AMELIA MAUD OCCOMORE                                         21^st April 1902

          A one year old child, Amelia Maud Occomore, died on this day in the infirmary at Newbury Union Workhouse. The child's mother, Elizabeth Alice Occomore, was directed by the NSPCC inspector to go, with her two illegitimate children, to the workhouse. Prior to this she had been living, for five weeks, with George Thorn who had been providing for her and the two children. The youngest had been ill when he took them into his home. This was put down to the child teething but had also been having convulsions for the last month. Since being admitted to the workhouse the child's health had improved. However on this day the child died.

           A post mortem showed there was almost no fat and that all the organs were anaemic. Thorn claimed at hearings heard at later dates, April and June, that he had frequently left money for Occomore to take the child to see a doctor.

          Occomore was later charged with manslaughter of Amelia and neglect of both Amelia and Arthur Henry Occomore, her other child but was let off on the grounds that she was not of sound mind.

Reading Mercury

Book 1899 page 047 no. 7572

Buried 24 April 1902

From “Newbury 365” by Dr Nick Young ISBN 978-1-326-20841-7:2015

Reproduced by kind permission of the Author.

A far more extensive report of the inquest was given on page 5 of the Newbury Weekly News and General Advertiser on Thursday, 24th April, 1902.