Henry Woollcombe

1851 Census

County: Devonshire

Relation to Head of House: Son

Place of Birth: Kingsteignto, Devon

Gender: Male

Age: 2

Marital Status: ???

Enumeration District: Kingsteignton N

Address at Time of Census: Vicarage House

Family Number: 383760

THE WESTERN MORNING NEWS

TUESDAY, 24 JULY 1883 (Page 5)

A DEVONSHIRE MAGISTRATE SHOT DEAD.

Mr. Henry Woollcombe of Ashbury, near Okehampton, eldest son of the Ven. Archdeacon Henry Woollcombe, was found dead yesterday morning in a wood near his home. On examination of the corpse it was found that Mr. Woollcombe was shot through the head.

The deceased left his home yesterday morning after giving directions to the men employed on the estate, taking with him his gun which was found exploded near the body. The deceased gentleman had for some considerable time suffered from insomnia and although somewhat depressed in consequence, he has attended to his duties as a magistrate, Guardian of the Poor and other public offices in which he took an active interest and prominent part. As late as Friday last the deceased gentleman served as a grand juror at the Exeter Assizes. Mr. Woollcombe was 35 years of age and leaves a widow and family. An inquest will be held this evening.

THE WESTERN MORNING NEWS.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 1883, (Page 30).

THE SAD DEATH OF A DEVONSHIRE MAGISTRATE.

THE INQUEST.

Mr. R. Fulford , county Coroner, last evening held an inquest at Ashbury House, near Okehampton, into the cause of death of Mr. Henry Woollcombe, son of the Ven. Archdeacon Woollcombe, and a county magistrate for Devon who was found dead on the previous morning. Mr. W. Burd, solicitor, watched the proceedings on behalf of the family.

The Coroner remarked that the inquiry was one of the most sad and painful that he had ever been called upon to make. He had known the deceased for many years, and probably some of the jury had known him from childhood and all had without doubt learnt to respect him. But they had a public duty to perform, and however painful it might be they must discharge it properly and thoroughly.

The first witness called was Mr. W.Burd, the family solicitor, who said the deceased was 34 years of age. The deceased was a married man, and had a family of 4 children - 2 boys and 2 daughters. He last saw Mr. Woollcombe on Sunday morning when he visited in company with his brother, Mr. G. V. Burd, who was the medical adviser of the deceased. He had some talk with him and deceased told him that he was feeling very unwell and witness saw that he was in a low desponding state. The deceased further complained of a pain in the head, and also said that he had not had any sleep for more than a week. This state of health the deceased gentleman attributed to an exposure of the sun. He had noticed nothing strange in the deceased, whom he had known for many years, until Sunday last, when anyone knowing him must have noticed a great alteration. The words used by the deceased when describing the pain in his head were, "I have a fearful burning and throbbing sensation in my head."

Mr. George V. Burd, surgeon, in practice in Okehampton, stated that the deceased had been a patient of his for a short time. Tuesday last was the first time the deceased had consulted him, and he then complained of a great pain in his head, of sleeplessness and a general lowness and depression of spirits. Witness treated him for the complaint and saw him again on Sunday morning, when Mr. Woollcombe told him that he had seen a doctor on the previous Friday in Exeter, who had given him a draught, and as a consequence he had since been able to sleep better. The deceased told him of his belief that the sun had affected his head when at work one day, and witness believed him to be in a very depressed state. In answer to a question put by him deceased said he had no business to worry him, and he then advised him to take a change of air. He had made an examination of the body, and found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound in the mouth. There was a slight external wound, but the whole of the roof of the mouth was split from the front to the back. The upper portion and the base of the skull were also fractured. There were no marks of powder whatsoever on the face, and he did not think from the nature and situation of the wound that it could possibly have been caused by an accident.

John Blatchford, one of the keepers of the estate, said that as Mr. Woollcombe, who had previously left the house, did not return at the time he was expected, he, about 10 o'clock Monday morning, was sent to look for him. He saw his master in the yard about eight o'clock that morning with his gun, but there was nothing in his conduct or demeanor to attract his attention, it being a frequent habit of the deceased to take his gun with him. After looking about some time he proceeded to a gate close to the house which led to the garden. The gate was unhung and deceased was lying in the gateway quite dead, with his gun between his legs. The body was warm at the time. The right hand barrel of the gun had been discharged, but no shot had been placed in the other barrel. He saw the deceased before he went out putting the gun together himself.

The Coroner said this was all the evidence he proposed to call but there was one other person - the wife of the deceased - who could give further evidence to the state of mind the deceased had been in lately and it would be for the jury to decide whether they would require any evidence Mrs. Woollcombe might be able to give.

The jury decided not to trouble Mrs. Woollcombe they being of the opinion that they had quite sufficient evidence to enable them to arrive at a verdict.

The Coroner then proceeded to sum up, and in the course of his address said he thought that from the evidence they could come to no other conclusion than that the deceased with his own hand deprived himself of life. He could not conceive it to be possible that it could have been caused by an accident. Then came the question, would it be likely for a man in the position of the deceased, if he were in a right state of mind, to commit such a deed? He thought not. He had always felt very strongly on this point, and he went so far as to say that no man when he committed suicide, at the actual moment, could be considered responsible to man or to his maker for his actions. Reason had altogether left a man who did such a thing. The laws of the country said that a man, if proved, to be in his right mind at the time of committing suicide, by inflicting self-murder committed a felony, and having so offended the laws of his country a punishment must be inflicted. That the deceased took his own life there was not the slightest doubt, but the jury would have to decide the important question as to his state of mind at the time.

Mr. Burd had read portions of a letter which the deceased had sent to his mother a day or two before the accident. In that letter he spoke of having pains in the head, and mentioned that he had seen Dr. Baskart, of Exeter, and that Mr. Burd was treating him. The deceased went on to say that he wanted to forget all about himself, and in order to do this, thought of taking a change of air.

The jury then retired and after a short absence returned when the foreman said, "We believe that the deceased committed the act by his own hand, whilst labouring under a fit of temporary insanity, brought on by a sunstroke."