We have lots to be thankful for in this age of ours, which is much more technologically advanced than society just 100 years ago. Just think about all the crazy conveniences we have that those in the Victorian era would never even live to see!

One such convenience is, well, living. Specifically, not getting killed in crazy ways. Click here to read about bizarre deaths from the Victorian era, and to see why you should be thankful that corsets are no longer societal requirements!

Speaking of, let’s have a gander at this corset-caused death:

On Sunday morning, as the service at Wimslow Church was about commencing, a young woman from Macclesfield, named Jane Goodwin, 22 years of age, who had just taken her seat near the pulpit, was suddenly taken ill, and was carried out of the church to the sexton’s house ; but before her friends got there she was a corpse. Her death was caused by being too tightly laced. (Dundee Courier, October 22nd, 1844)”

It sounds almost as bad as death by billiard ball:

A singular fatality occurred on Wednesday night at a public house in Soho, London. Some men were in the billiard-room when one of them attempted to get a billiard-ball into his mouth. This feat he had previously accomplished and had successfully removed the ball. This time, however, he failed to extract it, and it became fixed in his throat. A cab was immediately fetched, but while being removed to the hospital the unfortunate fellow expired. (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 3rd, 1893)”

And sometimes people were killed by pigs:

 

At Galway on Sunday night a child named Mullins was, during the absence of its parents, attacked by a pig.  Its throat and chest were so lacerated that it died in a short time.  The pig dragged the child out of the house by the throat into the street.  This is the second fatal accident of the kind at Galway within a month.  (Yorkshire Post, December 2nd, 1873)”

Death by dentures:

At an inquest yesterday on the body of Mr. Edwin Clayton, who was suffocated at Endon, between Leek and Stoke, through swallowing his false teeth, a doctor said he found the top plate of Clayton’s false teeth wedged behind the claque of his throat, which would cause him to attempt to vomit, but he would not be able to do so, the fluid would enter the lungs, and he would be suffocated.  A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, June 8th, 1904)”

While I’m sure all these were very tragic events, it is quite intriguing (and, yes, a bit morbid) to read about them. Head on over to the source for even more odd stories from old papers. [via The Baby Died]

Which of these stories is strangest?

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