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BEDDINGHAM: Caution to wagoners. Fatal Accident. On Saturday last, a fatal accident occurred to a young fellow named Moore, in the employ of Thomas Ellman, esq, of Beddingham, from being run over by a wagon. It appears that on the day named deceased was driving the wagon on the road between Beddingham and Itford, in doing which he adopted the extremely dangerous mode of riding on the shafts. A lad was with him inside the wagon, and did not see the accident, but it is supposed that in going down a slight incline the horses overpowered the deceased who, attempting to get off the shafts, fell and one or more of the wheels went over his head, death being almost instantaneous. Mr Geer of the Star Hotel, Lewes, and his man, drove along almost immediately on their way to Blatchington, and at that time the boy in the wagon was dragging the body away from the middle to the side of the road. Assistance was rendered, and the body was conveyed home to await a coroner's inquest, which was held yesterday before F H Gell, esq, coroner, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. There seems a fatality on this unfortunate family, if it is correct, as we are told, that the deceased was the son of the man who was killed by the express train at Beddingham Crossing about four years ago.

From the Sussex Express Saturday 16 May 1863

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BEDDINGHAM: The Fatal Accident. An inquest on the body of George Moore (whose death we noticed in our last, he having been run over by a wagon) was held on Monday, at the Trevor Arms, before F H Gell, esq, coroner.

Henry Kenward, labourer, in the employ of Thomas Ellman, esq, of Beddingham, deposed that the deceased was a labourer, also in the service of Mr Ellman, and was about 13 years of age. About ten o'clock on the morning of Saturday last witness was with a wagon belonging to Mr Ellman, drawn by one mare only. It was proceeding slowly along the public way when the witness overtook it. Witness got up on the outside, and the deceased was on the back of the mare; he had a stick with him. After the wagon had proceeded about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, the mare struck off into a gentle trot, and afterwards increased her pace, although he (witness) saw nothing to unsettle her. They were going down a slight hill and he (witness) got down from the wagon to stop the horse, having just before seen the deceased on the mare. After he got down he did not see the deceased. He went back to look for him, and saw him lying in the middle of the road dead. His head was much injured. He was lying about five rods from the place where he (witness) stopped the mare. There was no jumping of the wagon. A man named Matthew Moore assisted him, and they took the body into a stable and thence to his father's house. The mare always appeared to be steady. The deceased was sitting sideways.

Thomas Brooke, foreman to Mr Ellman, deposed - about 10 o'clock on Saturday morning he sent George Moore, the deceased, with his master's wagon, drawn by a mare, to a place called Fenlands to fetch a cask. He went off leading the mare steadily. Henry Kenward was sitting on the wagon. About twenty or twenty five minutes afterwards he went back to see why the boy did not return with the wagon, and found him lying on his back on the road quite dead. The mare had been accustomed to harness and was generally very steady.

John Moore, a lad nine years of age, deposed that he saw the wagon going down the hill with deceased sitting on the horse. He saw the deceased fall from the horse, and thought it was done by a shake of the wagon. The near hind wheel passed over him. He had a stick, but he was not flourishing it about, nor did he (witness) see him hit the mare

The jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.