Inquest held on 3/8/1877 by the coroner. Aged 80 years. Mary Bowerman, the younger, aged 8 years, deposed the deceased was my grandmother: was with my sister Matilda and deceased in the house at about 6 o'clock last night: she was then quite well: came down to get the deceased breakfast at 8 am this morning, the usual time: on reaching the house found deceased lying all burnt outside the front door quite dead, and a dog eating her face: the pool of blood now on the ground was there: went home to my mother and told her: there was only one dog, the big brown one now lying dead: the dog stopped here. James Mobbs jnr, deposed: Am 17 years of age, and new the deceased: was going home from Parramatta yesterday with my fathers horse and dray: observed a blaze in the house of deceased, and what appeared to be a quantity of paper thrown outside the door: it was dark: heard no noise: it excited no alarm in my mind: about 9 o'clock this morning hearing that deceased had been burnt, went along the road but did not go to the house: stopped when I saw the light and watched it for about 5 minutes: told my father on getting home last night. 
Frederick Fowler deposed: Am senior constable, stationed at Parramatta: this morning, about noon, when in company with senior sergeant Breminer, from something we heard, we went to the place, and found the body of the deceased lying where it now is, and in the same state as it now is: the body is charred all over, and the face is eaten completely away: the body is quite naked, and close to it was a remnant of print, apparently the hem of the deceased's dress, also some white calico like a portion of underclothing: both bare marks of fire: close to the body was a pool of blood: there was more blood on the door step: all round the body there was burnt tinder: examined, but found no marks of struggle about, or any marks of violence on the body: the candlestick, candle and matchbox were given me by MRS James Bowerman: there were three or four women about besides her, and the house had just been washed out: where the blood is there is also some hair as if the head of deceased had fallen there and she had afterwards rolled to her present position: the candlestick has the appearance of the candle having been burnt down in the socket.
Mary Bowerman, wife of James Bowerman deposed: That on hearing from her daughter of her granny's death, she went for Richard Bowerman her husband been away: and they went to the house together, found the body lying in its present position and the dog eating deceased's face: the door of the house was shut: came into the house and got a sheet and covered the body: saw no signs of fire except a small  piece of burnt stuff: there was no fire in the fire place: the piece of candle was inside the candlestick, which was on the table with the matchbox: some old matches were on the floor: about half past 4 yesterday gave my daughter Mary on her asking for it, a piece of candle for deceased, which does not appear to have been burnt: since everything appeared to be in order inside the house: made a fire and with help washed up and tidied the house.
Richard Bowerman, son of the deceased, deposed: he saw the deceased on Tuesday last, between 8 and 9 o'clock, in good health. This witness corroborated the evidence of the last, and stated that deceased was of sober habits, and that he went into Parramatta to give information to the police. 
Doctor Walter Brown deposed: that he was a legally qualified medical practitioner at Parramatta: had examined the body of the deceased: it was that of an aged female, and shows signs of having been burnt all over, more particularly at the upper part and arms: the flesh from the face and upper part of the neck has been apparently gnawed away: there is a slight wound upon one toe: could find no other marks of injury: there was a pool of blood, in which was some human hair, near the body: from the appearance of the body, should judge that the deceased had taken fire most probably at the lower part, that she had rushed out of the house and fallen, probably suffocated with the smother: she must have fallen near where the blood is, and probably died there, and been dragged into her present position by the dogs: consider the cause of death to have been shock to the nervous system, the effects of burns, and death may have been probably hastened by suffocation from the smoke of the fire.
After a careful sewing up by the coroner, the jury returned a verdict "the deceased was burnt to death at her residents, Pennant Hills on the 2nd day of August 1877 through her clothes having become accidently kindled."

Sydney Morning Herald
7/8/1877