Mary McCabe - Death by Carbonic Acid Poisoning!

[valster]

Completed Lookup please Watt Library, Greenock.   Hi everyone, here's another interesting one, my Great Grandfather's first wife Mary McCabe died after she entered and concealed herself in a chest   I was wondering if anyone was was at the Watt Library and had time to have a look in the newspaper for any record of this.  I would really appreciate it.  She was called Mary Clark (being married at the time to James Clark) two children James and Catherine and living at 59 Church Street, Port Glasgow when she died.  Date of death was 11 Oct 1889. What was she playing hide and seek with the kids?  Anyway I found her son James in Port Glasgow but family history says that Catherine went back to Ireland when her father remarried, she was only 3 when her mum died.  Any help would be great thanks again.

[weemary]

sorry don't have any spare time to go to the library this week. See below for  their website, which has their phone number and email address on it.

I have Clark's from Port Glasgow on  my tree as well -  Elizabeth Clark, who married Robert mcKechnie, parents Thomas Clark and Sarah Irons

http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/Libraries/index.php?module=article&view=13&MMN_position=11:1:4

[valster]

Dear WM

Thanks for the contact for the Library, I really didn't think they would have time to look it up for me but they did so big thanks to you both.  Here is what the article said:

About half-past nine o'clock last night the body of Mary McCabe or Clark, wife of James Clark, a holder-on, residing at 59 Church Street, was found concealed in a clothes chest in the house there.  The matter was at once reported to the police, and they had Dr McBryde sent for, but he could only pronounce life extinct.  Death was due to suffocation.  It is not known how deceased came to be in the chest but it is believed that while under the influence of liquor she fell inside, and being unable to extricate herself death ensued as stated above.

What a sad story and a new motto 'Don't drink on an empty chest'.  I haven't come across your Clarks yet in my tree, mine hail from somewhere in Ireland but were in Scotland from about 1845.

Bless you again.  Valster

[weemary]

valster  you are more than welcome.  I have had so much help from this site, its  only right I can help other people with their queries