Inquest of the Death of Thomas Farington (1652); Kent Co., Maryland Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Andrea K. Haga ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** “January the 9th being the Lord’s Day, one Burton shot a goose, and one Thoams Farington going on the ice towards the goose, was drowned, the said Farington being a late servant of Mr. Philip Conier, on the Isle of Kent. Upon this occasion, a Jury was empanelled, and the Coroner sat Jan. 11th, 1652, o.s.” “The deposition of Christina Hill, the Wife of Thos. Hill, being of age about 45 years, concerning the death of the said Thos. Farington, the said Christian Hill, Sworne & examined, saith, that the boy was at our house upon occasion for his Mistress, and I dispatched him away presently, and he said, he was to go with Goodman Burton for a goose, and within a while after, I went to look out after him, and I saw Goodman Burton upon the ice, and he went into the canoe, and the boy went out of the canoe upon the ice upon his knees with a stick afore him, and when he came almost to the goose, he called to Goodman Burton, and said, the ice cracked, and he turned about another way, and presently fell in, and then he called to Goodman Burton to help him, and he went forth out of the canoe, and when he came within a paddle’s length to my sicerning, he fell in also, I saw him ablour with his hands and could endure to see the sight no longer, but went in, and further your deponent saith not.” “Thos. Hill testified to the same facts as his mother. And the Jury gave the following verdict: ‘That the said Thomas Farington came by his death, as far as they can discern, not by his own will, intent, or purpose, nor by the intent of any other, but according to the evidence, fell through the ice, and perished, before any help could come to save his life.’”