10 & 8 St Matthew’s Street, Cambridge

History of 10 & 8 S Matthew's Street

1913

James Rolfe, fishmonger

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1930

There was an inquest into the death of George Rolfe (38), fishmonger of St Matthew’s Street. He had died by accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms. ‘Death by misadventure.’

Daily Express, 25 August 1930

HOW TO TELL A MUSHROOM.

BOTANY EXPERT ON POISONOUS FUNGI.

MAN’S DEATH.

The Secretary of the Botanical Conference now sitting at Cambridge attended the inquest at Cambridge on Saturday on Mr. George Rolfe, aged sixty-eight, of 81, Shelford-road, Cambridge, a cabman, who died in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in consequence of eating what he thought were “mushrooms” for breakfast last Monday.

The secretary, Mr. F. T. Brooks, of Emmanuel College, University Lecturer in Botany, referred to various specimens of fungi in giving his evidence. He said that it was difficult to explain the difference between edible and non-edible fungi, but the chief characteristic of the edible sort, known as mushrooms, were that the tops or caps were white when young and slightly brown when older.

THE YELLOW TOP.

Mr. Brooks said regarding the evidence of the widow that the “mushrooms” had a yellow greenish top, that there was no edible mushroom with the slightest trace of yellow green in it.

If a mushroom was broken up, there should be a series of plates or gills. In the young mushrooms these were slightly pink, never pure white, and as it became older it grew darker until it was a purplish black.

There was a kind of cup in poisonous fungi, something at the bottom of the stem, and sometimes just beneath it. Unless a mushroom had the characteristics he had described it was most dangerous to eat.

He identified the poisonous fungi described by Mrs. Rolfe as the most poisonous in existence.

The coroner, recording a verdict of “death by misadventure,” said that he hoped Mr. Brooks’ remarks would be useful to the public.

In 1921 George Rolfe was living at 22 Petworth Street. He was a fish assistant.

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1939

C Rolfe, fishmonger