Death at St Philip’s National school, Maidstone 1862
On Thursday 4th September 1862, Mercy Froud was fatally injured at St Phillip’s National School; when she become entrapped in a sash window at the school. The Maidstone Telegraph and the Maidstone Journal reported that between the hours of one and two o’clock, when the school building was locked for the dinner hour, Mercy had gained access to the school, by climbing through a small sash window. It was suggested she had returned to school, to fetch a wooden whistle, she had left behind. But on leaving the school room, through a larger unweighted sash window, it fell, entrapping Mercy by her neck and she was suffocated. The window sill was about five feet from the ground.
At the Coroner’s inquest held in the school room, the school mistress Mary Porter, of Richmond Cottage, Kingsley Estate, stated Mercy had stayed at school to 12.15 with some other pupils, including her two nieces. They left the school all together, and parted company at the corner of Waterloo Street. Mercy has asked to sweep the school in the evening, but was told, that other children had already been paid to sweep and it was not her turn.
Another witness Mary King, of Bristow’s yard stated she was taking her sister Jane to school, at 1.45pm and finding the school yard locked, they had peered through the keyhole and saw Mercy hanging from the window, they went to fetch the key from another teacher Susanna Lincoln and informed her. Arriving back at the school gate, they had peered through the keyhole again and seeing Mercy still hanging from the window, they then ran home, in fear. She had later seen Mercy’s body taken away.
Susanna Lincoln, stated she had locked the school door and yard gate, when Mary Porter had left the school, and no children were left in the school. She stated children frequently brought their dinners to the school and are locked in the school yard or if wet, allowed in the school room and she then stayed until Mary Porter returned. She was also aware that children, gained access to the school yard; through Mrs Cornish’s premises and had seen girls climb through the sash windows of the school.
Witness Simon Callow who had been passing by the school, was resting his horses at the school gate, when his mate had called out to him, having peered through the gate, they saw the child hanging from the window. A person came with a key and he went in and helped remove Mercy from the window. He stated the window was heavy to lift and it took two or three attempts to raise it and release Mercy. Another witness, Ann Bailey stated she had seen the body at the window, but took no notice as children were often seen playing at the window.
Another child Jane Chittenden, who lived with her father Henry Chittenden, a shoemaker, had agreed to meet Mercy at the school, that evening and Mercy had told her, that if the school door was locked, she would open a window to gain entry. She stated children often gained access to the school yard, when locked by climbing over the gate of Mrs Cornish’s house which backed onto the school yard.
John Froud, Mercy’s father stated he had not seen his child alive on the day and that his daughter was 7 years and ten months of age. On the 1861 census, the family were living at 3 Langley Row, Stone Street, Maidstone and Mercy was one of five children. John Froud’s occupation is listed as bricklayer.
Mercy’s mother Sarah stated that her daughter had left for school at nine o’clock and had not returned home for lunch that day and had not taken her dinner to school, but was sometimes late as she played out. She had not see her daughter again until her body was taken to their home. Mrs Froud, after the verdict, expressed her dissatisfaction and stated her daughter had been locked in for punishment, and had been killed as a result of trying to escape, and mentioned that two children had given statements to that effect. The coroner stated any further evidence would be considered and the children were sent for, but they had not been at school on the day and denied any knowledge of the events of the day. The teachers were cleared of any blame by the Coroner and the jury. Dr Powers M.D. proved the deceased’s death was caused by the pressing of the window on her neck and the pressure was violent and death instantaneous, the verdict “Accidental death from suffocation, caused by the falling of a window.”

St Philip’s Church, Maidstone ©grimcrimesandunfortunateevents