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 John the Evangelist
within the Liberty of the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster ,
in the County of Middlesex , the Fifth day of February in the twenty second 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 Collins< no role > then and there lying dead, upon the Oath of Robert
Balfour< no role > , James Salmon< no role > , Benjamin Plater< no role > , George Taylor< no role >
John Hambock< no role > , Merrick Williams< no role > Joseph Percivall< no role > , John Curtis< no role > ,
James Tellam< no role > , John Davies< no role > , John Pearcy< no role > , William Terry< no role > , Thomas
Barrett< no role > and Robert Matthews< 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 Collins< no role > came to
his Death, do upon their Oath say That the said William Collins< no role > , not being
of sound Mind Memory and Understanding but lunatick and
distracted on the fourth day of February in the Year aforesaid
at the Parish aforesaid within the Liberty and County aforesaid
a certain Gun charged with Gun powder and a leaden Bullet
which he the said William Collins< no role > then and there had and held
in both his Hands, to and against the Head of him the said William
Collins< no role > did then and their shoot off and discharge, by Means
whereof he the said William Collins< no role > did then and there give unto
himself with the leaden Bullet aforesaid, so discharged and shot
out of the Gun aforesaid by the force of the Gun powder aforesaid
in and through the Head of him the said William Collins< no role > , one Mortal
Wound, of which said mortal Wound he the said William Collins< no role >
then and there instantly died. And so the Jurors aforesaid upon
their Oath aforesaid do say, that the said William Collins< no role > , not
being of sound Mind Memory and Understanding, but lunatick
and distracted in Manner and by the Means aforesaid did kill
himself. In Witness whereof as well the said Coroner, as
the said Robert Balfour 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 > [mark] Coroner

Robt Balfour [mark] Foreman