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

An Inquisition Indented, taken for our Sovereign Lord the
King, at Knightsbridge in the Parish of Saint Margaret
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Second day of April in the Fourteenth 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
Joseph Bentley< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of John
Spinnage< no role > , Joseph Clark< no role > , Thomas Newberry< no role > , John Stevens< no role > , Lewis Martin< no role > , Richard
Beadle< no role > , Edward Chandler< no role > Andrew Grant< no role > , William Guest< no role > , William Cole< no role > ,
Jonathan Clark< no role > and Stephen Purdeau< 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 Joseph Bentley< no role > came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say, That the said Joseph Bentley< no role > on the
Second day of April in the Year aforesaid being alone in the
Engine House in Hyde Park , and endeavouring to launch a Boat
upon a certain Pond there in the Parish aforesaid within the
Liberty and County aforesaid It so happened that the said Joseph
Bentley< no role > then and there Accidentally Causally and by misfortune
fell into the said Pond, and in the Waters thereof was then
and there Suffocated and Drowned, of which said Suffocation
and Drowning he the said Joseph Bentley< no role > then and there died.
And so the Jurors aforesaid upon their Oath aforesaid do say,
that the said Joseph Bentley< no role > 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 said John Spinnage< no role > Foreman of the said Jurors,
on the behalf of himself and the rest of his Fellows, in their presence,
have to this Inquisition set their Hands and Seals the Day
Year and Place first above written

Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner

John Spinnage< no role > Foreman