The husband of my 2nd great grandmother, William Lapish, (1823-1853), tragically died in a vat of ale in Selby. Whilst an uncommon death, he’s not the first to die like this, George, Duke of Clarence, the younger brother of King Edward IV, reportedly died in a vat of wine!
William worked at a local brewery in Selby run by the prominent Danby family during the mid-19th century. While specific details about the brewery are scarce, it’s known that they were part of the local brewing community, contributing to the town’s rich brewing history.
Breweries at that time were typically small, family-run operations. They would have used traditional brewing methods and equipment, including stone vats for fermentation and wooden barrels for storage and transportation. The brewing process was labour-intensive, relying on manual labour and local ingredients.
Stone vats used in breweries during the mid-19th century were typically large, cylindrical containers, accommodating significant quantities of liquid. The stone provided durability and helped maintain a consistent temperature during the fermentation process. The vats had a simple design, often with thick walls to ensure they could withstand the pressure and weight of the liquid inside. These vats were crucial in the brewing process, helping to ferment the wort into beer by maintaining the right conditions for yeast to work its magic.
The introduction of steam power and advances in brewing technology during this period also began to transform the industry, making it more efficient and scalable.
Lapish, was usually one of the first at work going at 6:45am on this fatal day. Around 8am, Mr Joesph Midgley was alerted by a noise and went to find Wiliam in the vat house. He could not be found so a search was initiated. He was later discovered submerged in 47 inches of ale in one of the stone vats. Mr Burkitt, a surgeon pronounced Lapish dead.
At the coroner’s inquest, the jury recorded that Lapish was ‘Found dead in a vat of ale, but no evidence was produced to show how or by what means’. It is presumed that he lost his balance and fell in on his head.
It is so terribly sad. A young 30 year old man in the prime of his life, with a wife, Hannah Horesefield (b1823), and 4 children, Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah and John, should die suddenly in this way. It must have been such a shock when my 2nd time great grandmother found out. A family life turned upside down. When I first found out I had a relative that had died in a vat of ale I thought it was terribly funny - what a way to die - but on reflection, considering the impact on the young family, you do realise how horrendous this must have been.
The good news is that Hannah, now a widow, went on to marry for a second time and have further children with William Bovill (b1817).
The death was widely reported in most of the UK local gazette pages and it even made newspapers around the world, including Australia and America.