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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