From the Kent Herald, 16 September 1824.

Suicide.

An inquisition was taken at the "Duke of Clarence" public house, Woolwich, on Thursday, on view of the body of Mr. James Grouk, late supercargo and mate of the merchant ship Albion, now lying in the river, who hung himself between decks on the previous evening.

It appeared from the evidence that the deceased, through extremely atentative to the duties of his station, was subject to intermittent derangement of intellect, produced, it is supposed, by the long residence in tropical climates. During the last voyage, which was to the Brazil's, deceased appeared to be greatly broken down in spirits, and this was the more remarkable, as the speculation in which he was partly concerned proved extremely advantageous; he was frequently heard to wish for a return to England, in order that is body might be laid with his children, to one of whom he was particularly attached, which child died a short time previous to the Albion leaving England. Every effort was made to raise his spirits, but unfortunately in vain; and after the vessel arrived in the Roads, he was heard to exclaim, "I have reached my grave at last." On Tuesday he came up to London, and received a considerable sum of money at a mercantile house, which he forwarded by the same nights post to one of his family at Bridport. On Wednesday morning he returned to the vessel, and towards evening he took an opportunity while the crew were engaged to go below the quarter deck and suspended himself from one of the beams; being discovered in less than half an hour afterwards, the unfortunate man was cut down, and an attempt was made to restore animation, but without affect.

The Jury, under direction of the Coroner, returned the verdict of "temporary derangement." The deceased was in his 39th year.