Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 10 January 1890

The Drowning Case at Swinton Pottery.

Inquest

On Saturday afternoon, at the Masons’ Arms, Mexborough, Mr. Dossey Wightman, coroner, conducted an enquiry into the death of a girl named Charlotte Smith, aged 17, who was found drowned in the canal at Swinton Pottery, on the Thursday previous.

Mr Jas. Pears was the foreman, the other members of the jury being Messrs. W. Booth, John H Chester, Benjamin Sharp, Wm. Buncall, George Watts, Joe Crossley. Wm. Lacy, Walter Taylor. John Instone, George H. Mayes, and John Dodsworth. Mr. E. T. Smith, one of the partners of the firm at whose works the accident happened, was present.

Mary Ellen Smith, the deceased’s mother, said she was the wife of Thomas Smith, coal miner, and lived at Orchard place, Mexborough. Deceased lived with her, and was 17 years old last June. The accident happened on Thursday. Her daughter left her home about 10 minutes to one in the afternoon ; and returned to her work, and she never saw her alive after that. She worked as a transferer at the Don Pottery. The next that witness heard was that her daughter was drowned. Her sight was very good, and she was not subject to fits or giddiness. She did not blame anybody for the accident; she really believed it had been a pure accident. The deceased knew the place well where she is said to have been drowned, as she had worked there for nearly seven years.

Emma Hewitt, a widow, said she worked as a transferer at the Don Pottery, and deceased was her apprentice; she was learning the trade. On the day of her death. the 2nd of January, she was at work.

The Coroner: Did you send her anywhere— No, sir.

Did you see her go anywhere, or did anybody else see her go anywhere?- She went herself for water, at ten minutes past four.

Did she say where she was going all what she was going for ? —Yes, she said to me that she was going for two jugs of water.

Where did you suppose she was going for them ? —To the canal.

What were you going to do with it?.—Finish our work

Not drink it? —No: not drink it.

And you saw her going?—Saw her going.

Was there a thick fog at the time? —No. sir, not particularly so; it was just coming on thick, nothing particular. I do think it was called by the fog; it was quite light.

She never came back, did she? —No. sir.

Did you go and see after her? —Yes.

What did you find?

l was waiting for her coming back, but after she had gone some time, I went to the door and shouted for her, and receiving no answer I went to look for her. I went down to the canal side, and there saw two jugs floating on the water.

The two jugs that she had taken? – Yes, sir.

What were they—earthenware jugs?—Yes, sir, they were all the kind used in bedroom services; we generally call them ewers. I saw the jugs floating, and I thought she was in then, because she was a very steady girl, and not giddy at all. I should have thought she would have been one of the last to have got in.

You’ve got help, I suppose? — Yes.

Were you there when she was got out? —Yes.

How long was it? —Only a few minutes; I acquainted a man I met.

How was she got out?—When I met this man I said, t’ Have you seen Charlotte ?” He said “No.” I said “She’s gone for two jugs of water, and the jugs are floating on the canal. She’s not there, and she must be in.” I shouted Charlotte, but I got no answer.

And you then got her out?—Yes, she was got out shortly after.

A Juryman remarked that a man named Bickerstaff got her out.

Police-constable Cade: Excuse me, it was not Bickerstaff. It is no use trying to lead the coroner astray. It was not Bickerstaff who got her out, but Tattler.

The Coroner (to witness): How do you account for it? How many times had she, in your opinion, been down to the canal for water?

She has worked in the yard for over three years, and had gone for water two or three times a day. She knew the premises well. She had been down three times that day before then.

How do you account for her going in? – I cannot for anything. She was not subject to fits and she was a very quiet girl.

Cannot you account for it?- I think she must have been overbalanced before she got the jugs fall. Had she got the jugs full they would have gone to the bottom, and not floated. I think she must have dipped them both in together and that she overbalanced herself.

Then you are convinced that she fell in accidentally? —l am, sir.

There is no suspicion of her committing suicide? —No, sir she was in the best of spirits.

Do you know of any trouble she had been in ? – No, sir.

Do you know of any quarrel ? — No, sir.

Either at home, or at her working – place? – No, sir.

The Coroner (addressing the jury) asked them if they needed more evidence. There was only that of the man who pulled her, but they knew that the poor girl had been pulled up, because they had seen. What they wanted to know was how she had got in. He did not think it was worth while going any further. How the girl happened to get in would in all probability never be known, because she was alone at the time. There was no suspicion that anybody either through her in. By some means or other she met her death by either slipping in, or by being pulled in by the weight of the jugs, which would be mere matter of overbalancing. So far as he could see the poor girl had been accidentally drowned.

A juryman remarked that it would be rather slippery at the time.

The Coroner: Is it a very dangerous when they have to fetch the water?

Mr. E. T. Smith said it was not considered at all dangerous. The water of the canal was practically level with the yard. He had examined the stones the whole length of the wharf, his impressions being that it might have been slippery, and that the girl had slipped in. but it was not slippery in the slightest; this will shortly after the accident. He was quite at a loss to account for the girl getting in.

A juryman asked if there were any boat lines tied about their?

Mr Smith said there were no boats about the wharf. It was perfectly clear of lines of any sort.

The Coroner: Have they to bend down to get the water out? Is the bank any considerable height above the water? Was it two or three feet?

Mr. Smith said it was not faithful; he did not think it was more than two inches.

A juryman: If you say four inches you will be outside.

A verdict of “Accidentally drowned” was returned.

The mortal remains of the deceased were interred at Mexborough Cemetery on Sunday in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends.