Jasper Keepence

Died

17 October 1861

Age

Rank

Police Constable

Force

Wiltshire Constabulary

Cause

Accident

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Died after he and another officer returning from court jumped from a runaway horse-drawn van near Trowbridge.

Roll of Honour Citation

Died after he and another officer returning from court jumped from a runaway horse-drawn van near Trowbridge.

Circumstances

Died from a fractured spine caused when he and other officers returning from court were forced to jump from a runaway van pulled by a horse with a broken harness.

PC Keepence and three other officers were in a van returning to Trowbridge from Marlborough Sessions when the harness to the horse drawing the vehicle broke and caused the animal to bolt, such that two officers and another man decided to jump from the van.

Jasper died instantly after dislocating his neck while the second other officer was bruised and shaken and the other man was seriously injured.

Another two officers who were riding at the front of the vehicle were thrown into the van and they and the civilian passengers who remained in the vehicle all escaped unharmed.

PC Keepence who was buried in his native Wilsford, near Devizes, left a young wife.