Here's a sad story about an Anthony Bancroft who committed suicide in 1845.
Anthony was the son of James [1767-1840] and Sarah Lister [1767-1831]who lived all their married lives in Lightcliffe, Yorkshire and had 10 children. They were married on 8th March 1789 at St John's Halifax and were both listed as coming from nearby Hipperholme and James occupation was listed as a 'dresser', a textile job that many of his sons, including Anthony also worked as .
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| James & Sarah's marriage record |
Anthony was baptised on 28/12/1803 at St Mathews, Lightcliffe, as were all the other children.
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| Anthony's baptism |
Not much is know about Anthony's life, and he appears to be missing from the 1841 census, which is not unusual. We know from newspaper records that his occupation was a ' cloth dresser' working for a company called Messrs James Brown & Co at the time of his death. He appears to be living alone in lodgings and unmarried at the time, probably because the whole family had separated after the earlier deaths of both parents. Anthony was not without money and the newspaper report describes him 'He was a steady industrious man, and had saved an amount of money, which, for a man in his circumstances,might be looked upon as a considerable, and which was invested in houses, valued at between two and three hundred pounds.' It seems clear from the reports that the poor man had some mental heath issues at the time of his death.
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| Anthony's burial record |
Here are the reports from two local Leeds newspapers:
Leeds Intelligencer 03 May 1845
DEATH BY HANGING.—An inquest was
held on Thursday last, at the Court House,
Leeds, before Blackburn Esq., on view of the
body of Anthony Bancroft, a cloth dresser, in
the employ of Messrs. James Brown and Co.,
who had been found that morning suspended
by a silk handkerchief, in his lodgings, in St.
James’s-street. The Jury returned a verdict
“that the deceased was labouring under
temporary insanity.”
Leeds Times 03 May 1845
SUICIDE BY HANGING. – On Thursday last
an inquest was held before John Blackburn,
Esq., relative to the death of Anthony Bancroft,
a cloth dresser, who had been in the employ of
Messrs. James Brown and Co.. The deceased,
who was a single man, 37 years of age, resided
in lodgings, in St.James’s Street. For the last
fortnight, he had been labouring under
depression of spirits, but continued at his work,
up to the day when the unhappy deed was
committed. This was on Thursday morning.
The occupant of the house called him up as
usual about six o’clock, to go to his work, after
which he himself continued in bed till about an
hour after that time, when he got up, and on
going into the cellar kitchen, was horrified at
seeing his lodger suspended by the neck, from
a nail over the kitchen fire-place, which was
used for roasting meat. Life was quite extinct.
The deceased had suspended himself from the
nail by a black silk neckerchief, which had
apparently broken with his weight in the first
instance, but he had tried it a second time, and
too fatally succeeded. He was a steady
industrious man, and had saved an amount of
money, which, for a man in his circumstances,
might be looked upon as a considerable, and
which was invested in houses, valued at
between two and three hundred pounds. The
jury agreed upon a Verdict—That the deceased
had destroyed himself in a temporary fit of
insanity.
Anthony was buried with his parents and infant brother Edwin at St Mathews Lightcliffe.
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| Bancroft family grave |
In memory of EDWIN the son of JAMES and SARAH BANCROFT
of Lightcliffe who departed this life April 29th 1815
aged 3 years and 8 months
Also of SARAH wife of the above named JAMES BANCROFT
who died July 31st 1831 aged 64 years
Also of the above named JAMES BANCROFT
who died January 27th 1840 aged 72 years
Also of ANTHONY son of the above JAMES and SARAH BANCROFT
who died May 1st 1845 aged 41 years
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