Body In River

Track of the day No Blues - Miles Davis.

In July 1901 the Wellington Journal carried the following report of a body that had been found in the River Severn near Coalport.

"Samuel Lynall, labourer, Iron-Bridge, stated that he was down Coalport fishing with a coracle on the Friday, and was told there was a man in the river in the White House ford. He and Henry Potts got the body out. The water was only a foot deep.
There were two caps in the deceased’s pocket, as well as a knife, watch-case (without any works), silver knob of an old stick, and an old sixpence.
The body, which had evidently been in the river three weeks, was coloured. The man had sandy hair and whiskers but no moustache or beard. He wore a red muffler and two shirts.
Police-constable Harper from Madeley said he examined the body as well as he could. There were no marks of violence, and deceased was undoubtedly a tramp, about 40 or 50 years of age. His boots were in a very bad condition, and apparently had been repaired by himself.
The Coroner said there was nothing to show them how the deceased got into the river. He might have died on the banks and rolled in, or he might have been thrown in; perhaps he was hard up, and might have drowned himself.—
The verdict of the jury was "Found dead in the river. Deceased was buried on the same evening at Broseley Cemetery."

That's a very sad story. The coroner's conclusion that he might have died on the bank and rolled into the river, been thrown in or merely been hard up and drowned himself sounded to me like no one really cared one way or the other. Not a lot of sentimentality in 1901 Shropshire.

On the 3rd of August the following report appeared

"The clothing and articles found upon the body of a man who was found drowned in the River Severn, near Coalport, on July 19th, have been identified by Mrs. Mary Ann Lloyd of 200, Great Bricklyn Street, Wolverhampton, as belonging to her husband, Charles Lloyd, a labourer, aged 47, who left his home early on the morning of the 15th July, as she thought to go to his work. She had not seen him since. For the last 12 months the deceased had been in a depressed state of mind."

So there you are. Whether he rolled, was thrown or drowned himself is not recorded. At least I know he wasn't a tramp even if he repaired his own boots, wore two shirts and had a watch-case (without any works).