Deaths at Box House, 1858 Research Jane Hussey July 2024
The dinner party given by Rev Holled DCS Horlock at Box House on 27 December 1857 had fatal consequences for the vicar’s wife, Elizabeth, and sister-in-law Alice Sudell. There was much speculation locally: villagers claimed poison and the church authorities asserted overcome by churchyard fumes. The consequences were the shutting of Box churchyard, necessitating the creation of Box Cemetery. Whatever the cause, it affected only these two ladies and none of the other guests or servants. It is worthwhile considering the servants further.
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Report from The Bath Chronicle, 7 January 1858
Within a few days of the deaths, newspaper reports of the inquest were published: Elizabeth Horlock was taken ill at the dinner and her sister Alice visited on 29 December and, on that day, Elizabeth Shell, the housemaid, Emily Horn, the cook, James Page, footman, and Sarah Wootton, a charwoman, were all taken ill with sickness and vomiting. The servants quickly recovered, but Alice died on 2nd January 1858 and Elizabeth succumbed on the 3rd January. The post mortem evidence of death by low gastric fever was accepted and they were both buried on the same day. Elizabeth Shell was the youngest of four daughters of Mary Butler and labourer John Shell (1757-1858), the first person buried in the Cemetery. In 1841 they lived at Millsplatt. Sarah Wootton was reported by later newspapers to be occasionally employed at the vicarage to assist the regular servants.[1] Left: The headstone of John Shell behind the lodge in Box Cemetery (courtesy Carol Payne) Relevant censuses also give further information about the servants preparing and serving the dinner. |
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1851 census The servants listed in the 1851 census were: Elizabeth Phillips, housekeeper, aged 50, from Warminster Elizabeth Shell, housemaid, aged 25, from Box Emma Miles, cook, aged 21, from Warminster Joseph Bartebo, footman, aged 52, from Jamaica Otto Hobbs, coachman, aged 19, from Box Next door in The Hermitage, Alice Sudell’s home, were more servants who may have assisted: Mary Beaker, housekeeper, aged 54, from Bratton, Somerset Ann Cogswell, cook, aged 29, from Box Otto Hobbs (1832-1889) was the son of George and Sarah Hobbs, Box farmers. In 1867 he married Elizabeth Shell, the housemaid of Box House, and they lived at Shrub Hill Lodge, Middlehill, where Otto worked as a gardener and was also employed as parish clerk. He was stated to have been born at Ditteridge. In later years Otto was the school attendance officer for Box, tenanting one of the Bear Inn Cottages. Ann Cogswell was the daughter of Mark and Mary and the sister of Mark, Box’s first railway policeman. The photo (right) appears to be of Joseph Bartebo and a Horlock daughter (courtesy Margaret Wakefield) |
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The 1861 census lists:
Elizabeth Phillips, housekeeper, aged 60, from Warminster
Otto Hobbs, coachman, aged 28, from Box
John Harrison, footman, aged 40, from London
Ruth Cole, housemaid, aged 36, from West Kington
Hannah Ford, cook, aged 50, from Melksham
Only Elizabeth Phillips and Otto Hobbs remained from a decade earlier and Otto was the sole Box person. We should not make this out as a reaction to local opprobium as female servants got married and normally left after a few years.
Elizabeth Phillips, housekeeper, aged 60, from Warminster
Otto Hobbs, coachman, aged 28, from Box
John Harrison, footman, aged 40, from London
Ruth Cole, housemaid, aged 36, from West Kington
Hannah Ford, cook, aged 50, from Melksham
Only Elizabeth Phillips and Otto Hobbs remained from a decade earlier and Otto was the sole Box person. We should not make this out as a reaction to local opprobium as female servants got married and normally left after a few years.
The circumstances of the 1858 deaths were unusual and the speed of resolution by the church authorities was unduly hasty. But the rest of the evidence was anecdotal and circumstantial. Possibly we will never get more details and you will have to decide why no servant died in this tragedy.