From the Kentish Gazette, 24 January 1843.

Discovery of a Murdered Child at Brompton.

On Thursday morning, the 19th inst., as two boys belonging to the Sappers and Miners were at play in a pond behind the Observatory, near to the Artillery barracks, Brompton, one of them came against some substance, and a bit of linen cloth rose to the surface; the boys in consequence were induced to search further, and dragging forth the lump in the water, they found it to be a female infant, dressed, with a bandage round its body, and a muslin cap on its head. As soon as the boys had discovered what they had found, they run to Sergeant Major Jones, of the 57th Regiment, who was drilling some recruits close by, and having made him acquainted with the circumstance, Sergeant Jones returned with them to the spot, and took charge of the body. On examining it he found that a blow had been inflicted on the skull with some blunt instrument, cutting a hole through the cap, and splitting the skull asunder, the brains protruding from the wound. The body when found was wrapped in a light coloured cotton shawl and a linen damask table-cloth. Information was immediately given to Tyler, the policeman, and under his direction it was conveyed to the "Lord Nelson" public-house, Wood-street, to await a coroner’s inquest. Mr. Weeks, surgeon, of Brompton, having viewed the body, stated that the child had been murdered, and had been in the water about four days. The infant was about three weeks old. The circumstance has caused considerable consternation throughout the garrison town. The table-cloth and shawl, it is believed, will lead to the apprehension of the guilty person who has committed the atrocious crime.

From the Kentish Gazette, 31 January 1843.

On Friday on inquest was held at the "Lord Nelson," Brompton, on the body of the infant found in a stagnant pool at the back of Brompton barracks, and supposed to have been murdered, when it was discovered to be a stillborn child belonging to a soldier of the 86th regiment, and had been put into the water by the person who had been paid to bury it.

South Eastern Gazette, Tuesday 16 March 1858.

Melancholy and fatal occurrence.

On Saturday afternoon last, and inquest was held at the "Lord Nelson Tavern," Wood Street, Brompton, before T. Hills, Esq., coroner, on the body of Mr. James Cuckoo, age 35, a farmer and market gardener, at Gillingham, who met with his death the previous night, at Brompton, under the following melancholy circumstances.

William Currant, a private in the Royal Sappers and Miners, deposed that he was on duty at the gun-shed, near the road leading to the drawbridge, at about 10:45 on the previous night, when his attention was directed to a horse and van, coming along the road from Brompton. The night was too dark to enable him to see who was in the cart. The conveyance stopped about a minute at Mansions Row, and all at once the horse started off at a full gallop towards the drawbridge. Witness afterwards heard a groaning noise, and asked the man to go and ascertain what it was. On the person going to the spot he called out to witness that there was a man lying in the road, and that he thought he was drunk. Witness then went to him and found the deceased lying on his face, with blood oozing from his mouth. Dr. Burton was immediately sent for. There was a great quantity of blood where deceased lay. It was 2 or 3 minutes after the horse started that he heard the groaning.

Mr. W. Burton, surgeon, said he was sent for on the previous night, and found the deceased lying on the road, on his left side. Witness gently turned him over, on which deceased just gasped once and immediately expired. On removing him he found that the right ear was lacerated and bruised, and the left collarbone broken. It was also evident that some blood vessel in the chest or stomach had been ruptured, which, no doubt, was the cause of his death. Deceased appeared to have fallen heavily on his left side. He had also sustained some other trifling injuries. They did not appear to be any symptoms of any struggling having taken place.

Caroline Manning deposed that she was at the "Golden Lion" on the previous evening, and partook of some refreshments with the deceased. After a few minutes before 11 she left the house and rode with the deceased in his van, as far as the end of Wood Street, where she alighted, deceased first getting out of the van, to assist her down. The deceased, before he got out of the van, threw the reins across the horse, and when she left he was standing by the van.

The jury came to the conclusion that the deceased, in attempting to get into the van, must have either fallen or been knocked down by the cart, as the horse started off into a gallop; therefore returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." The deceased, who was well known in the towns, has left a widow and 8 young children.