The Keswick Guardian Sat 18th Jan 1879 SAD DROWNING CASE AT THIRLSPOT

SAD DROWNING CASE AT THIRLSPOT

The Keswick Guardian - Sat 18th Jan 1879

SAD DROWNING CASE AT THIRLSPOT.     An inquest was held at the King's Head Inn, Thirlspot on Wednesday night, by Wm. Wilkin Lumb Esq., deputy coroner, touching the death of William Cartmel aged nineteen years, whose body had been found in Howe beck on the previous Monday  evening in the circumstances narrated in the evidence reported below . The following gentlemen composed the jury :-Messars Reuben Thwaites (foreman). John Bristow, John Hawkrigg sen.,  Charles Birkett, Isaac Bristow, John Dowthwaite, John Birkett, Thos Nixon,  John Hawkrigg jun., Richard Fleming, Seatree, and Joseph Branthwaite. John Robinson, landlord of the King's Head Inn said the deceased was his nephew and had been with him for nine years. The deceased was nineteen years of age, and was engaged as husbandman and general assistant. Witness last saw him alive on Monday at about a quarter to eleven , but did not have much talk with him. Witness said he kept the post office, and the deceased delivered the Armboth and Dalehead letters. On Monday came into the bar where witness was sorting the letters after the arrival of the postman from Keswick  and talked to the postman. There were four or five letters for Dalehead , Armboth, and neighbourhood and the deceased said, " Are these all? The deceased took them and left the house, and that was the last witness saw of him alive, The deceased generally drove the market people to Keswick on a Saturday and he left at about half past eight in the morning and returned at something after three. Witness saw that he then somewhat the worse for drink , for when he left the conveyance he neither loosed the horse nor did anything for it. He went into the room where Witness was with his wife who was ill. He walked to the fire, then to the window, and then left the room. No word was spoken by any of them. In about ten minutes he returned and said , '' My father is coming to see you to-night, and I have to go and see their folk.' Witness did not quite catch what he said, and Mrs. Robinson told him that William wanted to go home. Witness then said to the deceased, "Hang some corn to the horse before you go " he asked for his better clothes , and Mrs Robinson gave him the keys. He left by the coach and did not return until after closing time on Sunday night. He was up on Monday morning and did his usual work, he came into the kitchen at about half-past seven to his breakfast, and after having eaten it he asked what he was to do . Witness told him to thresh some corn, and then fodder the sheep on the fell side, but returned just as the postman came from Keswick. After finishing with the letters, witness went to Smeathwaite and when he returned Mrs. asked where William was, saying also that the girls had been "lating" " him to his dinner and could not find him Witness thought he bad gone to lie down some where, as he had been out rather late at nights just previously. Witness thought he might have gone to the hoghouse, a little distance from the homestead and while going through the sheepfold which is in the same direction , he came across foot prints in the snow, which he followed across the field and when nearly at the beck saw the deceased's cap lying on the bank , and, immediately afterwards his body in the stream Witness who was startled at the sight, exclaimed " Oh dear, Willie ! " and ran back to give the alarm at Dalehead and Fisherplace,  The deceased bad not been in the habit of drinking. Witness did not suspect anything wrong with him He had nothing whatever to trouble him. He we a healthy lad and was not subject to fits . Witness had never scolded him and had no reason to think he would put an end to himself.  Mrs. Robinson sent for five or six things from Keswick by him that Saturday and he forgot four. The place was not a likely One to Choose to commit suicide, but the brook was covered with ice at other places , The deceased had no reason to go into the field there was no stock in it. Mr. Birkett and Mr Thwaite fetched the body away. -  Thomas Nixon, gardener in employment with Manchester Corporation, said he had known the deceased for five or six years. Ho was a nice cheerful young man , and to all appearances hearty and well, Witness last saw him alive about twenty minutes to twelve on Monday. he had asked witness to go with him to Dalehead, and as witness had an errand there he went. He did not talk much , but seemed rather in a low way. Witness had never seen him tipsy except on the previous Saturday, and thought he might be ashamed. The place was not a likely one for any one to put an end to himself. If he had taken a fit he might have fallen in. There was no footpath to the place where the deceased was found. John Birkett, builder, Legburthwaite, said he had known the deceased for eight or nine years, but had not seen him for a week or so past. He was an industrious steady young man. Witness was called by Mr. Robinson, and he found the deceased lying in the stream, partly on one aide, with his face down ' There might he 18 inches depth water. The body was bare at the back he had on all his clothes except his hat, His watch was in his pocket, going , round at correct time. There was also a pipe some tobacco and matches in his pockets There were no marks of violence on body beyond the mark on his face. Inspector Richardson said he saw the deceased at Keswick, near the Queen's Hotel, at about eleven o'clock on Saturday night. Ho was very drunk. Witness saw that his face, was scarred, and asked him what had been the cause; but he would not reply. One of the constables said he was the boy from Thirlspot . He left the street and went down to High Hill, where he stayed all night. The coroner summed up in favour of an open verdict, and the jury returned one of drowned."