Listed as born Mar Qtr 1856 Westbury on Severn Vol 6a Pg 187 Entry
153.

Aged 20, buried one day after coroner's report, but only a day after
being found.
Plot D4 Purchase Bk 49 Paid Mr Davis £2/2/0

Listed Age 18 Dom Servant from GLS : Source Canterbury Museum.
She was in fact only 17.

Resided at the dwelling house of J L & Nellie Coster Esq. for a little
more than a year before her death.

The cause of death was noted as suffocation and drowning in the
Heathcote river near the Opawa bridge but the circumstances were not
established. She was found on 19 Apr 1876, some time after she went
missing. Her brother William Henry Thorne said she had been low
spirited since the death of her sister Annie Wakely (nee Thorne)
on 10 Mar 1876.
Coroner,
ChCh

Coroners Office ChCh
May 18th 1876
Sir
I have the honour to forward the proceedings of Inquest taken in the cases named in the margin.
Amy Thorne
Mary Ann Foster
James Kearney
A male infant
John Norton
Christian Dow


To the Honourable
The Minister of Justice
Wellington

Colony of New Zealand to Wit
Informations of Witnesses severally taken and acknowledged on behalf of our Sovereign Lady the Queen,
touching the death of Amy Thorne at the dwelling house of J C Coster Esquireof Opawa in the Province of Canterbury in the Colony above mentioned , on Wednesday the nineteenth day of April one thousand eight hundred and seventy six before me John William South Coward one of the Coroners for the said Colony, on Inquisition then and there taken on view of the body of Amy Thorne then and there lying dead, as follows, to wit:-
William Henry Thorne being sworn, hath said that I am brother to the deceased Amy Thorne. She had been living with Mr Coster about eighteen months. About three weeks ago a sister of mine Annie Wakely died and since that time my sister Amy has been low spirited I have many times heard her wish herself dead. Yesterday week I met her on the Ferry Road she then seemed cheerful she was going back to Mr Costers- I have not seen her again until today when I helped to lift her out of the water, she was quite dead.
(Signed)
W H Thorne

Milson Jones living at Killinchy being sworn saith
I and my brothers in law William and Frederick Thorne were searching the Heathcote River this morning to try to find the body of deceased who had been missing since Sunday last and about back
I dragged the body out often ???? about half a chain below the Opawa bridge she was quite dead
maybe the body to the house she lay on her back in the water with her head downstream her clothes were undisturbed.
(Signed)
Milson Jones

Henry Feast Constable being sworn saith
I have examined the body of the deceased this morning I could not find any external marks of ????? upon it.
(Signed)
Henry Fenet

Nellie Coster being sworn saith
The deceased Amy Thorne has been in my house a little more than a year she always seemed cheerful until after the death of her sister about a month or five weeks ago. The deceased seemed very sad she left my house a third time and returned to my house yesterday week . She was very sad and quiet but I did notice anything beyond that - from Sunday morning last a few minutes before Eleven o'clock I spoke to her and I then went to Church about a quarter of an hour after I returned from Church I ???? her and very soon after I made enquires for her but she was not to be found about four o'clock I began to feel ??? and sent to Dr.
Richardsons and afterwards went to her brothers in the Ferry Road but could not hear anything of her until this morning when her body was found in the river.
(Signed)
Nellie Coster

Colony of New Zealand, To Wit}
The above named Depositions of William Henry Thorne, Milson Jones, Henry Feast, Nellie Coster written on six pages of paper numbered consecutively fron one to six and by me affixed together , were taken and sworn before me , at Opawa in the said Colony, on the nineteenth day of April 1876.
(Signed)
John W S Coward
Coroner

Colony of New Zealand, To Wit}
An INQUISITION indented, taken for our Sovereign Lady the Queen, at the house of J L Coster Esquire at Opawa in the Province of Canterbury in the said Colony , on the nineteenth day of April one thousand eight hundred and seventy six before John William South Coward one of the Coroners for of our Sovereign Lady the Queen for the said Colony, on view of the body of Amy Thorne then and there lying dead, upon the oath of

William Souter, John Condon, Isaac Tonks, William Compton, Henry Woodham,
George Weavers, Alexander Clark, Joseph Prisk, John Williams, John Dodd, John Mintrose, Joseph Martin, Edward Joblin

good and lawful men of the neighbourhood, duly chosen, and who being there and then duly sworn and charged to inquire for our Lady the Queen when and how, and by what means the said Amy Thorne came to her death do upon their oaths say- That on the nineteenth day of April in the year aforesaid that the said Amy Thorne was found suffocated and drowned in the River Heathcote near the Opawa Bridge but how she became suffocated and drowned there is no evidence before the said Jurors to show.
In witness whereof , as well the said Coroner as the said Jurors aforesaid have hereunto set and subscribed
their hands and seals the day and year first above written.
(Signed)
John W S Coward, Coroner
William Souter, Foreman George Weavers
John Dodd Isaac Tonks
Alexander Clark Henry Woodham
Edward Joblin John Condon
William Compton Joseph Martin
John Montrose John Williams
Joseph Prisk

Source: Justice 76/1558

1. Abbrev: Amy Thorne, Birth Certificate
   Title: Amy Thorne Birth Certificate Mar Qtr 1856 Westbury on Severn Vol 6a Page 187 Entry 153 18 Feb 1856
   Note:
   14
   Repository:
   Name: Not Given (See Notes)
   Note:
   Gls Rec Office Gls,UK
2. Abbrev: Amy Thorne Death Cert, Death Cert
   Title: Amy Thorne Death Certificate Christchurch 16 Mar 1876
   Note:
   35
   Repository:
   Name: Not Given (See Notes)
   Note:
   Gls Rec Office Gls,UK