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 Martin in the Fields
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Twenty Sixth day of June in the Sixteenth 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
Edward Merritt< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of Hugh
Wallace< no role > , John Benson< no role > , Robert Coroner< no role > , John Wilson< no role > , Joseph Boon< no role > , Robert
Shutter< no role > , James Bride< no role > , James Berrell< no role > , John Bishop< no role > , Hugh Riddle< no role >
Thomas Langford< no role > and David Perrott< 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 Edward Merritt< no role > came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say, That the said Edward Merritt< no role > on the
Twenty Fifth day of June in the Year aforesaid being in Liquor
and in his Lodging Room or Apartment in the Dwelling House of
Elizabeth Bright< no role > in St. Martin's Street , in the Parish aforesaid
within the Liberty and County aforesaid, And then and there
being Asleep, near unto a lighted Candle, It so happened that
the Shirt which the said Edward Merritt< no role > had on his Body then
and there Accidentally Casually and by Misfortune took Fire,
by Reason whereof, and by the Smoke and Flame arising from
the said Fire, he the said Edward Merritt< no role > was then and there
Suffocated and Burnt, of which said Suffocation and Burning
he the said Edward Merritt< no role > then and there died. And so the Jurors
aforesaid upon their Oath aforesaid do say, that the said Edward
Marritt 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
Hugh Wallace< no role > Foreman of the said Jurors on the behalf of
himself and the rest of his Fellow, 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

Hugh Wallace< no role > Foreman