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John Henry Hillman

Age: 69

Sex: male

Date: 13 Feb 1943

Place: Bleadon Hill, Somerset

John Henry Hillman was found dead in some gorse bushes on Bleadon Hill.

His body was found by a man that had been out rabbiting.

He had lived at 12 Meadow Villas in Weston-super-Mare.

He was found on the Saturday 13 February 1943 after having gone missing in October 1942.

His wife said that he had left home on 12 October 1942 saying that if he was not back for lunch that he would be back at about 2pm but said that she never saw him alive again. She said that she first thought that he had gone to see relatives in Trowbridge, but when he didn't return, she called the police.

She said that John Hillman had suffered from heart trouble and said that part of their home was destroyed in the blitz.

The medical evidence stated that when found, his body was for the most part a skeleton. A pathologist said that he could find no evidence of poison or violence.

His inquest returned an open verdict stating that he was found dead on Bleadon Hill, but that there was nothing to indicate how he had died. The coroner added that it was possible that John Hillman had climbed the hill and after feeling symptoms of heart trouble had laid down.

John Hillman had formerly been a coal merchant as well as a councillor in Weston-super-Mare.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Western Daily Press - Saturday 20 February 1943

see Western Daily Press - Monday 15 February 1943

see Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Saturday 27 February 1943