Skegness Magazine

The sudden death of an apparently healthy youngster, which had been “placed out” in a Skegness home formed the subject of an enquiry by the Spilsby Coroner at the Skegness Police Hostel in 1924.
The Coroner sat without a jury and the proceedings were not of long duration.

The subject of the enquiry was Peggy Bastow, aged 12 weeks, the daughter of Kate Bastow, a single woman, residing in the parish of Wrangle near Boston. This witness deposed how she inserted an advertisement in the “Lincolnshire Standard” inviting offers from anyone interested in adopting the child. The advertisement was answered by a Skegness woman and after coming to an arrangement regarding the transfer, the baby was handed over on the previous Friday (November 7th). The child had not suffered from any illness since birth, and witness had had no trouble with it in this respect.

Pamela Maria Waltham, a married woman, residing at Field House, Queen’s Road, Skegness, spoke of seeing the advertisement in the “Standard” and of getting into communication with the advertiser. She agreed to take the child for a specified period for the sum of £5 to be paid in instalments as arranged. She received the child on Friday, when it was apparently in good health, but it was suddenly taken ill on the following day and died within a short time.

Florence Ellen Bastow, grandmother of the child, also gave evidence.

Dr Stanley Wallace, of Skegness, deposed to being callled to Field House on Saturday afternnon. The cause of its death was convulsions.
The Coroner returned a verdict of “Death from Natural Causes”.