Bethel Bennett

1829 - 1853  (24 years)

• Name	Bethel Bennett
  Born	1829
  Gender	Female
  Interesting	1853
  	suicide, story
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-204072
  Died	Jan 1853	South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I204072	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

• Notes

  BENNETT - A remarkable case, resulting in the untimely death of a fine young woman named Bethel Bennett at the house of her grandmother, Mrs. Samuel Thomas, on the 4th concession South Dumfries, about 6 miles from Galt, has alarmed and excited our community, not a little, this week. Mrs. Samuel Thomas was the grandmother of the unfortunate girl who as an adopted child, had been bred up in the house of Mr. Thomas, sen., farmer, as above described. She was 23 years of age, and was held to be highly respectable in her conduct. We have taken some trouble to get at the real facts of this grievous affair and which we believe are in substance as follows: It appears that the girl above named, who is described by everyone who knew her to have been very attractive and good-looking, was seduced a few months ago by a young man said to be in California named Campbell. Being aware of her condition and previously borne an irreproachable character, she applied to Dr. Richardson of Galt, Dr. Dickson of Paris, and others, for means to hide her shame. They all refused her any assistance for so nefarious and desperate a purpose. Some weeks ago, she applied to Dr. Carson of Galt who Amazias Thomas swore at the inquest last Monday as being told by his wife and the girl herself had offered to _do away with it_ provided she made a _confidante_ (or friend) of some woman. Bennett tried young Thomas' Wife, but she refused, advising her to send to her own parents who live more than thirty miles off. She had then gone to Paris, but not at that time finding Dr. Dickson, had bought some _smut-rye_ at Sawdent's drug shop which young Mrs. Thomas (Dennis being at that time in Blenheim) afterwards detected her drinking and threw away. This much for preliminary details, the rest of the melancholy particulars date from Thursday, the 27th ultimo. On Thursday, Bethel Bennett came to Galt by foot, but got a lift from one Todd, to Glenmorris, or Malcolm Campbell. In the evening, she was lingering near Mr. Wilford's house in the log village and this was noticed by some females in the house as something singular as she usually called in there. She kept looking as if in expectation towards Galt, and shortly a man who is not known with a cutter and sorrel horses drove up and took her off down the river road. It was dark when they came to Thomas' house where they stayed but a short time, and the man not identified by old Mrs. Thomas who only knew that the horse was neither black nor white. The girl did not appear at the house again till the next night (Friday) and went to bed, but complained of being unwell next morning, but nevertheless got up and dressed herself. Little further seems to have happened until next night when Mr. Thomas, hearing a rustling noise in the sitting room, went in and found that the girl had fallen off her chair by the stove and was quite dead. Previously, however, she had wished Dr. Carson to be called. Although Mr. Thomas went off directly, she had died before Dr. C. arrived. On Monday morning last, a post mortem examination was made by Drs. Mainwaring and Carson, but, beyond a little pepper and some softened grain, nothing like poison was found in the stomach, and yet the horrible appearance of the corpse, blue-black and terribly swollen, betokened something of the kind. On Monday afternoon about 5 o'clock, the coroner, Dr. Seagram, empanelled a jury...Some 2 or 3 hours were spent in working out all the facts which could be discovered, when the following', verdict was agreed to _that the deceased, Bethel Bennett, came to her death by foul means, by the administration of medicines or by the use of mechanical instruments by some person as yet unknown. Hamilton Spectator 9 Feb 1853

  
  

• Event Map

  Died - Jan 1853 - South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth