Tragedy at Fleethall Creek in 1937
Woman drowns within yards of safety
Fleethall Creek
Incident occurred near the bridge
Try out this link:
1937-1961 OS map plus modern satellite overlay images of the area, courtesy of the National Library of Scotland
In January 2015, we received an email from Bill McIntosh in California. He was researching his family and came across a report that a distant ancestor, Mrs Ethel Gold, had been drowned in Fleethall Creek, Sutton, in 1937. Mr McIntosh wondered if we could help him find a coroner's report about the event.
The Rochford coroners' records are not now stored locally, neither are they available online so we thought we would be unable to help with further information on this tragedy from nearly 80 years ago.
Meanwhile, Mr McIntosh turned up a newspaper report about the event himself. And while we were still researching the whereabouts of the coroners' records, one of our members found a similar newspaper account of the drowning of Mrs Gold in the microfilm records at the Southend Library.
Below is a transcript of each of these reports:
Essex Newsman, Chelmsford, Essex, England Saturday 14 August 1937. Death would have been Monday 9 Aug 1937. News item found by Bill McIntosh
HUSBAND'S COMPLAINT AT INQUEST
While Mrs. Ethel Gold, 58, wife of Mr. 'Myer Gold, licensee of the Prince of Wales public-house, Greyhound Road, Fulham, was watching her 14-years-old granddaughter, Pearl, swim in the creek at Sutton on Monday, she fell into the water, as a result, it is believed, of short-sightedness. She was unconscious when taken out of the water, and after artificial respiration had been applied was conveyed to Southend Municipal Hospital, where she died five minutes later. Mrs. Gold was spending a holiday at Sutton Lodge, and the creek is situated at the bottom of the garden. At the inquest on Mrs. Gold at Rochford on Wednesday, Mr. Myer Gold, the husband, said his wife had good health, but her eye-sight was not good, and she was not able to see for a long distance without her glasses. When told his wife had fallen into the water, witness ran as fast as he could to the spot, and saw three men standing there looking. One of the men shouted, " Can you swim?" Witness swore at him, because he was wild to think that three Englishmen could stand there and watch a woman in the water and not stretch out a hand to help her. Witness got to his wife, and the men took her from him out of the water. Witness only had to swim about one stroke. The men seemed afraid of the water. They were standing near the railings and could easily have gone in. Witness was told that one of the children went to the men for help, and one of them said, " I have got a new suit, I am not going to wet it." The Coroner (Mr. L. F. Beccle): “You do find men about like that.” Witness: “I hope there are not many.” P.s. Martin said deceased could easily have fallen in. A trench ran at the top of the bank and anyone with good eyesight might have stumbled into the water. The creek was a tributary of the River Roach. Commenting that he was satisfied that Mrs. Gold probably stumbled in the trench and fell into the water. the Coroner returned a verdict of Accidental death from drowning.
News item found by Brian Pettitt at Southend Library on a microfilm of Southend Standard
HUSBAND'S COMPLAINT. ALLEGED LACK OF ACTION BY ONLOOKERS. DROWNING FATALITY
Sensational allegations as to the conduct of three men were made by the husband at an inquest, on Tuesday, on a woman who was drowned in Fleethall Creek, near Rochford, on Monday. The inquest was held at Rochford, on Wednesday, by the Divisional Coroner (Mr. L. F. Beccle). The victim of the tragedy was Mrs. Ethel Gold, aged 58 years, of the Prince of Wales public house, Greyhound Road, Fulham. After giving evidence of identification, Mr. Myer Gold, husband of the dead woman and licensee of the Prince of Wales, Greyhound Road, Fulham, told how he and his wife came on Monday to stay at Sutton Lodge, Sutton Road, Rochford. His wife had good health, but her eyesight was not good, and she was not able to see for a long distance without her glasses. She could see a little, and, except for her poor vision, was an active woman. A river ran at the bottom of the meadow adjoining the garden, about 75 yards away. They spent Monday afternoon in the garden and their grand-daughter, a girl of 14, went down to the river. He watched her for a time and then went hack to the garden and sat down in a deck chair. His wife said she was going down to see her grand-daughter and said she would only go as far as the fence. He saw her go there and a few minutes later heard a woman shout, " Mr. Gold, Mr. Gold — your wife is in the water." I dashed as fast as I could run, shouting, 'Help!'" continued Mr. Gold. "I came to the water and saw three men standing there looking. I dashed through the fence and while I got into the water, one of the men shouted, 'Can you swim?' I swore at him, because I was wild to think that three Englishmen could stand there and watch a woman in the water and not stretch out a hand to help her. I got to my wife and the men took her from me out of the water." The Coroner : You got her fairly easily? Witness: I only had to swim about one stroke. The men seemed afraid of the water. They were standing near the railings and could easily have gone in. I was told that one of the children went to the men for help when my wife fell in, and one of them said, "I have got a new suit. I am not going to wet it." The Coroner: You do find men about like that. Witness: I hope there are not many. A neighbour, Laura B. Cecil, of Hercules Lodge, Sutton Road, said she saw Mrs. Gold walking straight down the garden towards the water. She had her hand up to her eyes to shield them from the sun and was calling someone. She passed out of her view and witness went to her upstairs room to see if she could see her. The Coroner: What did you do then? Did you feel that something had happened? Witness: I did not at the time. I came down again and went out of the back door and down to the water. I thought something had happened. I heard some boys shouting, " Oh! There's something in the water." I went to see if she had fallen in and saw a black and white dress going down with the tide. I ran and told Mr. Gold. Dr. L. T. Bond, pathologist, said death was due to asphyxia from drowning. Sergt. W. S. Martin said when he arrived Mrs. Gold was lying about 100 yards from Sutton Ford Bridge. She was unconscious. He assisted with artificial respiration, which was continued in the ambulance while Mrs. Gold was being taken to the Southend Municipal Hospital at Rochford. The depth of the water in Fleethall Creek — where Mrs. Gold was drowned — was about 5ft. The water was 3ft. or 4ft. below the top of the bank. He was unable to find marks to show the spot where she fell in. It might have been that she got to the end of the fence and looked round to see her grand-daughter. She could easily have fallen in. A trench ran at the top of the bank and anyone with good eyesight might have stumbled into the water. The creek was a tributary of the River Roach. Commenting that he was satisfied that Mrs. Gold probably stumbled in the trench and fell into the water, the Coroner declared a verdict of accidental death from drowning. At the close, one of the relatives present expressed their deep appreciation of the able assistance given by the Rochford Police officers.