TOPIC:

Private Hodges, of the 2d Coldstream Guards, recently invalided from the Transvaal, committed suicide by shooting himself at Wormholt Farm, Wormwood Scrubs. After his death some strange letters were found. In a book he wrote: - "I have just come out of home and kissed the children. I asked my wife for a kiss, and she refused. She had even given me £1 to go to Hammersmith Broadway and buy a revolver to shoot myself with. It cost me 12s, and cartridges 2s. I hope this will be a lesson to her. I don't think she deserves sympathy from anyone, and my last wish, if this proves fatal, please not to allow any of her relatives to follow my body. My poor heart aches." On another paper deceased had written in ink - "My Will. - My watch and chain and my diamond scarfpin to my eldest boy, my bicycle to Mr ______; my Queen's chocolate box, and when - If I get one - my medal for South Africa and my Boer pipe to Mr _______." He also left a letter for the Coroner, repeating the charges against his wife. Mrs Hodges, Mr Savill, and others denied the charges, and the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane."

Dundee Evening Telegraph, Friday 27th July 1900

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Berenice
Poor fellow. WO100/164 shows "7948 Pte. J (T?) Hodges of 2CG as entitled to the clasp "Cape Colony" on his QSA when it was sent to his N of K. Marginal note is "Died 22/7/00".
Regards
IL.

Certainly very tragic, but, then as now, you simply do not know what goes on behind closed doors.

BereniceUK wrote:

INVALIDED GUARDSMAN'S SUICIDE.

Private Hodges, of the 2d Coldstream Guards, recently invalided from the Transvaal, committed suicide by shooting himself at Wormholt Farm, Wormwood Scrubs. After his death some strange letters were found. In a book he wrote: - "I have just come out of home and kissed the children. I asked my wife for a kiss, and she refused. She had even given me £1 to go to Hammersmith Broadway and buy a revolver to shoot myself with. It cost me 12s, and cartridges 2s. I hope this will be a lesson to her. I don't think she deserves sympathy from anyone, and my last wish, if this proves fatal, please not to allow any of her relatives to follow my body. My poor heart aches." On another paper deceased had written in ink - "My Will. - My watch and chain and my diamond scarfpin to my eldest boy, my bicycle to Mr ______; my Queen's chocolate box, and when - If I get one - my medal for South Africa and my Boer pipe to Mr _______." He also left a letter for the Coroner, repeating the charges against his wife. Mrs Hodges, Mr Savill, and others denied the charges, and the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane."

Dundee Evening Telegraph, Friday 27th July 1900

lbhflibraries.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/w...first-hundred-years/

Frank Kelley wrote: Certainly very tragic, but, then as now, you simply do not know what goes on behind closed doors.

Agreed. Without at least knowing why he was invalided back to the UK, it's impossible to make speculations. For all we know he may have had mental issues before the war.

I wish there was online access to local London newspapers of the ABW period, there must be so much useful information in them.

You are certainly bringing back happy memories of the many visits I made to Colindale over two decades ago now, have you actually looked at the British Newspaper Archive?

BereniceUK wrote:

Frank Kelley wrote: Certainly very tragic, but, then as now, you simply do not know what goes on behind closed doors.

Agreed. Without at least knowing why he was invalided back to the UK, it's impossible to make speculations. For all we know he may have had mental issues before the war.

I wish there was online access to local London newspapers of the ABW period, there must be so much useful information in them.

Frank Kelley wrote: You are certainly bringing back happy memories of the many visits I made to Colindale over two decades ago now, have you actually looked at the British Newspaper Archive?

Indeed! I went just the once, as I was living up in Yorkshire at the time. Fascinating place, but such a long wait between putting in a request for a bound volume and receiving it. As the public access to the newspapers is now at Boston Spa, Yorkshire, and I'm thinking of moving back to Yorkshire in the next couple of years, I hope to make some visits then.

I remember going to a café in Colindale for my breakfast, having travelled down on the overnight bus from Leeds to London.