KNOTTINGLEY INQUEST REPORTS
FROM THE WAKEFIELD ARCHIVES
Ref: C493 - K2/1/32 number 1672
Inquest into the death of WILLIAM COWARD, 21st May 1869, at the
house of Frederick Saul, Greyhound Inn, Ferry Fryston.
Mattw Coward who is a lime burner.
Deced was 1 and ½ years old this month and my son. He has always been a
very strong and healthy child. He has been able to walk and run about for
the last 6 months. Yesterday morning about 11 o'clock he was standing
alone in the yard when I went into the house. The garden gate was shut and
fastened. After I had been in the house 5 or 10 minutes my sister Eliza
who is 17 years old went out to look after deced. A minute or two
afterwards I went out and saw Eliza on the front road. She said she could
not find deced. I looked about the yard and then opened the garden gate
and went down the garden. As I was passing an open well near the bottom of
the garden I saw deced's clothes in the water. The well has been uncovered
for several years past. The water is about 6 feet from the top of the well
and is about 3 feet deep. I called out and Thos Robinson came and went
down the well and pulled out deced's body. 2 or 3 weeks ago I put a box
with some bricks in it against the water tub and the end of the railings
to prevent deced from getting into the garden. I found the box a little
removed yesterday morning after deced's body was found. Deced had his face
upwards.
Thomas Robinson of Ferrybridge a Railway Platelayer says: I was working on
the bank of the North Eastern Railway about 60 or 70 yards from the well
yesterday morning about a quarter past 11 o'clock and suddenly heard
screams. On turning round I saw Hannah Coward in the garden and I ran to
her with Jas Shepherd who was working near to me. On reaching the well I
saw deced in the well and as I thought moving his eyelids and lips
slightly. I took the body out and handed it to Shepherd. The diameter of
the well is rather more than a yard. I saw no signs of injury except a
slight graze on the right cheek.
Verdict: Accidentally drowned.
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