As Justice of Peace, Joel Stone often had to act in the role of a variety of public servants. In this report, from Wells Island (Wellesley Island), Stone acted as Coroner in the death of a local settler who was suffering from a “deranged state of mind.” Wells Island, however, is actually in the United States, showing how little the border meant in the early years of settlement in the 1000 Islands. Although repetitive and written with a bland legal style, it does provide insight into the life of early settlers in the Islands.
Inquest taken before me Joel Stone one of his Majestys Justices Assigned to Keep the peace in and for the District of Johnstown and the Province of Upper Canada on the body of Thomas Brown of Augusta in the District and Province aforesaid Innkeeper taken on Wednesday 27 March 1805 on the South Side of an Island in the River St. Lawrence called Wells Island in the Vicinity of Leeds in the District and Province aforesaid at a shanty (or Temporary House) occupied by Mr. Henry Cross Situated at about half the distance from the West to the East end of the said Island__ Where the water was about five feet Deep__ The body of him the Said Thomas Brown was found in and Near the bottom of the s[aid] waters on Wednesday Morning 27 March 1805 by Simmons Walker, William Palmer_George Dilla, James Carley and Henry Cross_then searching for him the said Thomas Brown__ upon information of which Joel Stone afsd [aforesaid] called on the following good and lawful men. Who were all Duely [brought] before Joel Stone Esquire afsaid Acting Coroner __ as a Jury to examin the body so Down in the waters aforesaid (Viz) Thomas Doyle, Foreman, Stephen Collins, Royce Honeywell, David Van Zeklen, Reuben Landon, James Carley, Samuel Thomas, Simmons Walker, Jacob Grindstone, William Palmer, Daniel Brockway and Henry Cross __ who together with him Joel Stone aforesaid __ acting Coroner proceeded and took the said Body out of the water and upon due inquiry and strict examination found the same to be the body of him the Aforesaid Thomas Brown of Augusta Innkeeper __ who had been observed to be in a Degree Insensible or in the state of Delerium Since Saturday Evening 23 March afsd in so much as his friends as well as many of the aforesaif Jurors endeavoured to watch him fearing he might by accident injure himself __ particularly as he was observed to get up in the night and wander about alone his friends and the people during this time did not discover any attempt in him to make away with or injur himself and it so happened on Tuesday night of the 26th of March afsd 1805 that Brown afsd was at the said Shanty or Temporary House of him the afsd Henry Cross and there lay Brown to sleep__
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That he got up and lay down alternately as he had done for several nights before. That he the said Thomas Brown, his two sons and several of the afsd Jurors were in the said shanty or Temporary House that being [barrack] of their usual rest for several Nights before and being much wearied that Day every person in Said House or Shanty (except Thomas Brown) Fell into a Deep Sleep undesigned by and Did not awake untill Day light on Wednesday Morning the Said 27th day of March 1805 __ That when they Awoke they soon Discovered that Thomas Brown afsaid was missing. That they forthwith proceeded to serch for him and found him in the waters of the River St. Lawrence as afsd and as the Distance was so great to the real Coroner that they gave information to Joel Stone Esquir afsd forthwith __ who came and proceeded as afsd. And it appears to him the said Acting Coroner __ and to the Jurors afsd that he the Said Thomas Brown _ Deceased _ Did get up when all the people were in a Deep Sleep as aforesaid and by wandering about in his Deranged State of Mind _ he Did Misfortunatley get into the Said waters of the said River St. Lawrence and there Accidently, Casually and by Misfortune came to his Death and not otherwise__