Lavinia Knight

Lavinia Knight died from a suspected illegal operation at her home at 21 Keith Street, Burnley on 6 May 1905.

She had been the wife of a coal miner.

When the coroner opened her inquest, he noted that Lavinia Knight had had a miscarriage sometime before which he said he believed they could attribute to nothing but an operation.

When her husband gave evidence, he said that he knew that Lavinia Knight was enceinte and had given up her work at the mill, and said that she had complained about not feeling well for about a fortnight before he called a doctor who he said attended her from 19 February 1905 until she died on the Sunday night 6 May 1905.

When her husband was asked whether Lavinia Knight had ever said anything to him about her having done something to herself, he replied, 'No, sir'.

Her doctor said that he was called to attend Lavinia Knight on 18 February 1905 at which time he said that she was in bed and suffering from an injury that she had had for about a fortnight.

He said that she then miscarried on 14 March 1905. He said that she suffered from exhaustion and that he had been in despair of her life from the first time he saw her.

He added that although there might have been an illegal operation performed he would not say there had been, and noted that Lavinia Knight had always denied that to him, even when he taxed her with it. He said that she told him that she got excited one day and ran her daughter out of the house and that in doing so she banged herself against the table and fell in the back street. He added that a blow from a table might have caused her injury.

After hearing the evidence an open verdict was returned with the addition that there was no evidence to show how her injury had been caused.

The side of the road that 21 Keith Street had been on has since been demolished and is now just a grassy bank.