Death of a Beckett Estate Gamekeeper

The Death of John Thomas Place

From an article in the publication, ‘The Operative’ dated 30^th June, 1839

Melancholy Loss of Life.

An inquest was held on the 13^th instant, at Becket Leys Farm, in the parish of Shrivenham, before Mr E. Cowcher, Coroner, and a respectable jury, on view of the body of John Thomas Place, head gamekeeper to Lord Viscount Barrington, M.P., who was found dead under the following circumstances:- On the previous afternoon the deceased left home with his gun, for the purpose of shooting jays in the neighbouring wood called Wellington Wood, and not returning towards the evening, his wife, to whom he had but recently been married, became alarmed at his long absence, and requested the under gamekeeper to make a search for him; but all endeavours to find the deceased were ineffectual. His Lordship’s steward, however, on becoming acquainted with the circumstances of Mr Place’s absence, obtained the assistance of several persons, and directed the most minute search be made in every part of the wood; and about four o’clock on the Thursday morning the body of the unfortunate man was found quite dead, and in a very mutilated state, about twenty yards from one of the rides. He was lying nearly on his right side, with one hand resting on his gun, which was lying across his body, and the top part of the skull was literally blown away. The under gamekeeper described the manner of shooting jays, which is by placing the gun between the legs, and attracting the birds by whistling with both fingers in the mouth; and it is supposed that while doing this, the unfortunate deceased met with his death, there being no foundation for supposing that he had come to his unhappy end by any unfair means, as he was highly respected by all parties in the neighbourhood, for the excellent character he bore amongst them. The jury returned a verdict of, “found dead, in consequence of a gun-shot wound in the head,” and also expressed a strong opinion that the fatal occurrence was purely accidental. The event has occasioned considerable excitement in the vicinity of Shrivenham, and the grief of the widow, at her sudden and shocking bereavement, is more intense that language can describe. – Berkshire paper.