From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, 26 October 1861.

Malling, West. Suicide.

On Monday evening a young man named Edward Phipps, a keeper at the Lunatic Asylum committed suicide by drowning. It appears that on the above evening he met several friends in the town and appeared to be in his usual health and spirits, and at about 8:30 he left to return to his home as was his practice to do so. He did not, however, go home, and on the following morning enquiries were made about him, but without success. This gave rise to suspicions that he had either destroyed himself or come to some untimely end. Search was made when his hat was found very close to the pond at St. Leonards, and in the water his body was discovered. Assistance was procured and he was conveyed to the "Five Bells Inn," at St. Leonards, where an inquest was held before J. N. Dudlow, Esq., coroner, and respectable jury. Evidence was given that the deceased had written a letter which was found under his hat, in which it would seem that a young woman was in trouble through him, and he directed that the sum of 30s. which will be found in his box should be given her, calling her Mary, to help her out of it, and 60s. which was in the saving's bank, should be divided among his friends.

The jury returned a verdict of "Temporary Insanity."

We understand the young man was very steady and of temperate habits, and much respected among his friends and acquaintances.

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, 2 November 1861.

Malling, West.

On Thursday afternoon and inquest was held at the "Five Bells" public house, St. Leonards Street, West Malling, before J. N. Dudlow, Esq., coroner, and a jury of which Mr. H. Dutt, senior, was foreman, on the body of a young man named Edward Thomas Phipps, aged 28 years, who had drowned himself in the St. Leonards pool on the previous night.

From the evidence it appeared that the deceased had for the past 6 years being a keeper in the private lunatic establishment kept by Dr. Dowry, at this place, and that he had formed an intimate acquaintance with one of the female attendance. The result of their acquaintance was, that the young woman became and enceinte, (pregnant) and this fact appears to have prayed upon his mind. About 9 years since the deceased was afflicted with a severe fever, and from that period his intellect had been slightly impaired; and at intervals during the past 6 months he complained of a pain in the head, and had been observed by those with whom he had associated to be unusually low and desponding, although not the slightest idea has ever been entertained that he would destroy himself. On Sunday evening the deceased and the young woman above referred to partook of tea together at the house of deceased mother, and during the time they were there his mother noticed that his manner was unusually peculiar. On Tuesday morning deceased was missed, and his father a labouring man living in the neighbourhood was sent for. A search was made round St. Leonards pond, when the hat of the unfortunate man was discovered on the bank, and his dead body in the pond about 2 feet from the bank. Deceased had apparently laid himself in the water, which was only two or three feet deep, the mud beneath him being undisturbed, and clearly indicating that he had not jumped in, the elbow of one of the arms actually being above the water. Beneath his hat was found a letter, and the £30 therein referred to was found in his chest, as also a bank book containing a deposit of £60, thus showing that the deceased had been a steady and thrifty young man.

The letter was as follows:- Dear mother, I drop you these few lines, wishing you would see to my affairs, for my forehead is raving and distracted, for trouble more than I can bear. There is £30 in my box for Mary for to help her out of trouble, and the rest that is in the bank to share equally amongst you, and my clothes too. My forehead! What shall I do? God forbid, but can't help it, and I hope that you will see that Mary has that, and God bless her. Now good bye to all, for my head is so bad I cannot stand it, and I hope that you will find me.
God bless you all. I am a wicked sinner.

The jury having heard the evidence to the above effect, returned a verdict, "That the deceased destroyed himself while in an unsound state of mind." The deceased was buried in the new parochial burying ground on Sunday evening. He was followed by a large number of Oddfellows, to which society he belongs, and large numbers of people were present to witness the funeral.