~ Chapter Four ~
The Death of Amy

In 1906, the shop in Margate was doing so well that Charlie was on the lookout for another business, one that would profit direct from the Edwardians’ continued fascination with the seaside.  On the morning of Wednesday, 30th May, having seen his three boys off to school and having left Amy to mind the shop, he set off on the short journey to neighbouring Westgate-on-Sea to look into the possibility of buying a seafront cafeteria.  By the time he returned home early that afternoon, Amy was dead and Charlie’s life had fallen apart.

            This is how the inquest into Amy’s death was reported in Keble’s Gazette, the local newspaper:
Margate Woman's Tragic End
Suffocated in Drunken Sleep
             An inquest was held at the Municipal Buildings, Margate, yesterday (Thursday) morning, by the Borough Coroner, Mr Boys, relative to the death of Amy Weston Helice Gisby, aged 43 years, who was found dead at 9 Market-street the previous (Wednesday) afternoon. The deceased, who leaves a husband and 3 young children, died under distressing and somewhat peculiar circumstances, the evidence showing that death was due to suffocation whilst the woman was in a state of drunken coma.

             Mr George Heath was chosen foreman of the jury and the following evidence was adduced:-

             Charles George Gisby, carrying on the business of a fruiterer at 9 Market-street, said the deceased was his wife and was 43 years of age. She had not been what he termed well for some time, but no doctor had attended her. She complained at times of pain at the heart. Her habits were sober but she had a drop too much on Monday evening. He told the police that deceased had also had too much to drink on Tuesday evening. She retired to bed before 11 o'clock and got up about 9.30 on Wednesday morning. She complained of feeling bad then and asked for some gin. He obtained half a quarter, and left it with her and went off to Westgate on business. He had 3 children aged respectively 14, 12 and 5. He left nobody with her, the children going to school. Witness returned about 2 o'clock pm and heard on the way home that his wife was dead. He was greatly surprised to hear the news. She was one of the best of wives. She only took spirits in the morning when she was unwell.

             Maria Sandwell, wife of Stephen Sandwell living at 5b New Cross-street, deposed that deceased was her adopted daughter and she had known her for about 40 years. Witness saw her every day. Occasionally she would take a drop to drink. On Monday and Tuesday mornings she saw her. On Tuesday she saw her about 8.30 am when she said she would not get up just then. About 10 o'clock she saw deceased in the shop and spoke to her when she seemed fairly well, but was the worse for drink as witness had told police. Witness was advised by her husband about 1 o'clock to go round again, as he said her little boy was crying outside the shop being unable to get in. She went and found her sitting between 2 chairs in the kitchen as though she had gone to sleep and dropped her head against the wall. She was then quite dead, her hands being black and she seemed cold. Witness at once called Mr Reynolds, a neighbour. She admitted deceased had been in the habit of having a drink for some months; she was a big, stout woman.

             Joseph Reynolds, residing at 9 The Parade next door to the deceased's business premises, said he was called by the previous witness about 10 to 1. He went at once and saw deceased sitting in a chair with her head leaning against the wall in the ordinary way. He lifted her up and formed the opinion she was quite dead. He asked Mrs Sandwell to hold her while he went and informed the police. Nothing appeared to have been disturbed in the kitchen. He had known deceased some 14-15 years and was obliged to say she gave way to drink at times. He telephoned for a doctor and Dr Hemming arrived about 1.30. He always thought she would end her life in some such manner.

             Detective Sgt. Parker deposed- about 1pm when on duty in Market-place in consequence of information from last witness he at once proceeded to 9 Market-place. On entering the kitchen he saw deceased lying across 2 chairs face downward with her head doubled sideways against the wall - twisted right round. He at once pulled her away, placed her on the floor, loosened her clothing and sent for a doctor and further assistance and the Chief Constable was soon on the spot. The room appeared to be in its usual order. In reply to Dr Hemming the witness thought deceased fell into position in which he found her.

             John Joseph Hemming, surgeon, practising at Margate, said at 1.30 pm on the previous day he was called to the deceased. He found her on the floor in the basement quite dead. The body was getting cold and he would say she had been dead from 11/2-2 hours. He examined the body and found the face very congested and he had since made a post mortem examination when he noticed the body was in a very congested state; her liver was also congested; heart very fat; one kidney practically useless the other diseased. The neck was not dislocated in any way. In his opinion she was in a state of drunken coma; she fell against the wall and was partly or wholly stunned by the fall and from the position she was found in he would say suffocation did the rest. From congested state of vital organs which showed evidence of past drinking he came to the conclusion the deceased was suffocated owing to being unable to recover herself. He thought it possible that had somebody been with her when she fell she might have recovered. He had never attended deceased but knew her through vaccinating her children.

             The Coroner having briefly reviewed the evidence and referred to the case as a sad but simple one - the verdict:  deceased accidentally suffocated whilst in a state of drunken coma.
            There is little doubt that Amy was a hard-working, caring wife and mother, who ran a well-ordered household; “one of the best of wives”, according to Charlie.  Her children had been vaccinated and they all attended school regularly.  Sadly, however, it is also apparent that, like many others of that era, Amy had succumbed to the temptation of gin-drinking.

            As far back as 1835, in his campaigning story, Gin Shops, an indignant Charles Dickens attacked gin-drinking as “a great vice of England”, capable of producing “wretched broken-down miserable women”.  And at the time of Amy’s death more than seventy years later, the Temperance movement was still working hard in Margate and elsewhere throughout the country to eradicate what they regarded as a working-class disease.  In Amy’s case, the “great vice” had affected her appearance, so that she ended her life as the “big, stout woman” described by her own mother; it had ruined her health; and ultimately it had killed her.

            One can only imagine the devastation that Amy’s sudden and ghastly end caused to Charlie and his sons, particularly to the six year-old Thomas, who must have been traumatised by the event.  Without Amy, life would never be the same for any of them.