Whilst searching through the lists of burials at the Newark cemetery I came across the death of MARY ANN HUCKABY (neé FLETCHER), she was the Great Great Grandmother of my late husband Arthur. In the burial register Mary's cause of death was shown as "found drowned" and I decided that as an inquest must have taken place, details may have been printed in the local paper. I searched the pages of The Newark Advertiser on microfilm at the local library and came across this account of the inquest, which was held on the Monday morning following the tragedy, at The White Swan public house which still stands on the corner of Northgate, close to where Mary Ann and her husband FRANCIS HUCKERBY lived.
SUPPOSED SUICIDE BY DROWNING
On Monday morning an inquest was held at the White Swan public house Northgate, before R. Griffin, Esq., borough coroner, on the body of Mary Ann Huckerby, an elderly female, who was found dead in the river on Saturday morning, by the side of the town's wharf, in a place where the water was only about three feet deep.
The first witness was Francis Huckerby, working maltster, who said : “The deceased was my wife, and was in her 62nd year ; on Saturday morning last I got up to my work before three o'clock and returned about half past five to have a cup of tea. Deceased prepared my tea and remained in the house all the time I was in. I went away in about a quarter of an hour , leaving her in the house, she appeared very low. For a length of time she had
been subject to depression of spirits and suffered from severe pains in head.
I returned home about seven o'clock ; she was not then in the house. I saw that the fire was nearly out, which was an unusual thing. I called to my daughter , who was ill in bed, to know if deceased was upstairs. She replied not that she knew of. I went upstairs and searched all the rooms , but could not find her. I then inquired of the neighbours but could not hear anything of her. After looking at the pigsty, I went to the town's wharf, and turning towards the water side saw a little red turnover which the deceased used to wear. On looking I saw her in the water. She was taken out immediately and found to be quite dead. I think that she was in a state likely to make away with herself ; that induced me to search for her. She sometimes said she was very bad with the ding of hammering at the boiler works, and that she believed she should make away with herself. She was sometimes obliged to sit down because of the violent throbbing in her head. She had never attempted anything of the kind before.”
George Morris, boiler maker, employed at Mr Welch's works, said he saw the deceased at six o'clock on Saturday morning She could not get to the river until he opened the gates, and as she was in the habit of going early to draw water, he inquired if she wanted to go through. She mumbled a reply which he did not understand, and went back to her own house. Witness did not open the gates until seven o'clock. She had no bucket with her. Witness had noticed of late that the deceased had appeared very singular in her manner.
Henry Oliver, maltster, said that he and George Bellamy took a boat and got the deceased out of the water, - There being no evidence to prove that the deceased threw herself into the river, the jury returned a verdict of "found drowned"
A sad tale indeed, and an interesting insight into the lives of our ancestors, can you imagine going down to the Trent early in the morning with a bucket to draw water ?
The Death of Mary Ann Huckaby
The White Swan at Newark
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