Kentish Mercury, Saturday 14 May 1881.

Drowned in a Pail of water.

On Saturday afternoon. Mr. Carrtar held an inquest at the "Fisherman's Arms," John Penn Street, Cold Bath, Greenwich, on the body of Roseanna Annie Summers, age 2 years and 2 months, of No. 42, Morden Street, Cold Bath.

Annie Summers, the mother, the wife of a paperhanger, said deceased had been very delicate. On Thursday afternoon, she went to the rear of her house, leaving deceased at the foot of the stairs playing with some shells. Witness was about absent about 10 minutes, and when she returned found deceased head first in a pail of water with her legs upwards, she having got up a step to reach the pail. Thought deceased tried to get at the water to drink, and fell in. The pail was about half full of water, and she had just cleaned the steps with it. She pulled her out, and walked up and down the wash house with her, and seeing no change in her wrapped her up and ran to the surgery of Dr. Bowen. It was a heavy wooden pail, and had it been of tin no doubt the deceased would have pulled it over.

Lucy Richardson, a neighbour, said she saw Mrs. Summers running to and fro with a child, and took it from her arms, after she came back from the doctors, and the mother then said the doctor said the baby was dead. Witness emptied the pail of water, flannel and hearthstone.

Mr. Bowen, surgeon, of Lewisham Road, said the mother brought the child to his surgery, and on looking at it he saw it was quite dead, and had been so for about 10 minutes, being passed resuscitation. Water ran from the mouth and nostrils as he turned the body over.

The jury returned a verdict of drowned from accidentally falling into a pale of water.

Kentish Mercury, Saturday 14 May 1881.

Sudden death.

On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Carrtar held an inquest at the "Fisherman's Arms," John Penn Street, Cold Bath, Greenwich, on the body of John Shea, age 36, of 50, Marlborough Street, East Greenwich, a blacksmith, single man.

John Shea, of 11, Guildford Road, identified the body as that of his son.

Mrs. Ann Webb said the deceased lodged at a house for 8 months, and she was present at his death, at 2:45 o clock on Wednesday morning. He had not complained of illness. She was called to his bedroom, when he said he was very ill, and thought he would be choked and died, and expired within half an hour. He had been at work the previous day, and arrived home at 10 o'clock, when he had his tea.

William Allcock, labourer, of the same address, said he slept in the next room to deceased. At a quarter to three deceased knocked at the wainscot, and on going in he saw deceased sitting up in bed, and got him some water, but he could not take it. He died in witnesses arms within 20 minutes, never having properly regained his breath.

Dr. Percival, of Trafalgar Road, East Greenwich, said his assistant was called, but deceased was dead upon his arrival. Had made a post mortem examination, and attributed death to suffocation in consequence of a clot in one of the heart arteries.

The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.