The Royal Cornwall Gazette, 18 April 1862

Coroner's Inquest Mary Kemp

FOUND DEAD. —On Saturday last an inquest was held at Stithians before Mr. John Carlyon, county coroner, on the body of Mary Kemp, widow, aged 70. From the evidence of William Hancock, it appeared that on Friday evening he was returning from Rough street, near Lanner, in the parish of Gwennap, when he saw a basket on the Tresavean tramroad, and on looking on one side he saw a woman lying on her face in a pool of water which was by the side of the tramroad. He instantly dragged the body out of the water and rolled it, but life was extinct. Finding she was quite dead, he went and got assistance, and on the body being recognized by a person, he had it conveyed to deceased's home about 2½ miles distant. Mr. Julian Andrew, the next door neighbour of the deceased, said that she left her home on Friday morning about half-past ten o'clock, to go the other side of Redruth, and said she should return as soon as she could. She was in her usual health at the time, but had been subject to attacks of trembling; her direct road would be to pass by the side of the Tresavean tramroad. There were no marks of violence on the body, and the jury were satisfied that she died by the visitation of God from natural causes, and returned a verdict to that effect.

Transcribed by Karen Duvall