I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights... For more canal deaths, check out the master post.

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The Pontypool Free Press of February 15th 1879 reported that Benjamin Legg had been found drowned at Five Locks. The Star of Gwent from the day before had listed him in their death notices, recording that he had died on February 9th and was 21 years old.

"FOUND DROWNED. On Monday morning, the body of a young man, named Benjamin Legg, of Upper Cwmbran, was picked up at Five Locks, Pontnewydd. Deceased was seen in an adjoining public-house on Sunday."


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Benjamin Thomas Legg was born in late 1857 to William and Mary Legg. (Or, based on this clipping from the Usk Observer of 19/12/57 about an Ann Legg of Llanfrechfa taking Thomas Thomas to court for support for her illegitimate child, possibly to their eldest daughter Ann...) Either way the 1861 census found William working as a furnace filler while Mary stayed home with Benjamin - and Rachel, Frances, Ellen, and Sarah.

In 1871 William was working as a labourer, and Mary was at home with Ellen and Benjamin, and grandchildren Sarah, Albert, and Emily. They also had 19-year-old daughter Mary staying, who was working as a servant, and a lodger named Daniel Jones.

This article from the South Wales Daily News (25/02/1878) possibly refers to Benjamin, recording that he was discharged from the Pontypool petty sessions for sleeping in a hayloft near Cwmbran with Anne Trotter and Henry Davis, a soldier of the 61st Regiment.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Monmouthshire Merlin of March 4th 1843 reported on the death of David Jones who fell in the canal on his way home from the pub...

"Inquest. On Saturday night last, a poor man named David Jones, a cripple, living near the canal, in the parish of Llantarnam, on returning home from a neighbouring public-house, fell into the water, and was drowned. Not returning to his residence at his usual hour, a person went to the public house in search of him, who being informed that he had left some time, it was immediately suspected, the night being extremely dark, that he had fallen into the water. On proceeding along the canal, his crutch was found on the bank, and search being made, the body was soon discovered. On Monday an inquest was held before William Brewer, Esq., coroner, when the above facts being deposed to, a verdict of 'Found Drowned' was returned."


I did a cursory record search but with a name as common as David Jones it would take a lot more digging to be sure I had the right guy.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Monmouthshire Merlin of February 25th 1843 reported that the body of a soldier had been pulled from the canal that Tuesday:

On Wednesday an inquest was held at Llantarnam, by William Brewer, Esq., coroner, on the body of a man found in the canal on the previous day. The 98th Regiment, which has been stationed at Brecon, for some time, having been relieved by a detachment of the 7th Fusileers, which passed through this town last week, for that destination, on Saturday a large quantity of luggage belonging to the former regiment was forwarded by a boat, from Brecon to Newport, accompanied by a number of men belonging to the regiment, together with several women and children. Having reached Llantarnam on Sunday night, it was determined to remain there till the following day, and as there were no quarters to be had there, some of the party proceeded to Newport, leaving the remainder with the luggage.

On Monday morning the boat with the remainder of the party proceeded to Newport, and from hence to Bristol, without delay. On the following day the body of a man was discovered in the canal, which, on examination, was found to be a private of the 98th. Information was brought to Newport, when it was ascertained that the party of the 98th, which arrived from Brecon on Monday, had reported to the Colonel of the 73rd, at present stationed here, that a private of their regiment had deserted during the previous night. These were the facts stated before the coroner, but as there was no person belonging to the 98th present, it could not be proved that it was that of the missing man. That it is, however, there is no doubt entertained. The name "P. Fagan" was found marked on the shirt of the deceased. Verdict - "Found dead." The body was brought to Newport, by direction of Colonel Love, of the 73rd, and buried with military honours on Thursday, at the same time with a soldier belonging to the latter regiment.


The story was reprinted on March 4th in the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian and the Silurian.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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Albert Price, aged 81, was living with his wife at Regent Street in Abergavenny when their niece - Mrs Dulcie Colchester of Middlesex - came to stay with them for a few weeks. The couple were due to move into their niece's home in Middlesex on January 17th 1950. Unfortunately, Price's poor physical health was weighing heavily on his mind and, before the move could take place, he committed suicide in the canal.

The South Wales Echo of January 7th 1950 reported:

"Knelt With Head in Canal"

It is believed that a man found drowned in the Monmouthshire Canal knelt down and held his head under water. Police-constable W. Evans told the coroner at an inquest at Abergavenny to-day on Albert Price, aged 81, of Regent-street, Abergavenny, that when found Price had part of his back above water and it was perfectly dry.

A niece, Mrs. Dulcie Colchester, of East Court, Middlesex, said she had been living with Mr. and Mrs. Price for about six weeks. Her husband and she had arranged to put half their house at the disposal of her uncle and aunt and they were to move to Middlesex on January 17.

Her uncle worried about his sleeplessness and about his wife's health. When he came down to breakfast on Wednesday morning he said he had had a very bad night. He was worried about becoming a permanent cripple.

Note to Police

In the afternoon he wrote a note, which he took out with him. As he did not return the police were informed, and the following morning the letter was delivered to the police. Mrs. Colchester did not think the proposed move had anything to do with her uncle's death, He was more worried about his own and his wife's health.

The Coroner: In his letter he does mention that he cannot stand the nights. Some old people do worry a lot about being rooted from their old home and friends when they have to move elsewhere.

Dr. W. T. E. Blackmore said Price was responding quite well to three weeks treatment. During the past 12 months he had noticed a marked deterioration in Price's physical health.

A verdict of "Asphyxia from self-inflicted drowning, while the balance of his mind was disturbed" was returned.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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Thomas Bevan was just four when he was found drowned in the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal in November 1839.

The Silurian of November 23rd 1839 reported:

On the same day [Wednesday last], at New Bridge, in the parish of Llanhamlach, before Thos. Batt, sq., on view of the body of Thomas Bevan, aged four years, who was found Drowned in the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal, on Tuesday morning. Verdict- Found Drowned; but by what means he became drowned doth not appear.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The body of a newborn baby was found in the Monmouthshire Canal near Malpas, determined at post-mortem to have been the victim of murder. Tissue paper was found lodged in the back of the baby's throat, and the body was estimated to have been in the water about a fortnight.

The South Wales Echo of July 24th 1900 reported:

NEWPORT CANAL MYSTERY

Verdict of "Wilful Murder."

The inquest on the remains of a newly born child which was found floating in the Monmouthshire Canal near Malpas, Newport, on Sunday afternoon was held on Monday at the Town Hall, before Mr Lyndon Moore.

Dr. Macormack, who made a post-mortem examination of the body, which was discoloured and swollen, was of opinion that the child had had a separate existence. There were indications that death was not due to drowning. A piece of tissue paper had been forced into the child's mouth, and was found by him at the back of the throat.

Small pieces of newspaper, dated June 7th, were adherent to the body, but his opinion was that the body had been in the water only about a fortnight. The infant was not more than a few hours old.

The jury, under the Coroner's direction, returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against some person or persons unknown.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Pontypool Free Press of November 1st 1907 reported on the death of Frank Rowlands:

"DANGEROUS CANAL CROSSING. PONTNEWYDD TINPLATER DROWNED. Frank Rowlands, brother of Mrs Jones, Cross Keys Inn, Pontnewydd, was missed from his home on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, and eventually his body was recovered from the canal near by, through the efforts of the lock-keeper, Thomas Davies. Deceased was 33 years of age, and worked in the mills at Ty-newydd tin-plate works, Pontnewydd. He lived with his sister and brother-in-law, at the Cross Keys Inn, was a single man, and was the main support of his widowed mother, who lives at Caerleon and is over 70 years of age. He attended to his work last week, and is said to have left the Royal Oak Inn, Pontnewydd, at about 9.20 on Tuesday night with the object of proceeding to his lodgings, which were half-a-mile away, and to get his things to go to work. He was due to commence work at 10 o'clock.

In hurrying home it is also believed that he took a false step when about to get off the canal bank on to the wooden cross-piece which is attached to the lock, and which is a private crossing over the canal. Instead of stepping on to the cross-piece, he must have stepped into space and fallen into five or six feet of water. As the weather was not rough on Tuesday night, it is hardly reasonable to assume that he was swept off his feet by the wind. The cross-piece is a short cut to the Cross Keys Inn, and has been used as such, though it is not a public means of access. It is placed about 9 or 12 inches below the level of the canal path, and apparently so placed to be more permanent, as it is fixed in very secure masonry on both sides of the lock. The proper way to get to the Cross Keys Inn is along the road.

He was expected home on Tuesday night, but as he did not arrive then or on Wednesday morning, his relatives became anxious about him. They made some inquiries at different places, and as they found he had not been at any of them, they feared that he must be in the canal. They informed the police, and between 1 and 2 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon they inquired of the lock-keeper at Five Locks whether he would let the water out of the lock. He declined to do this but got a grappling iron and dragged the canal at that particular spot, and found the body against the gates at the end or inlet of the lock.

Deceased had been living at Pontnewydd for about 18 months, prior to which he was for some time in America. His mother returned from America, where she has several other sons, five months ago. The family are originally from Pontrhydyrun, and of those members who have died, all, with one exception (Mr Rowlands, senior), have been buried at Pontrhydyrun. About 25 years ago a similar fatal misadventure is said to have taken place at the same spot, the victim then being a woman, and a little higher up, near another crosspiece and lock, a man was drowned about 12 or 14 years ago. These cross-pieces are not rare, and it is a wonder that more fatalities have not occurred owing to the frequency with which they are used, and the awkward position in which they are placed. An inquest will be held, but the date is not yet known."


Other newspapers carried the story - Cardiff Times (09/11/1907), Evening Express (04/11/1907), Weekly Mail (09/11/1907) - but the Pontypool Free Press had the fullest coverage. On November 8th they reported on the inquest:


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Frank was born in 1874 to Anna and William Rowlands. The 1901 census listed them at 6 Church Street, Caerleon, but before that they were living in Panteg. (eg. at 4 River Row on the 1881 census and 1891 census) Frank was buried on November 3rd 1907.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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Mary's case is a little unusual for this series in that she didn't drown in the canal or even need to be pulled from the water. Instead she dropped down dead on the canal side after being violently assaulted by her husband... The basics of the case were reported by the Monmouthshire Beacon of May 29th 1858:



The Hereford Times of the same day carried some extra detail, along with various other publications like the Hereford Journal (02/06/1858) and the Cornish Telegraph (02/06/1858).


Here's the story in the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian:

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The extra detail enabled me to put together a much fuller story of Mary's life. 

Mary Woodward was born in Painswick, Gloucestershire in 1806. She would later meet fellow Gloucestershire native Ezra Gardener and set up home - in 1828 they had their first child, Jane. Another daughter, Martha, followed in 1830. The family were still living in Stroud when the two girls were baptised together on June 11th 1832.

At some point between 1832 and 1839 the family had moved to Trevethin, where William was born in 1839. Caroline followed in 1844 - she and William were baptised together in Trevethin on May 5th 1844 - and Mary Elizabeth 1847, baptised in 1848. At the time of the 1851 census the family were living on Cwmbran Road.

 

In 1853 Mary's eldest surviving daughter, Martha, married Irish labourer Jeremiah Kelly at St Mary in Risca on 8th March. Meanwhile William had moved away to start a family of his own. 

By 1858 Mary was 52 and had been married to Ezra, a shoemaker, for over 30 years. Their former neighbours, Sarah and George Jones, said they had never heard the couple quarrel then but in recent months Mary had frequently complained to Sarah about 'that old villain of mine'. Ezra had begun beating her and Mary was planning to write to her son William, then living in the north of England, and ask if she could go live with him.

On the Saturday morning in question, 22nd May 1858, 14-year-old Caroline described how both her parents had been at home working. Her mother was sewing up the heel part of a boot when Ezra 'told her it was all on one side.' Mary argued that it wasn't and things quickly escalated to Ezra throwing the boot - with the last inside - at Mary's head.

Mary visited with Sarah Jones shortly after one o'clock and showed her the swollen mark on her forehead. Mary complained it was hurting badly and when her son-in-law, Jeremiah Kelly, called in that afternoon to check on his son he was told Mary was unwell and had gone to bed. By around 7:30 that evening Mary had recovered enough to walk George most of the way home, sending a passing child to go and get Martha to carry George across the lock. 

Martha asked her mother to come back to her house, on account of how upset and in pain she still seemed from the earlier altercation, but Mary demurred on account of it getting late and wet, and not wanting to have to cross the lock. Martha had only been home a few minutes when a Mrs Green came to tell her that someone had just had a fit at the lock. Martha ran back to her mother's side, but Mary was already dead.

John Cousins performed a post mortem the following Tuesday and stated it was likely the blow had caused Mary's death.

 

William Brewer, deputy coroner, presided over the inquest held on the morning of Wednesday 26th May. The inquest was then adjourned until the following morning, Thursday 27th May. Mary was buried later that same day.



Ezra's manslaughter case went before the assize courts on August 3rd 1858.  The Usk Observer of August 7th summed up the outcome in just a few words:



The 1861 census finds Ezra living in Aberbeeg, Pontypool, with his youngest daughter Caroline who was now 16. In 1871 Ezra was lodging with Martha and her family in Spring Vale. 

By 1881 Ezra was an inmate of the Pontypool workhouse, as recorded on that year's census. Ezra was still in the workhouse when he died, aged 80, on December 12th 1885. He was buried at Trevethin church on December 14th.

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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Charles Hinwood was found dead in the old Monmouthshire canal on Tuesday 19th December 1905 according to the Pontypool Messenger of December 23rd. The South Wales Evening Express of December 20th carried more or less the same report, with the extra detail that Charles had been about 40 years of age and unmarried.



The parish burial register for Llanfrechfa Upper revealed that Charles was actually 43 years old at the time of his death; he was buried on Saturday December 23rd 1905.



Charles had been born to Henry and Ellen Hinwood in Wiltshire and was baptised at Codford St Peter on March 15th 1863. By the time of 1881 census the family were living in Warminster, where they were still found - bar Charles - in 1891. Over the next few years they moved to Pontnewydd where the 1901 census found Charles working as a boatman and living with his parents and younger brother Henry, then a 25-year-old collier, on the High Street. It was probably Henry the younger who was charged with being drunk and disorderly on the highway in April 1899, and duly fined 7s and 6d at the Pontypool petty sessions.



Another of Charles' younger brothers, Sidney, was working as a colliery hauler and living at 3 Nightingale Row with his wife Mary Matilda and their two sons, Frederick (b. 11/06/1897) and Sidney (b. 18/10/1899). Kate was born in 1903 and another son, Charles, lived just two weeks before being buried on March 20th 1905 - in the same service as his paternal grandmother, Ellen Hinwood.

At some point between 1901 and 1905 Charles also began working at the colliery and moved in to 3 Nightingale Row with Sidney, Mary, and their family. It was the house on Nightingale Row he was walking back to when he lost his footing and fell in the canal. At the inquest held on Thursday 21st December 1905, presided over by Dr. D. J. Jones, the deputy coroner for South Monmouthshire, Sidney said that he had last seen Charles at 18:30 on the Monday evening. He appeared to be quite well and, Sidney pointed out, he had never shown any suicidal tendencies.

Frederick William, the landlord of the Bridge End Inn, testified that Charles had been quite sober when he left his pub at 22:00, but that it was very dark outside. Lewis Williams, a farmer, testified that he spotted the body at 11:00 on the Tuesday morning, and that the lock keeper brought it to the bank. P.C. Jones told the inquest that he had found no signs of violence on the body but pointed out that the water was around 4ft deep and Charles was just 5ft tall.


The jury recorded a verdict of 'accidental death by drowning' and recommended that Guest, Keen and Nettlefold provide a proper road to their houses. As the Evening Express (22/12/1905) made clear, the current situation meant people were forced to trespass along the canal bank which belonged to the Great Western Railway Company to get home.

Life went on for the rest of the Hinwood clan. Lydia Rose was born in 1908, followed by Lily May in 1911. The 1911 census found them still at 3 Nightingale Row along with Charles' father, Henry, as a lodger.



Henry eventually died in January 1917. Sidney joined him on 26th February 1926, leaving £127 to his widow. Mary Matilda died on March 12th 1956 and left £188 to their son Sidney.

Sidney had still been living at 3 Nightingale Row with his mother, working as a nut sorter at the ironworks. He died in 1966 and is probably the subject of this reminiscence of Howard Warren of 7 Nightingale Row I found on the Francis Frith site:

"The Row wasn't without it's occasional talking points. I remember a fight with Number 3, a man in his seventies and his next door neighbour, a younger man in his fifties. I had a grandstand view from the upstairs window. Shouts of "get a bucket of water", not to act as seconds but to pour over the participants. Exhaustion beat the contestants before any bucket arrived, however, the dread of being doused with one of those enamel buckets would have made most people retire. My grandmother's verdict that number 3 was a nasty old man and that Sid, the other participant being so much younger would have floored him. This didn't altogether tally with my view from the upstairs window."

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Pontypool Messenger of November 10th 1906 reported that three and a half year old Enerst Charles Jones had lost his life in the canal.

Ernest Charles was born in 1903 to Robert Jones and his wife. This is possibly a record of Ernest completing a few months at St Dials Infant School, which would make his birth date 23rd June 1903. This Ernest was admitted to the school on 30/05/1906 and stayed until 13/08/1906 when he, along with a group of other children, were taken off the roll on account of their being too young for school.

Either way, by November 1906 the Jones' were living at 2 Tycoch Row in Cwmbran. On Monday 5th November Ernest was playing on the canal bank with another child named Smith - Ernest's mother watched helplessly as they both fell into the water. Her screams alerted John Bond, a grocer, who immediately jumped into the water and dragged Smith out. It was only then that he realised there was another boy in the canal. He went back in and brought Ernest to the bank but, though Dr Murphy was sent for, Ernest died a few minutes later.

The inquest was held on the afternoon of Tuesday 6th November, presided over by the coroner Mr M. Roberts-Jones. The jury returned a verdict of 'accidental drowning'.


Ernest Charles was buried on November 10th.



The sheer number of Jones in the area have so far hampered my attempts to track the family any further...

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Monmouthshire Merlin of Saturday 6th December 1845 reported that an elderly man named Williams had been found drowned near the Pontnewydd Forge the previous week.



The best fit I've come across so far is Richard Williams who is listed as having been buried in Llanfrechfa on 19th November 1845, aged 89. He's local, elderly, and just about inkeeping with the timeline described in the newspaper.



If we have the right guy, this seems to be him on the 1841 census living at Royal Oak in Lower Llanfrechfa, described as an agricultural labourer. I don't know if he was related to the Travers' or simply lodging with them...

I did the basic research for this blog series a couple of years ago. Then, as usual, flitted along to the next thing that caught my interest. Now I'm trying to flesh the cases out and present to you my justification for not being a fan of walking along the canal on dark and lonely nights...

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The Monmouthshire Merlin reported on the inquests presided over by Coroner William Brewer the preceding Saturday (February 24th). One involved the case of William Gibbon whose corpse had been found that morning on a canal boat in Llantarnam. The boatmen had taken pity on the destitute Gibbon and allowed him to shelter aboard overnight.



The death register confirmed the spelling, and the burial register revealed some more tragic detail - William was born in 1806 making him just 32 when he died. He was buried on Thursday 1st March 1838.