KNOTTINGLEY INQUEST REPORTS
FROM THE WAKEFIELD ARCHIVES
Ref: C493
- K2/1/29 number 1478
Inquest into the death of THOMAS JACKSON, 30th October 1868, at the
house of John Shay, Wagon & Horses Inn, Knottingley.
Hannah Daw of
Knottingley a widow says: Deced was my father. He was 75 years old a Shoemaker.
He has always been healthy. Yesterday morning he got up about ½ past 7 o'clock
as usual. Having eaten a good breakfast he made the fire in his shop and
started work. About ½ past 11 o'clock a man called on the deced to be ferried
over the Aire. I went with them to the staith. Deced unfastened the boat. The
wind was blowing westerly and strong and the water was flowing very fast down.
When deced got about 3 yards from the side I asked him to come back. The man
in the boat also asked him to return - deced said "I was to go home and mind
my own business as he was capable of managing the boat." I watched him land
the man on the other side of the river but in the regular place. I watched him
returning. He was standing up sculling the boat which was blown down the river
and caught a post of the weir and deced was thrown out into the water. The
boat stuck. Deced went along toward the weir and called out for help. I ran
for help. His body was about 10 minutes in the water.
John Burston
of Knottingley a Joiner says: Yesterday noon I heard an alarm and went to the
river side and saw deced in the water. His head and arms were then out. I
immediately ran about 200 yards and got into a small boat with another man and
went toward deced who was then in the middle of the little river where I
pulled him out with a boat hook. The water was muddy. Deced's nostrils were
full of mud. He seemed to breathe once afterwards.
Verdict:
Accidentally drowned.
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