Fire, guns and deadly lip balm – Leintwardine was accident prone

1833 – Serious Fire at Leintwardine

Mr. Harris, a butcher of Leintwardine, had left home to travel to Rhayader fair, taking all of his ready cash with him, which turned out to be most fortunate.

Whilst he was away, one of his servants had to give a drench to a cow, and put a lit candle on the floor so that he could see what he was doing.  Unfortunately, the candle set fire to the straw and before help could be procured, the whole premises including the house were consumed by the flames.  Fortunately, although with great difficulty, Mrs. Harris and other inmates were removed to safety.

1846 – Gun Accident in Leintwardine

William Meyrick was a servant to Mr. Evans of Copball, and had been given a gun in order to scare off the crows from the crops.

A witness by the name of Thomas Morris saw William in the field with the gun, and he was leaning on the muzzle end.  Not long afterwards, he heard a bang, and on investigating found William with a wound under his arm which he could see involved his left lung.  William apparently said that he had put three or four pebbles in the gun and it had accidentally gone off as he was leaning on it.

He died a few days later.

1851 – Child Burnt to Death at Leintwardine

This is representative of the horrific number of similar cases for every town and village.

Ann Catstree, an infant child, was left alone in the house when her clothing caught fire.  She died shortly afterwards.

1860 – Woman Dies after using Tallow as a Lip Balm

The eldest daughter of Edward Meredith of Mock-tree Lime Works in Leintwardine, found that she had very cracked lips after being out in the wind one day, so thought that she would use a white tallow candle to ease them.

Shortly afterwards, her lips began to swell up, and although two doctors attended to her it was to no avail and her lips got bigger and bigger until she was in agony.  She died two days later, and it was supposed that the candle tallow contained something poisonous, or that the fat used had decomposed.

1862 – Leintwardine Temperance Movement

The temperance cause in Leintwardine was very popular and the society flourished.

People were happy to see the reclamation of drunkards who were pests in the area, and even those who were not happy with teetotalism were kindly disposed when seeing these beneficial results.

A meeting of the Leintwarding Temperance Society which took place in August was voted a complete success, beginning with Mr. Blackmore’s brass band arriving in the village, and they were joined by various adults bearing flags and banners.

Eventually they arrived at the house of W. Mason of Seedly House where a big tent had been erected and decorated with flowers and mottoes teaching the “evil of strong drinks”.

Hundreds of people had a jolly good tea with plum cake.

(Not sure that there is much sign of temperance in Herefordshire these days!)

1862 –  Children and Axes do not Mix

The wife of labourer Thomas Lewis of Leinwardine had been chopping sticks, and then left the house leaving the axe on the floor in view of her two children ages three  and one and a half.

Whilst she was away, the older child picked up the axe and managed to chop of the fore finger of the toddler’s hand, also very nearly severing the other three fingers.

The poor child was treated by T. Jackman esq., the local surgeon, and progressed well.