Letters by Gertrude Rosa Burgess (née Burgess) aka Grand-Pratt Accusing Her Daughter-in-law (Eva Baglin) of Poisoning Her
When Eva Baglin (Florence Evaline Jenner 1901-1994) was telling her life history, and while talking about the antics of her mother-in-law (Gertrude Rosa Burgess 1874-1958) aka Grand Pratt, she said:-
"I'd recently came across one of her letters, where she'd say we were poisoning her; by putting something in the vinegar. Said she was out cold for 24 hours. She was always writing letters like that, and sending them to our neighbours’. But they'd bring them all back to us, so we'd know what they said. And then she accused our mum of putting flies in the milk - Oh, she was a terror."
Transcript and Copies of Two of The Poison Letters
On Saturday June 22nd 1957 I had 2 tomatoes for my dinner and they were very nice. And I had one tea spoonful of vinegar from a jar.
Tea time then on Sunday 23rd I had one tomato and ½ a spoonful of vinegar and as I tasted the first bite of the tomato it had a very strange taste and I felt very sick, and my inside felt on fire. So I went to bed rather early, as I was getting ready for bed I was so very sick, I felt as though my inside was on fire; as the sickness stopped I went to sleep, I slept all night and most of the next day.
Something was put in that vinegar, but what, I do not know. I had two jars of vinegar in, the other was taken away, and the one was left so I should be sure to have some of the vinegar that some one had put something in it to do me some harm.
G R Pratt
June Saturday 22nd 1957 and Sunday 23 June 1957 I was very sick something put in vinegar which burst my inside, and made me very sick, my inside felt on fire, and I was unconscious for 19 hours from 7 o’clock on Sunday evening until 2 o’clock on Monday afternoon; I only had ½ spoonful (tea spoon) of it.
To learn more about Gertrude Rosa Burgess also read:-
The Antics of Grand Pratt in the Diary of Eva Baglin.
Her Childhood Family Home at Latteridge, Iron Acton, under Burgess.
Her phrenology reading in 1901 by her father Phrenology.
