South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 21 November 1890

The Inquest At Swinton.

An inquest was held ‘at the Canal Tavern, Swinton, on Saturday afternoon, before Mr. D. Wightman. coroner, on the body of Thomas Ellison, aged 33 years, labourer, Swinton, employed at the Manvers Main Colliery, who was drowned in the canal on Friday morning.

Edward Morgan, signalman, said that about 3-54 a.m. on Friday morning he was in his signal box, which is near the canal, when he heard a scream and a splash as if some person had fallen into the water near his box. He at once gave an alarm and got a piece of cord and a hook and went to the place where he saw the deceased’s head come just out of the water. He threw the hook and shouted. The body was shortly afterwards recovered by witness and a porter named Jesse Turner, of Swinton.

The jury returned a verdict that deceased accidentally fell into the canal at Swinton during the fog and was drowned.

The Coroner remarked that people living in this neighbourhood ought to teach their children to swim, as it would be the means of saving many a life.

The deceased was interred at Barnsley on Sunday.