THE DANGER OF GUNPOWDER

 

George CHERRIMAN was born at Shipley on 5 December 1851 the ninth child of William CHERRIMAN and Zilpah COOPER. He married Sarah FREEMAN on 4 September 1875 in West Grinstead.  Their first child, Sarah Anne, was baptised on 3 February 1878 but sadly she only lived for 5 months. However, their following seven children (five boys and two girls) all survived to adulthood. 

 

George led an unremarkable life toiling away as an agricultural labourer in and around West Grinstead. By the mid 1890s the family had moved south to the rural hamlet of Coombes.  Their son, Frederick, was baptised at the tiny church on 18 October 1896.  They lived at Hill Barn with George working for Walter WHITE of Applesham Farm.

 

In 1892 Walter WHITE had placed an advertisement for a Labourer.  The labourer needed to come with a son and would be provided with a house and garden together with a wage of 12s a week.  Well George had two sons over the age of 10 so it seems likely that this was the position that he heard about.

 

 

It has to be said that Mr. WHITE's name appeared quite often in the newspapers for allowing one or another of his employers to work horses when they were injured or in ill health. Then in 1893 there was a case of attempted suicide at the farm.  The Sussex Agricultural Express 1 July 1893 reported the case as follows:

 

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE - At the Police-court on Thursday, before Colonel R.B. INGRAM, Henry TIZZARD, employed as a labourer at Applesham Farm, Coombes, a small parish between Shoreham and Steyning was charged with attempting to commit suicide by cutting his throat on the farm on 10th. inst. - Thomas TIZZARD son of the prisoner said on the morning in question about a quarter past six he found his father in the garden lying on his back with his throat cut and a razor by his side.  He was insensible.  Witness saddled a horse and drove to Steyning for a doctor, the latter taking the horse and riding back to the farm.  Questioned by the Magistrate's Clerk (Mr. G.A. FLOWERS) prisoner spoke quite rationally.  He said he knew no more than that he was quite 'gone'.  He recollected the razor dropping out of his hand and that was all he did know.  He was very sorry for what had happened.  There was nothing troubling him.  Mr. J.R. CLOUTING, surgeon, practising at Steyning said he examined the wound and found that no vital part had been injured and as it was his opinion that the man would be better off at the hospital he dressed the wound and had him removed to the Sussex County Hospital at Brighton. Prisoner had had a great deal of illness and had been low-spirited complaining of general debility.  At this point the prisoner was remanded till Monday, bail being allowed.

Following up on the case the next week Mr. W. WHITE was called.  He said the man had worked for him for eight years and had the best of characters although he believed he had problems at home.  As WHITE agreed to continue employing TIZZARD the Bench discharged the case.

Four years later Walter WHITE found himself giving evidence again, this time at an inquest into the death of our George.

The following reports appeared in the West Sussex Gazette on 27 May and 3 June 1897:

 

THE DANGER OF GUNPOWDER - Mr. A.W. Rawlinson, Deputy Coroner for West Sussex held an inquest on Saturday evening at the Old Rectory, Coombs on the body of George CHERRIMAN, labourer who was killed on Friday morning while engaged in blasting the roots of an elm tree.  Before taking the evidence the Deputy Coroner said they would not be able to complete the enquiry that day.  In consequence of the death having resulted, as he was informed, from the effects of an explosion it was necessary that he should communicate with the Home Secretary before the inquest was concluded in order that he might, if he thought proper, send an Inspector.  

 

Sarah CHERRIMAN, the widow, stated that her husband lived at Hill Barn and was a farm labourer.  He was 40 years of age.  Witness last saw him alive on Friday morning about 6.15 when he left home to go to work.  He told her he was going to grub up some trees, but he did not say what he was going to use.  

 

Mr. Walter WHITE, farmer of Applesham Farm, deposed that the deceased was in his employ.  On Friday morning he started removing the roots of some elm trees that had blown down in Coombs churchyard.  Witness saw deceased about 8 o'clock at the spot where he was at work with another man named Frederick LEE and as there was a particularly heavy root to be removed witness believed CHERRIMAN suggested that gunpowder should be used saying that he had helped to blow up several.  Witness then went into the church where a carpenter named TRUSSLER was at work and asked him if he had ever had anything to do with blasting tree roots.  He said he had done two or three.  Witness having shown him the tree both men looked round and decided they could do the work with other help.  Deceased then walked back with witness who gave him half a pound of powder.  Deceased was a sober and steady man and had been in witnesses employ a little over two years.  He was perfectly sober on this occasion.

 

Henry TRUSSLER of Beading a carpenter stated that he had blown up several roots before.  They obtained about half a pound of powder from Mr. WHITE.  Witness' plan for blowing up tree roots had been to bore a hole and after putting in the powder to plug the hole with a wooden plug dipped in sand.  He also bored a small vent hole to put the fuse in.  On this occasion witness bored the hole making it about 7 inches deep and then filled it with powder to a depth of about 4 inches.  The diameter of the hole was 1 1/2 inches.  Witness also bored a small hole in the wooden plug for the fuse.  CHERRIMAN then fitted the fuse and plugged the hole up.  The fuse was generally made of brown paper and damped gunpowder rolled up tightly and put through the hole made in the plug for the purpose; and it was usual to attach another and longer fuse to this in order to give time to get out of the way.  As soon as CHERRIMAN had put in the short fuse, however, and while witness was getting the paper to make the longer fuse, he apparently set light to it for the next thing he heard was the noise of the explosion.  Witness turned round and saw CHERRIMAN fall against the tree and then reel over on the grass.  Witness went to his assistance but he only murmered 'water' once and then expired.  LEE was standing beside CHERRIMAN at the time.  Before he went away to make the longer fuse he told him to let the job alone as soon as he had put in the short fuse as witness intended to light the fuse himself.  

 

Frederick LEE who was working with the deceased and the last witness gave similar evidence and stated that when TRUSSLER turned away to make the longer fuse he saw CHERRIMAN put the short fuse into the plug and strike a match and apply to it. Almost immediately there was an explosion.  Both witness and CHERRIMAN were knocked down.  Witness had his right arm injured and felt partly stunned.  Deceased asked witness if the fuse was big enough before he put in the plug but he never said anything about lighting it or witness would not have been there.

 

Mr Henry ROCKS of Shoreham deposed that he was called to the deceased.  He found the man quite dead.  There was a severe puncture wound in the lower part of the ribs on the right side of the body from which there had been very extensive hemorrhage.  There was also the ordinary marks due to a gunpowder explosion.  Witness thought the wound was caused by some hard substance which had entered the walls of the abdomen - probably part of the plug.  The inquest was adjourned until Monday 31st in order to enable the Coroner to communicate with the Home Secretary.

 

THE GUNPOWDER FATALITY:  At the Old Rectory on Monday evening Mr. A.W. RAWLINSON Deputy Coroner for West Sussex resumed the inquest into the death of George CHERRIMAN, labourer, who was killed on May 21st whilst engaged in blasting the roots of an elm tree for Mr. Walter WHITE of Applesham Farm.  The inquest was adjourned in consequence of its being necessary to communicate with the Home Secretary in order that he might, if thought desirable, have an Inspector of Explosives in attendance.  Mr. RAWLINSON now read a communication to the effect that it was not considered necessary that such an officer should be in attendance.  He then recapitulated the evidence taken at the last enquiry and said there could be no doubt, from the evidence of the witness, that deceased applied the light to the fuse in direct opposition to the instructions of TRUSSLER with whom he was at work at the time.  The deceased might have thought that as the fuse was of damp brown paper it would have burnt slowly and have enabled him to get a good distance away before the explosion but the powder became immediately ignited and exploded.  The jury unanimously returned a verdict that CHERRIMAN by lighting the powder caused an explosion which by misadventure inflicted on him certain mortal injuries.  The deceased leaves a widow and seven children.

 

George was buried in the quiet churchyard where he had lost his life.  The service was conducted by Thomas William COOK, Clergyman and 2nd. Master at nearby Lancing College.  Thomas was later Vicar, Rural Dean and Archdeacon of Hastings and was consecrated Bishop on Michaelmas 1926.

George was the grandson of my 4x Great Grandparents Richard CHERRIMAN and his wife Sarah MITCHELL through their second son William CHERRIMAN and Zilpah COOPER.  

 

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