City of 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 Sixth day of November in the Thirty first
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 Paul Endley Becket< no role > then and there lying dead, upon
the Oath of William Hulme< no role > , Thomas Simpson< no role > , Henry Finch< no role > , John
Hirst< no role > , John Conrey< no role > , James Randall< no role > , Thomas Stanroyd< no role >
Richard Wiffin< no role > , Henry Fry< no role > , Thomas Griffiths< no role > , William Barrett< no role >
and George Lane< 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 Paul Endley Becket came to
h isDeath, do upon their Oath say , That on the Fifth day of November in the year
aforesaid the said Paul Endley Becket being with other Boys at a Bonfire in Market
Street in the said Parish of St. John the Evangelist within the Liberty and County
aforesaid and there throwing lighted Squibs and Serpents at the People passing along
that one of the Serpents fell behind a Cart wheel standing by the side of a House in
the said Street. And the said Paul Endley Becket and Two other Boys in struggling
together to get the said Serpent, It so happened that the said Cart Wheel fell down upon
the said Paul Endley Becket, and that the said Paul Endley Becket thereby then and there Accidentally
Casually and by Misfortune received mortal Bruises and A Fracture in and upon the Head
of him the said Paul Endley Becket of which said mortal Bruises and Fracture he the
said Paul Endley Becket then and there died. And so the Jurors aforesaid upon their
Oath aforesaid do say, that the said Paul Endley Becket 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 , us the
said William Hulme< no role > 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 abovementioned.

Tho. Prickard< no role > [mark] Coroner
William Humle< no role > [mark] Foreman