mile off. The bird was about 1/2 a rod from where the deceased fell. I saw the bird fall but not the deceased. By another juror - Deceased said to me, 'Keeler it is the last day of the season and it is a bad job'. Mr George Chichester Oxenden of Broome Park said, I was out shooting with my brother and we had with us the deceased and the last witness. I cannot say how the injury was received for this reason. I was 150 yards away I heard my brother fire off his gun at about 2 o'clock and I thought I heard his voice, and in consequence I went to him to ask what he had found, my brother was then near the deceased who was lying on the ground and bleeding from his face, i had no doubt that the deceased had been struck by shot from a gun and it could not have come from any other gun but my brothers, as there were not any other guns out. So as soon as I reached my brother and the deceased the former said "George I have shot West, but I did not fire within 10 feet of him," and then my brother pointed in the direction he fired which was not in line with the deceased. By a juror - My brother was shooting with cartridges. Mr Oxenden - I saw some feathers on some bushes and my brother said he fired in that direction, which was wide of where deceased was lying by 10 feet. The foreman suggested that the deceased might have staggered for a few feet before he fell. Mr. Oxenden - I believe that the shot which struck the deceased must have glanced off some bough or tree or the injury received by the deceased would have been much more severe. Mr. Thomas Francis Raven said - I am the house surgeon at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. The deceased was brought to that establishment on Monday shortly after 4 in the afternoon suffering from gun shot wounds to his head and neck. I continued to attend until his death, which took place at about 5 o'clock yesterday morning. I think the external injury's were caused by shots from a gun. But I think the cause of death was Epoplexy (Apoplexy?) indirectly caused by excitement produced by a fall, and the injury sustaidned. But for the injurys he received I believe the Epoplexy would not have killed him. There is a mark of injury in the right eye, and I do not know that a shot has not penetrated the brain through it, if so it would have caused death, and my assumption as to Epoplexy would stand for nothing. I produced two shots one of which was removed from the temporal muscle, and the other from the deceased clothing. The Coroner then summed up going carefully through the evidence, and pointing out the Law as regards Manslaughter through misadventure, at the same time stating that in his opinion the unfortunate occurrence was entirely the result of an accident. Sir Henry Oxenden by permission of the Coroner made a statement to the Jury to the following effect. He said he was standing within 15 yards of West when suddenly a Rock Pigeon got up behind him, he turned round and shot at it when it was about 25 yards distant. The Pidgeon flew at right angles to West and how the shot struck him he could not conveive. It must have been a glance shot. As soon as he saw the bird fall he turned round and saw West lying on the ground. There was no doubt the shot from his gun had struck him and that killed the bird which was at right angles to West would show the Jury he was not shooting at random. The Jury after a very brief consultation returned a verdict of accidental death.

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