Newspaper Extract
Martha Weldon died by Excessive Dancing Whiston 1853
18 November 1853An inquest was held at Whiston, near Rotherham, Yorkshire, on the body of Martha Weldon, aged 26 years, daughter of Daniel Weldon, of Whiston.
On Monday morning the deceased left the house of Mr.Townsend, of Steel Bank, where she had been living as a servant, to officiate as bridesmaid at the marriage of a female friend at Whiston.
After the wedding she returned with the marriage party to the house of the bride's father, Mr Dixon. The evening was spent in dancing, in which the deceased joined with great zest. Even when the party was separating she entreated for another dance.
On the following morning she complained of a pain in her head, and while she was describing to her mother and a neighbour the gay doings of the preceding night, she suddenly fell from her chair and died instantly.
A post mortem examination of her body was made by Mr Hardwicke and Mr Darwin, surgeons, of Rotherham, and it was their opinion that death had resulted from apoplexy, induced by excessive dancing.
The jury returned a verdict to that effect.
Source: Leeds Mercury 18 November 1853
