Death of Nathaniel Chaplin

Date: 12 Mar 1858 to 15 Mar 1858
Location: Castleford, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: Chaplin Drowning

Newspaper Reports

The Leeds Mercury published had the following article on 18 March 1858:

DEATH FROM DROWNING. - On Monday evening, and inquest was held before T. Taylor, Esq, coroner, at the house of W. Baldwin, the Ship Inn, Castleford, on view of the body of Nathaniel Chaplin, formerly a national schoolmaster. The deceased was at a public house called the Sailor's Return, on Saturday evening, and left a little after six o'clock the worse for liquor. He was met shortly afterwards walking on the river side, by a glass blower named William Land, but was not seen again alive. About three o'clock next morning his hat and stick were found on the bank, and on a search being made the body was found in the water. Deceased was lying on his face, with his head buried in the mud. The only mark found was a graze on the forehead. The jury found a verdict of "Accidentally drowned".

The same article appeared in the The Wakefield and West Riding Herald on 19 March 1858, the Leeds Intelligencer on 20 March 1858, and the Yorkshire Gazette on 20 March 1858.

The Pontefract Advertise, published on 20 March 1858 had the following slightly different article:

ACCIDENTAL DROWNING. - On Monday evening, and inquest was held before T. Taylor, Esq, coroner, at the house of W. Baldwin, the Ship Inn, Castleford, on view of the body of Nathaniel Chaplin, a gate-keeper of the Glass Bottle Works of Edgar Breffitt, Esq., who was found drowned in the River Aire, near Wheldon. It appears the deceased, who resided in a cottage adjoining the works, had occasion to go into the town of Friday night last, and on his return home about ten o-clock, the night being intensely dark, he missed his way and fell into the river, floating from the works to the spot where he was found, which was a distance of about two miles. He was taken to Ferrybridge, but brought back again to Castleford, where an inquest was held over his body, and a verdict recorded of accidental drowning. The deceased was at one time the National Schoolmaster of Castleford.

Sources

All newspaper reports were personally transcribed from images on FindMyPast.

Roy Walmsley 22 Aug 2021.