Richard CAINES Coroner of Somerset

[jan.jan]

Good afternoon

Has anybody got any links to Richard Pople Caines who became Coroner for the Western Division of Somerset in 1817?
He was also the General Surveyor of Langport in 1826

I'll investigate any leads

Thanks

[dee-jay]

I don't have any ancestral links but I have newspaper reports of an inquest on a coachman of the Exeter/London 'Defiance' for which Coroner Rich. Pople CAINES neglected to act as Informant until ten months later.  The fatal accident, resulting in instant death of the coachman and death of a passenger 2 days later, occurred in the second year of civil registration - November 1838 - but the coachman's death was not registered until 21 September 1839.

Distortion in reporting in the National Press - including the Railway Times, which had a vested interest in alternative transport - led to inaccurate accounts of the accident and the names of the victims were also compromised:

Coachman Charles BEVIS/BEVISS/BEAVIS was recorded BEVAN [a Welsh name derived from Ab EVAN] but the civil registration in Combe St Nicholas is in the name Charles BAVIS.  Passenger Richard BAWDWEN [Taunton Courier] was registered BOWDWIN in the relevant quarter but in Ilminster, where he was conveyed following the accident.

I have the Somerset Registration Team at Yeovil to thank for assisting me in this research.  The GRO death index is in abysmal manuscript for this period.  However, I would be interested to know where the coachman, aged 35, was buried and in what name.   

[jan.jan]

Hi Dee-Jay
I didn't know anything about the accident but there is a document on the National Archives site dated 1845 where there was a case of compensation from Richard Pople Caines, one of the Coroners.
I haven't got the document but will investigate further and let you know

Regards

Jan

[Chessel]

A Richard Pople Caines became a Captain in the Somerton & Langport Volunteers, 6 May 1808 (London Gazette).  I'm interested in Coroner Caines who died 1851 aged c 63.  Would appreciate information about the 1845 compensation case referred to above.

[paullo]

Hi, Richard Pople Caines was a wine and spirit merchant living at Langport though he was not born at Somerset. Became coroner for the Western Division of Somerset in 1817 - previous coroner was ousted for not doing the job properly.  He was given a positon re Somerset roads as he had travelled on Somerset roads more than most. I believe he was declared bankrupt in the 1820's. In his old age he continued to be coroner but his assistant did most of the spade work. I've included many of his inquests on my site www.paulhyb.homecall.co.uk which also contains more info on him.
Would be interested in any other info as I'd like to write an article on him for a Somerset magazine.
regards Paul.

[dee-jay]

Hi Paul

A fascinating read - to be taken at leisure!  However, a cursory glance has not revealed an account of an earlier coaching accident to which the Coroner referred in 1838 in this extract from the Taunton Courier:

Mr. CAINES, in his remarks to the jury, said, that he had filled the office of Coroner for twenty-two years, and during that period had never been called but twice to hold inquests on this line of road from coach accidents.  One of those accidents was occasioned by a person named John POOLE lying across the road on Broadway hill of a dark night, in a state of intoxication, and was unhappily killed. 

If you'd like full copies of my transcriptions from the Taunton Courier on the 1838 inquests on coachman and passenger, please let me know and I'll forward them to the email address shown on your website.

If you ever encounter a newspaper report of the POOLE inquest I'd be very grateful if you would reciprocate.   

[paullo]

yes, that would certainly be useful. I have transcribed a number of other years so will check for John Poole there. I've just finished the 1834 inquests - if you are interested I could e-mail. Some skally in Australia seems to have pirated my 1825-30 list and is selling it on a CD so I'm a bit reluctant to put all my research online. Only about 50% of Caines's inquests appear in the Taunton Courier so can't guarantee that John Poole will be in any newspaper. Incidentally, if your interest is in coaching accidents have you looked through the Coroners inquests held at the SRO. Bridgwater - early 1700s. Langport some 18c and some 19c and also Bath. Langport and Bridgwater carried out their own inquests without the help of the county coroners.   

[jan.jan]

Richard Pople Caines was born 1767 Brockhampton. Dorset and baptised in Buckland Newton. Dorset

As well as being appointed to be a Captain in the Somerton and Langport Volunteers in 1808, he had been previously appointed to be a First Lieutenant in 1803 and described as Richard Pople Caines, Gentleman.

He married three times and had six children.

In 1823, he was discharged from the Kings Bench Prison as an Insolvent Debtor.

He was elected Mayor four times.

He died and was buried 30th Aug 1851 at Blessed Virgin Mary Huish Episcopi. Somerset, together with his third wife, Sybella

[dee-jay]

Some skally in Australia seems to have pirated my 1825-30 list and is selling it on a CD so I'm a bit reluctant to put all my research online.

That's understandable!

My particular interest is anything to do with the Defiance coach Exeter/London via Yarcombe and Ilminster and any mention of Coachman James GILL who died January 1844.  I've never been able to establish his origins although believed to be in the West Country.  I have his death notices from the Taunton Courier and the Sherborne Journal but they're not very informative, although the latter inferred he was a night coachman and led me to research how the route was managed and the practices during the advancing railtrack-laying to Exeter. 

I tend to 'collect' articles relating to coaching that I encounter in old newspapers, particularly those circulating in the West Country, and even invested in an antiquarian book regaling the reminiscences of an old coachman of the 'golden era' ..... fascinating stuff!

I'll sort out the email later tonight.