Kentish Gazette 17 December 1819.

On Saturday last an inquest was held at the "Coach and Horses," Maidstone, before John Mares, Esq., Mayor and Coroner, on view of the body of a man named Pett, who was found that morning, frozen to death, in an outhouse belonging to Sir Henry Calder, bart., near that time. The deceased was formerly in business there as a glover and breaches-maker, but had latterly found a difficulty in obtaining a livelihood, and was in consequence of admitted into the poor-house a short time ago, but he soon after left it, and has since subsisted on charity, refusing the comfortable asylum repeatedly offered him, as also any relief whatever from the parish.

Verdict:- Died by the Inclemency of the Weather.

Kentish Gazette, 27 October 1820.

On Wednesday se'nnight, an inquest was taken at the "Coach and Horses" public-house, Maidstone, before John Mares, esq. Mayor and Coroner, on view of the body of a man named Ackhurst, who was found dead early that morning, on the Rochester road, a short distance from Maidstone. The circumstances attending the death of this unfortunate man are so mysterious, that the Jury were occupied at intervals from Wednesday till Friday night before they delivered their verdict.

It appeared that John Hudson, a barge-man was passing the road near the Park, of Sir H. Calder, about half past three o’clock on Wednesday morning, when he observed a cart turned upside down, and a man’s leg projecting from under it, he went and procured a light and returned immediately, and found the deceased quite dead. There was a basket found on the footpath, which appeared to have been thrown out, as the cart was turning over; the horse and cart were lying across the road, and from the manner in which the cart was found, the road being at the spot perfectly level, and the spokes of one of the wheels having marks of hands upon it, there is every reason to imagine that it was either done wilfully, or that it I was a wanton act of some persons returning from the fair. The turnpike gate keeper at Sandling heard repeated cries of murder about half-past two o’clock, but supposing they came from some drunken persons going home from the fair, paid no attention to them; about the same time, a man residing in one of the cottages at Sanding, heard similar cries, and on opening the window be saw two men standing still in the road, apparently listening; he said to the men—" There appears to be a man half murdered;" they replied “That the noise came from towards Maidstone, and they supposed it was a decoy to get somebody out to rob them;" the men then went on to Sandling. The soldier on guard at the barrack gate saw three men pass by before three o’clock, who appeared to be intoxicated, and the mail man who comes from Rochester, also passed three men beyond Sandling; on passing the spot where the cart and man lay he saw something in the road, but his horse shying and going at a good pace he did not perceive what it was. Nothing appeared to have been taken from the pocket of the deceased.

This is the evidence which came out on the inquest, and the Jury, after a most laborious and painful investigation, returned a verdict—Killed by the turning over of a cart by means yet unknown.

The deceased was a higgler, residing at Smarden, and has for many years carried butter and poultry from that place to Chatham market, and was so employed when he met with his death, he was a very sober and industrious man, and we are sorry to learn has left a wife and four small children. The Parish officers of Maidstone, much to their credit, have offered a handsome reward for the apprehension of the offender or offenders.