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 Matin in the Fields
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church St. Pater Westminster
in the County of Middlesex , the Thirtieth day of July in the twenty first
Year of the Regin 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 City and Liberty, on
View of the Body of Joseph Short< no role > then and there lying dead, upon
the Oath of John Strachan< no role > , Nathaniel Bone< no role > , David Little< no role >
John Neville< no role > , George Parkinson< no role > , Isaac Witheat< no role > , John
Jopham< no role > George Pinner< no role > , Joshua Henderson< no role > , Thomas Fish< no role >
Daniel Ross< no role > , William Hewson< no role > , Robert Taylor< no role > , Thomas
Pridham< no role > and John Smart< 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 Short< no role > came to
h is Death do upon their Oath say, That the said Joseph Short< no role > not being
of sound Mind, Memory and Understanding, but lunaties and
distracted on the twenty ninth day of July in the Year aforesaid at the
Parish aforesaid within the Liberty and County aforesaid a certain
Pistol charged with Gunpowder and a leader Bullet which he the
said Joseph Short< no role > then and there had and held in his Right Hand
to and against the Head of him the said Joseph Short< no role > did then
and there shoot off and discharge by Means whereof he the said
Joseph Short< no role > did then and there give unto himself with the baden
Bullet aforesaid. so discharged and Shot out of the Pistol aforesaid by
the fore of the Gunpowder aforesaid, in and through the Head of
him the said Joseph Short< no role > one mortal wound and Fracture of
which said mortal Wound and Fracture, he the said Joseph
Short< no role > then and there died And so the Jurors aforesaid did upon
their Oath aforesaid do say that the said Joseph short< no role > not being of sound
mind memory, and Understanding but lunatie and distracted In
Manner and by the Means aforesaid did kill himself
In Witness whereof as well the Coroner as the said John Strachan< no role >
Foreman of the said Juror on the behalf of himself and the rest of
his Fellows in their Presence have to this Inquisition set their
hands & seals the Day Year and Place abovewritten

Tho. Prickard< no role > [mark] Coroner

John Stranham< no role > [mark] Foreman