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 Margaret
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Third day of January in the Seventeenth 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
James Kearns< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of Joseph
Ashmore< no role > Richard Porter< no role > , Joseph Greening< no role > , Joseph Parks< no role > , John Gosling< no role > ,
Duncan Mc. Intosh< no role > , John Heckman< no role > , Richard Ralph< no role > , John De Jersey< no role > , Hugh
Kennedy< no role > , John Andrews< no role > and James Abbott< 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 James Kearns< no role > came to
h is Death, do upon their Oath say, That the said James Kearns< no role > on the
First day of January in the Year aforesaid being Seateing upon
the Canal in St. James's Park in the Parish and County
aforesaid, It so happened that the Ice broke, and that the
said James Kearns< no role > then and there Accidentally Casually
and by Misfortune fell into the said Canal and in the
Water's thereof was Suffocated and Drowned, of which said
Suffocation and Drowning he the said James Kearns< no role >
died the same day at the Parish and in the Liberty and
County aforesaid. And so the Jurors aforesaid upon their Oath
aforesaid do say, that the said James Kearns< 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
will the said Coroner as the said Joseph Ashmore< no role > Foreman of
the said Jurors, have to this Inquisition set their Hands and Seals
the Day Year and Place first above written

Tho. Prickard< no role > Coroner

Jos: Ashmore< no role > Foreman