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 Sixteenth day of January in the Twenty third
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 William Eaton< no role > then and there lying dead, upon
the Oath of Ralph Verney Knight< no role > , Henry Lewer< no role > , Robert Lee< no role >
William Tustin< no role > , James Nassau Collecton< no role > , Thomas Marten< no role > , Richard
Westmacott< no role > , Francis Engleheart< no role > Benjamin Taylor< no role > , James Skeet< no role >
John Smith< no role > and John Cleverley< 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 William Eaton< no role > came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say , That on the Fifteenth day of January
in the Year aforesaid the said William Eaton< no role > and his Brother
James Eaton< no role > were in Friendship together in the Parlour.
in the dwelling. House of James Eaton< no role > their Uncle situate in
Eaton Street in the Parish aforesaid within the Liberty
and County aforesaid, and the said James Eaton< no role > the Brother
going to hang up a Boot upon a Wooden Peg in a Closet in
the said Parlour, when a certain Gun of [..]
Charged with Gun powder and leaden Billets then Stood for
the Defence and Security of the said House, That the said James
Eaton< no role > took hold of the said Gun, andt knowing that the same was
loaded) and that Accidentally Casually and by Misfortune the
said Gunthen and there instantly went off and was discharged
and he the said William Eaton< no role > by Means of the Discharge and goint off
of the said Gun as aforesaid, did then and there receive one mortal
wound in and upon his Head under his right Nostrial, of which said
Mortal Wound he the said William Eaton< no role > there languished and lived
until the Sixteenth day of the same Month and Year, and of the said
mortal Wound then and there did die, And so the Jurors aforesaid upon
their Oath aforesaid do say that the said William Eaton< 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, Ralph Verney Knight< no role > Foreman of the said
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 abovewritten

Tho. Prickard< no role > [mark] Coroner
R V Knight [mark] Foreman