City and Liberty
of Westminster
in the County of
Middlesex }
to wit.

An Inquisition Indented, taken for our Sovereign Lord the
King, at the Parish of Saint George Hanover Square
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Twenty fifth day of July in the Twelfth Year
of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain,
France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, before Thomas Prickard< no role > , Gentleman,
Coroner of our said Lord the King for the said City and Liberty, on View of the Body of
Benjamin Burch< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of Thomas
Holland< no role > , Thomas Hedges< no role > , William Stevens< no role > , William Dean< no role > , Anthony Andrews< no role > , Philip
Hook< no role > , Thomas Rickets< no role > , Henry Pitt< no role > , John Smith< no role > , Thomas Hicks< no role > , George Oakley< no role > , Mark
Gueaneau< no role > and Gregory Mc. Cannon< no role > good and lawful Men of the said Liberty, duly
chosen, who being then and there duly sworn and charged to enquire for our said Lord the
King, when, how, and by what Means the said Benjamin Burch came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say
That the said Benjamin Burch on the Twenty fourth
day of July in the Year aforesaid at the Parish and in the Liberty and County aforesaid
to wit, at the Flood Gates Chelsea going into the River Thames there to Bathe himself
and not being Skilfull in Swimming, it so happened that accidentally casually and
by Misfortune he the said Benjamin in Burch was in the Waters of the said River
then and there Suffocated and Drowned, of which said Suffocation and Drowning he
the said Benjamin Burch then and there instantly Died. And so the Jurors aforesaid
upon their Oath aforesaid do say, that the said Benjamin Burch in manner and by
the means aforesaid accidentally casually and by Misfortune came to his Death and not
otherwise. In Witness whereof as well the said Coroner as the Foreman of the Jurors
foresaid on behalf of himself and the rest of the said Jurors have to this Inquisition set
their Hands and Seals the Day Year and at the Place abovementioned

Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner .
Thos. Holland< no role > Foreman