Transcribed from The Times dated 7th October 1876 by Richard Smith

INQUEST

Mr. William Codd, Coroner of East Essex, concluded an inquiry at the Queen’s Hotel, Clacton, into the circumstances attending the death of Mr. Henry Sadler, aged 34, formerly a reporter on several Essex papers, but who had lately been in the employ of Messrs. Spottiswoode. Mr. C. Sadler, a farmer, of Clacton, said that on Thursday week the deceased, his son, came on a visit for a change of air, recommended by his doctor. On Tuesday night witness saw him prior to his going to bed. He appeared excited, and when the witness had been in bed about twenty minutes he came to the bedroom door, and said, "Who are they that have been talking about me, and what have they been saying?" Witness said "Nonsense, nothing has been said against you; go to bed, and make yourself comfortable." He then went away, and witness thought he had gone to bed. Afterwards, hearing a noise in the house, he got up, and missed the deceased. On going to the top of the house witness found a window broken, and a place made large enough for him to get through. He had evidently escaped in this way, as all the doors and other windows were fastened up. Witness hearing groans from a meadow near the house, proceeded there and found deceased on his hands and knees with his throat cut. Deceased was wet, and it was evident he had fallen or walked into the moat dividing the house from the meadow. A razor was found near, with which he had evidently cut his throat. Mr. Manthorpe, surgeon, who had been attending the deceased, said he believed he had had a great deal of hard work of late, and especially at night, ad his brain had evidently been overworked. The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while in a state of temporary insanity."

This Mr. C. Sadler was Cleere William Scragg Sadler, as he owned a farm in Great Clacton, which had a moat between the house and the meadow.

Cleere William Scragg Sadler was baptised 1806 the son of Cleere Sadler baptised 1776 at Great Clacton and Ann Cutting.

Cleere Sadler baptised 1776 is the brother of Joseph Sadler bp1784 at Great Clacton who is my paternal 3 times great grandfather.

Henry Sadler was born 1842. His father Mr. C. Sadler is Cleere William Scragg Sadler who was married three times the first to Mary Wakefield in 1844 at Great Clacton, second to Jane Gibbs in 1871 at Great Clacton and the third to Sarah Jane Huddon at Copford, Essex

THERE WERE NO CHILDREN TO THESE THREE MARRIAGES

As his first marriage was in 1844 and Henry Sadler was born 1842 therefore I assume he was illegitimate. Have checked the baptisms 1838-1844 at Gt. Clacton but no Henry baptised there.

Cleere William Scragg Sadler’s footstone is in the churchyard of St. John’s, Great Clacton and is inscribed "C.W.S.S. 1881"

Also in the churchyard is a headstone "In Memory of Jane second wife of Cleere Sadler and formerly wife of Thomas Gibbs of London who departed this life 29th August 1871 aged 64 years"

And Last updated on: Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 15:52:29 GMT