BENSON FLETCHER FREEMAN

THE LATE MR. B.F.FREEMAN

A PUBLIC OFFICIAL

          The death occurred on Thursday at his residence in Donnington-square, of Mr. Benson Fletcher Freeman, after a long and severe illness. The deceased had been a well-known figure in the official life of the town for many years, having held the post of assistant overseer and collector of the Poor Rate for forty-six years. As a youth he acted as clerk to the late Mr. George Barnes, Actuary of Newbury Savings Bank, with which institution he continued identified during the greater part of his life. Of the public offices held by him were those of Collector of Taxes for the borough, Assistant Overseer and Clerk to Greenham Parish Council, and for many years collector for Newbury Water Company. When he resigned the latter post some short time since, the Water Company signalled their appreciation of his services by granting him a pension.

           Mr. Benson Freeman was an accountant of considerable ability, and he was connected with many of the larger business establishments in this capacity. In political matters he was a progressive, and had always evinced keen interest in the Newbury Liberal Club, being in fact one of the founders of the Northbrook-street institution, and had been honorary auditor of the club since that time.

          By religious persuasion a Methodist, the Wesleyan body of the town have cause to be grateful for the services rendered by deceased and his family. For many years he was a Sunday School teacher and class leader, while the services of Mr Benson Freeman and his family in musical matters connected with the church had been n outstanding feature for many years. A man of invariably genial and kindly disposition, he made many friends and will be missed by a wide circle.

THE FUNERAL

          The funeral took place at the Newtown-road Cemetery on Monday afternoon, in the presence of a large number of personal friends, many of whom had been associated with him in his official and business life. The service was of a simple character and was sympathetically conducted by the Rev. T. Martin, Wesleyan Minister.

          The mourners were Mrs Benson F. Freeman (widow), Rev. Andrew and Mrs. Freeman, son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Penney (daughter and son-in-law), Mrs. Bennett (daughter), Mr. and Mrs. Dolton (daughter and son-in-law),Mr, and Mrs. T.G.Freeman of Hungerford (brother and sister-in-law) and Mr. Edward Cave (nephew).

          Amongst those present were Mr. John Barnes, Kingsclere (late actuary of Newbury Savings Bank), Messrs J. H. Hopson and G. Griffin (representing Overseers of Newbury), Mr. Edward Somerset (representing Newbury Brewery Co.), Messrs J.C.Slight, W.W. Bowring, H. Hill, J.B.Webb (representing Newbury Liberal Club), BR. J.R. Witt B.P.G.M (representing the “Jack” Lodge of Odd Fellows), Messrs B. Met calf, Pettifogger, John Freeman, Herbert, H. Prate, Elliott, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dalton, Mrs Charles Webb, Misses Webb, Miss Mason, Miss Idler,

and others.

Newbury Weekly News 7 September 1916

BMD Records

Birth

Benson Fletcher Freeman MarQ 1845 Newbury 6 225 ( or 6 27_)

Death

Benson F. Freeman Sept Q 1916 Newbury 2c 310

 note: Benson  Fletcher had a son of the same name and a naval officer, who died in a motoring accident in Southampton on 31 August 1927. He is not buried in NRC

NEWBURY NAVAL OFFICER

KILLED IN MOTOR-CYCLE ACCIDENT

SAD DEATH OF COMDR. BENSON FREEMAN, R.N.

FULL REPORT OF INQUEST

Engineer-Commander Benson Fletcher Freeman O.B.E., F. R. Hist S. who retired four years since from active service in the Royal Navy, has died at Salisbury as result of a fall from a motor cycle combination, upon which lie was riding pillion.

The accident took place on the night of Wednesday evening last.  Commander Freeman, who lived at Road House, Grateley, Hants, had been to the Andover Carnival in the afternoon, and then went on with a party to Salisbury in the evening.  They were returning about ten o'clock. Thei deceased officer was riding on the pillion seat of a motor cycle combination. It is supposed that he overbalanced and slipped off whilst in the act of lighting a cigarette.  He fell on his head and sustained a fracture of the skull.  He was taken to Salisbury Infirmary, where he died the following evening.

Commander Freeman was the younger son of the late Mr. Benson Freeman, of Donnington-square, Newbury, and Mrs Freeman who is now living at Bournemouth. His brother, the Rev. Andrew Freeman, was formerly well known as an organist, and is now Vicar of a country parish in Gloucestershire.  Commander Freeman, who was 52 years of age, served a useful career in the Royal Navy, and only recently went on the retired list.  He leaves a family of five children, his oldest son, Tony, being an officer in the Royal Flying Corps.

The inquest was held at the Infirmary Friday by Mr. A. M. Wilson, the Salisbury City Coroner, sitting with a jury of whom Mr. Hedley Coombs was elected foreman.  Exercising the discretion allowed under new Coroners' Act, the Jury decided not to view the body. The Rev. Andrew James Freeman, Vicar of Standish with Hardwick Gloucestershire Identified the deceased as his brother who he said was 52 years of age. After the accident witness saw the deceased lying in the ward in the Infirmary. Previous to that witness had not seen him for about 12 months.

Frederick Harry Crane jeweller and fancy goods dealer carrying on business at Tidworth and residing at Sunnyside Over- Wallop said that on Wednesday August 31^st he drove a motorcycle combination to Salisbury arriving about 7:00 o’clock in the evening. Mrs Kerley was the passenger in the side car, And the deceased was riding in the pillion on the back of the machine.  All three had supper at the Red Lion Hotel and afterwards went for a walk around the town. They started back on their return journey just before 10:00 o’clock. The deceased was sitting sideways on the carrier of the machine with his feet towards the sidecar. As the machine was going up Bourne’s hill towards the London Road Witness who was driving felt the deceased fall off. Whether he fell off sideways or backwards witness did not know. The machine was then travelling at about 10:00 miles an hour. To the deceased had fallen off the machine ran into the bank. Witness found the deceased lying with his head partly on the bank with his legs in the road. He was unconscious. The ambulance was sent for and just as it arrived the deceased regained consciousness. He had not been speaking to witness prior to the fall. Witness accompanied the deceased to the infirmary. Deceased then seemed all right and said he wanted to go home. He did not tell witness what had happened. Deceased had never before ridden on the back of the cycle; in fact, Witness thought he had not ridden pillion before.

In reply to the foreman witness said there was no other traffic on the road at the time of the accident.

Mrs. Alice Kerley, living at Sunnyside, Over Wallop, who was the passenger in the sidecar, corroborated the evidence of the last witness, except that relating to the position in which the deceased was found after falling off the machine. She said that when the combination was going up the incline of Bourne’s Hill, the deceased leant over to her and asked for a match to light a cigarette. She replied, " Wait a minute till we get to the top, when we can stop."  He was not accustomed to riding pillion, and she did not think it was safe to give him a match. He however insisted, and witness handed him a box of matches. He was leaning forward towards the side-car to light his cigarette the last time she saw him. The next thing she remembered was the cycle stopping suddenly, and she then realised that the deceased had fallen off. On getting out of the side-car, she saw the deceased lying towards the right-hand side of the road, with his head in the gutter and his feet towards the centre of the road. Witness accompanied him to the Infirmary in the ambulance. On the way he asked her what had happened, and she explained that, he had fallen off the pillion seat. Before the accident occurred, she had advised him to hang on to the side-car.  He had not been used to riding pillion and she had asked him to ride in the side-car, but he refused to do so.  During part of the journey, he was not holding on to anything.  

Interrogated by the Foreman, witness said that previous to going to Salisbury all three of them had been to the pony races at Andover Carnival.

Witness added that she did not want to go to Salisbury after the pony races.

 A Juryman:  Why didn't you want to come to Salisbury?

Witness: Because Commander Freeman Wanted to ride pillion and I didn’t think it was safe as he was not accustomed to it. Alec Hugh Musgrave House Surgeon at the Infirmary said that the deceased was admitted to the ward at 10:50 on Wednesday evening suffering from head injuries. On admission he was not unconscious, but his mentality was abnormal due probably to cerebral irritation caused by the injury. He soon went to sleep but at 5:00 AM on Thursday became unconscious. He was then suffering from compression of the brain. As his condition did not improve and operation was performed. There was a fracture about three inches long on the right side of the skull. The deceased did not regain consciousness and died about 6:45 on Thursday evening. Death was due to compression of the brain and internal haemorrhage caused by the fracture of the skull.

The coroner said that was all the evidence he proposed to call unless the jury had any doubts in their minds as to whether the deceased simply fell off the cycle or whether he was thrown off owing to the cycle colliding with the side of the road. The evidence certainly did not point to the fact that the cycle had collided with the side of the road. The police informed him it was possible to get a witness who actually saw the man fall off and that witness could be called if the jury thought it was necessary but that would mean adjourning the inquiry. Personally, he thought the evidence was fairly clear as to what happened. One could understand it was quite possible for a person to over balance and fall off when he was engaged in lighting a cigarette. This was one of those things that would happen to anybody especially to one not accustomed to riding pillion.

The jury intimated that they did not see any objection to prolonging the inquiry and returned a verdict of accidental death.

The Reverend A. J. Freeman on behalf of the relatives, said that they were quite satisfied with the evidence and were very grateful to the coroner and the jury for not prolonging the inquest. He desired also to thank the infirmary staff.

The jury expressed sympathy with the relatives and the coroner concurred.