Death of William Hancy

Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 11 December 1830 p3
http://trove.nla.gov.au
CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Baulkham Hills, on Tuesday last, to inquire into the cause of the death of the late Mr. William Hancy, an old emigrant settler, who came by his death by a fall from his mare, which at full speed came in contact with a cow lying upon the Windsor-Road. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

[William Hancy was the father of Sophia Hancy who married James Pendergast, son of John Pendergast and Jane Williams, in 1828]

Also

FATAL ACCIDENT

To the Editor of the Sydney Gazette

Sir,

A fatal accident occurred in our little neighbourhood yesterday, to an old respectable emigrant settler, Mr William Hancy, who, when returning home from Parramatta, in company with two other persons, was throne from his horse and killed upon the spot. - It appears that the deceased and the other two persons were all riding at a smart pace, within a few rods of Wood's house, when the deceased's came in contact with a cow lying in the middle of the road, and precipitated the rider with such violence (having fallen upon his head) as to cause immediate death. Information of the death was immediately sent to Parramatta but the Coroner for Parramatta and its districts was absent at Sydney; in consequence of which the corpse was left exposed, on the middle of the high road, from 10 o;clock yesterday morning when the accident occurred till about six o'clock in the afternoon, when the body was moved to the side of the road.

Now, Mr Editor, as a friend to humanity, I make these facts known to the public, that not only was the corpse of a respectable emigrant settler, and father of a large family, exposed to the vulgar gaze, and to the lamentations of his afflicted wife and family, but the body is still lying on the side of the road, and it is now past four o'clock in the afternoon of the second day since the accident happened. and no jury is yet convened. Had the weather been as hot as it usually is at this time of the year, it is easy to imagine what a stste the corpse must have been in.

I am, Mr Editor,

your obedient Servant,

A FRIEND TO HUMANITY

Baulkham Hills, December 7th, 1830