Do not go gentle into that good night - Part 3 - Stories from the Family Tree

This is the third and final post in a series on notable deaths of ancestors in the Family Tree. The first post is here; the second post here.

Larkin Bramblett is a mystery ancestor. If he is who we think he is, then I can trace my mother's Bramblett line all the way back to England. The problem is, I cannot, at this time, prove that Larkin was actually my great-great grandfather. But his story is interesting, nevertheless.

Here is a transcript of a Coroner's Inquest, held on June 8, 1838, upon the occasion of the death of Larkin. I have attempted to add sufficient punctuation and spell correction to make it more readable, but it remains a lengthy and quaint document. Especially the first sentence:

"An inquisition taken at the House of Newton Bramblett in the district aforesaid on the 8th day of June in the year 1838 before me, Thomas Wright, a Justice of Quorum for said District, upon view of the body of Larkin Bramblett, late of the said District then and there lying dead; upon the oaths of Joseph Brown Esqr., Thos. M. Young, William Holbert, Abner Night, Charner Night, Jas. Meador, Alvin Meador, Larkin Stapp, Thos. Stapp, Thos. Hilton, Absolom Harris & George Bryant, good and lawful men of the said District, who being charged and sworn to inquire for the state when, where, how, and after what manner the said Larkin Bramblett came to his death, do say upon their oaths that Hiram Holcombe of the state and District aforesaid on yesterday evening the 7th inst. between sundown & dark did feloniously, voluntarily, and of his own malice aforethought with a certain shot gun shoot and wound the said Larkin Bramblett in the breast, neck, and head of which said mortal wounds the aforesaid Larkin Bramblett then and there instantly died; and so the said Hiram Holcombe then and there feloniously killed and murdered the said Larkin Bramblett against the peace of this state.

In testimony, whereof as well I, the said justice of Quorum, as the jurors aforesaid to this inquisition have interchangeably put our hands and seals the day and year first above written Joseph Brown, Thos. M. Young, William Halbert, Abner Knight, Charner H. Knight, Jas. W. Meador, Alvin Meador, Larken Stapp, Ths. Stapp, Ths. Hilton, A. W. Harris, Geo. Bryant, Thos. Wright.

Evidence taken by the jury of Inquest held over the body of Larkin Bramblet late of Laurens District:

An examination of the body shewed that it had been shot with small shot such as are commonly used for killing squirrels. There were twenty-six or more shots which entered the body in his breast, neck and head, two of which were above his eyes There was no other appearance of violence upon the body.

Spilsby C. Brown was sworn, and on his oath says that yesterday evening the 7th June 1838, Larkin Bramblett, the deceased, came to this deponent and requested him to go and help him get some hogs out of his field; that he went and found a number of hogs in the field that they run or drove out some ten or twelve head. They caught one, the last they saw, near Hiram Holcomb's fence, which is a dividing fence between the said Holcombe and Bramblett; that they dragged the hog to the fence near the corner of the field in the low grounds of the creek where the bushes and briars are very thick outside of the field they laid down a few rails for the purpose of putting the hog into Hiram Holcomb's corn field.

Just as they raised up with the hog, Larkin Bramblett, having hold of the head and this deponent of the hinder part of the hog, a gun was fired near to them and in front of where Bramblett stood, who fell back with a groan and never spoke. This deponent spoke and said, “In the name of God, who had done this?” and cast his eyes in the direction of where the report of the gun came from and saw the smoke rising but saw no person, the bushes being quite thick in that direction. He stepped a few steps around the corner of the field and saw Hiram Holcombe standing near a tree in the act of loading his gun in great haste. He says it was between sundown and dusk but entirely light enough for him to see distinctly that it was Hiram Holcombe, whom he has lived near all of his life and is well acquainted with, and that he could not be mistaken in the man.

This deponent, believing that Holcombe was loading his gun to shoot him also, he ran off as fast as he could and never spoke to Holcombe nor Holcombe to him. He says it was about fifteen steps from where he and the deceased were standing to where he saw the smoke rise but that Holcombe, when he saw him, was some ten or twelve steps further off. He also says that it was Hiram Holcomb's hogs that were in Larkin Bramblet's field and which they were putting out. The deponent has no hesitation in saying that it was Hiram Holcombe, of Laurens District in the State of South Carolina, who shot the gun which killed Larkin Bramblett of the same place.

Taken the 8th day of June 1838 by me, Thos. Wright, J.Q."