Was it one of your Rust ancestors who was struck by lightning?
Dear Sirs,
I AM writing to you regarding Dr Henry Rust, surgeon of Wethersfield,
who died when struck by lightning on the 28th April 1876. A copy of a newspaper report of the inquest into Dr Rust’s death follows this letter.
Dr Rust was a nephew to my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, Richard Rust of Bishops Stortford (and cousin to my Great-Great-Grandfather, also a Henry Rust).
Is there any way, via your website, of asking locally if anyone has information about or is descended from Dr Rust?
Any help you may be able to offer would be gratefully received.
ROSIE RUST

DR RUST AND HIS HORSE STRUCK DEAD BY LIGHTNING
(from the Essex Weekly News, edited)

IT is with feelings of more than ordinary sorrow that we record the death of Mr Henry Rust, surgeon, of Wethersfield, a gentleman well and widely known for many miles round, which occurred on Friday afternoon last, under circumstances as awful as it is perhaps possible for the imagination to conceive.
Mr Rust had, it appears, attended an inquest at Great Saling on Friday morning, upon the body of a poor man named Alfred Halls, who had been killed by a wagon passing over him, after which he went home, and about three o’clock mounted another horse and started for Toppesfield, for the purpose of paying a professional visit to the Rev. C.J. Gooch, rector of that parish.
Scarcely, however, had he passed Flowers Hall Farm when he was suddenly overtaken by a severe thunderstorm, and he and his horse were struck dead on the spot by the lightning.
From the position in which the unfortunate gentleman was found there is every reason to suppose – though, as there was no witness of the sad occurrence, this must of course remain a matter of conjecture – that death was instantaneous both to himself and his horse, as there was not the slightest evidence of any struggle having taken place.
The first person to arrive on the spot (it is supposed about 10 minutes after the accident) was a farmer named Letch, and from his statement it would seem that the horse fell forward on to his nose and then rolled over on to its side, as there was the mark on the greensward where the mouth had ploughed a hole into the ground, with impressions of the horse’s teeth still remaining, leaving little doubt that Mr Rust was riding on the side of the road at the time.
When found Mr Rust had his feet still in the stirrups and his whip in his hand; the back part of his hat was a good deal shattered, and two fingers of one glove torn off, beyond which there was no mark of any injury, nor was any wound found upon the horse, the hair up the legs only being singed.
The melancholy event has cast a gloom over the entire neighbourhood – indeed, it is not too much to say that there is a general feeling of having lost a personal friend.
Mr Rust, who was in his 60th year, had resided in Wethersfield for about 22 years and had, in addition to an extensive private practice, discharged the duties of Medical Officer of the Union to the entire satisfaction alike of the Guardians and the poor.
The body was conveyed to deceased’s residence at Wethersfield the same evening. Deceased leaves a family of three daughters and a son, who is in practice as a surgeon at Finchingfield.
When the body was taken home the most intense grief was manifested by the multitude that had assembled around the Hall gate. Every countenance bore the impress of deep sorrow and the stoutest could not repress their tears. Mr Rust’s great experience and skill in his profession rendered his life most valuable and his advice in critical cases was much sought after both far and near. Indeed he might be considered the physician of the neighbourhood. As a friend he was most constant; as a man a true gentleman. The greatest sympathy of all classes is expressed for the family of the deceased in their great bereavement.
THE INQUEST: On Monday afternoon an inquest was held at the Dog Inn, Wethersfield, before W Codd, Esq, Coroner, and a respectable Jury, of whom the Rev W. Marsh was foreman.
The Coroner in opening the inquiry, said: Gentlemen of the Jury, I need hardly tell you how I deeply regret the melancholy occurrence which has called us together this day I have known the deceased many years, and he has attended many inquests with me and given evidence at them, and one he attended with me not long ago. A case of this kind is a practical illustration of the uncertainty of human life. The deceased was greatly respected, and his death will occasions a great loss to the neighbourhood in which he practised.
A Juror: It is a great public loss.
The hat and glove, damaged as described, were here produced by P.c Bond who is stationed at Toppesfield. The Coroner said he had had a somewhat similar case where neither the clothes nor body were scarcely scorched.
Charles Danes , of Toppesfield, labourer, said: On Friday last, the 28th April, about a quarter before four o’clock, I saw the deceased pass my house on horseback, the horse being upon a gentle trot. A few minutes after he had passed I heard two claps of thunder, and I saw the reflection of two flashes of lightning, but not the flashes themselves. The second clap came about three or four minutes after the first, and soon after I heard that the deceased had been found lying in the road with three or four people with him and quite dead, and a horse also lying dead in the road. The first flash appeared to be the sharpest.
Frederick Letch, of Toppesfield, farmer, said: On the afternoon of Friday last, the 28th April, about half-past three o’clock, I was on my way in my cart from Wethersfield to Toppesfield, and when I got near the blacksmith’s shop, I saw the decease lying dead by the side of the road upon his back, and his horse was lying upon the greensward close to him, also quite dead. On my way there I heard three claps of thunder, but saw only on flash of lightning, which came between the first and second clap. It was forked lightning.
I was about two miles from the spot when I saw the flash, and it seemd to come from over the spot where I found the deceased. He was lying upon his back in the road with his head upon the grass. Both his hands were clenched, and in his right hand was his riding whip. His hat laid about a yard away from him.
The horse was lying upon its left side, and both the feet of the deceased were in the stirrups. The face of the deceased looked black. I got to the spot about a quarter of an hour after I saw the flash.
Joseph Cornell Hardy, of Toppesfield, farmer, deposed: On Friday last about four o’clock, when in my farmyard I heard a clap of thunder and immediately before saw a flash of lightning. I went into the road, when Mr Wells, a commercial gentleman, came up and told me that Dr Rust was lying dead in the road and his horse too; and I immediately went to the spot pointed out and there saw the deceased.
All four legs of the horse were singed and there was a slight braze on the hip. Mr Rust was going in the direction of the storm. There was no rain where the decease was killed but about ten yards below a quantity of hail lay on the road.
Sidney Thorp, of Sible Hedingham, M.D and surgeon, who examined the body, attributed the death of the deceased to injuries of the brain and spinal cord, as a consequence of the sudden paralysis from the effects of the flash of lightning.
Mr T Hardy: The smell of the electric fluid is very strong at the place where the accident occurred, at the present time.
The Jury then viewed the body, which was placed in a coffin at deceased’s residence, about two hundred yards distant
The Coroner summed up: It is quite clear that the poor man died from the effects of the lightning, but I have my reasons for not suggesting anything. I don’t know whether you will call it accidental or not.
The Foreman thought that the Jury should not define what an accident was and suggested that they should return a verdict “that t deceased died from the effects of the lightning.”
This suggestion was agreed to, and verdict accordingly returned.