City & Liberty of
Westmr . in the
County of Middlesex }

Informations taken this Twenty seventh [..]
of March 1765 at the Parish of St. James within
the Liberty of Westmr. in the County of Middlesex
on an Inquisition taken on View of the Body of
Thomas Chidley< no role > lying Dead in the said Parish
Liberty and County.

James Duxon< no role > of Peter Street in the Parish of St. James
Chimney Sweeper on his Oath saith, that on Monday last about
six o Clock in the Afternoon Mr. Smith a Baker in Peter Street desired Dept.
to come to sweep the Flue or Hannel of his Oven,Dept. sayssaying that
the Oven was then Cold enough Dept. says that he went and
took the Deced (who was his Apprentice) with him, Says
that the Deced went willingly up the Flue and returned
with some [..] says that he went into the Flue again and
brought out some more [..] Depn. says that the Deced went
in the third time, and then said that he found it too narrow
for him to go into the upright Flue, upon which Dept. desired
Deced not to attempt it but to come back with what
Soot he had, Says that in two or three Minutes after
he heard the Deced call out, Master I am stuck fast
and can come to No further, upon which Dept. advised him
to go up higher, and afterwards put Bra [..] Stick up the Chimney
for Deced to tread upon, but Dept. could not reach him
Says that he then went to Mr. Wood another Chimney Sweeper
to get one of his Boys to go up the Chimney who imediately
came and went up the Flue, and (as he informed Dept.) found the Deced's Leather
Jacket rolled up round his Body, and the Deced Stuck fast,
Says that the Boy informed Dept. that the pulled the Deced's
Jacket Smooth but could not pull the Deced down, and
the Deced then Groaned several times, Dept. says that [..]
Wood's Boy came down, and Dept. Forced himself into the
Flue and got hold of the Deced's toes and with some
Difficulty pulled the Deced out, Dept. did not [..] observe
any Signs of Life in the Deced but a Man was fetched
who bled the Deced in the Arm, but Deced bled very
little, Dept. says that he immediately fetched a Surgeon
from Compton Street , who came there, and said that Deced
was Dead, Dept. says that the Oven [..] was Cold enough
to be Swept when Deced went up into it

The Mark of
James Duxon< no role >