Samuel Beard

Died

:

24 August 1861

Age

:

37

Rank

:

Sergeant

Force

:

Gloucestershire Constabulary

Cause

:

Homicide - Beaten

Duty Status

:

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Died one week after being fatally bludgeoned and kicked by four suspected poachers he had confronted at night.

About 11:00pm on the night of 17th August 1861, Sergeant Beard observed four men leave the Speech House and later saw three of them near a gate leading to a small field.

On asking one of them what he was doing and advising him that he would search him, Samuel was struck on the head with a stick and one of the three men called the fourth before all four men then assaulted the officer, knocking him to the ground and kicking him about the head and face until he lost consciousness.

In a statement made two days later, Sergeant Beard said he knew nothing after that until regaining consciousness on Sunday.

He died from his injuries a week after the attack.