Harriet Hetlean Smith

[Merry]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

If the transcript is correct for 51, Charlot is born Jersey.

Sorry, that's not helping me either. Are you on Ancestry or FMP?

[Merry]

Oh, I've found her now. I was looking for Smith like the 1861!

[Phoenix]

BARBER, ELIZABETH HATTON
GRO Reference: 1838 M Quarter in KIDDERMINSTER Volume 18 Page 336


The above looks like Harriett's aunt.

[Merry]

My money is here, though there are loads to choose from:

SMITH, GEORGE 26
GRO Reference: 1844 S Quarter in WORCESTER UNION Volume 18 Page 357

[Merry]

Burial, George Smith, 09 Aug 1844, aged 26, St John's Worcester (FMP transcript).

[Phoenix]

Unless the women came from a long line of poisoners, what an unlucky family!

[kiterunner]

Blimey, you two have been busy! Thanks very much. Yes, a lot of husbands dying young.

[Merry]

If I have the correct George Smith burial, he drowned:

http://static.premiersite.co.uk/2341.../7056722_1.pdf

August 8 1844
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE NAVIGATION WORKS, DIGLIS
TWELVE LIVES LOST It is this week our painful duty to record the details of an accident which occurred on Monday night last, about seven o'clock, at the works of the Severn Navigation Improvement at Diglis near this city and which, awful to relate, was attended with consequences fatal to the lives of no less than twelve of the excavators engaged at that stupendous undertaking, the operations at which have, until the present unhappy occurrence, been conducted without a single accident having a fatal termination. From the evidence below, the following appears to be a condensed statement of the facts. Owing to the heavy fall of rain which took place on Monday, it was deemed necessary to continue the working on the Powick side of the river beyond the usual hour, half past five o'clock, for the purpose of raising a “stank” to keep the water off the works ; which the labourers had not completed until nearly seven o'clock, when the boat usually employed in carrying them across to the Diglis side of the river was brought to the shore, and fifteen of the men who had been working immediately got into it ; and, if we may believe the witnesses, all conducted themselves in a steady quiet manner. The boat (which is a very good one, has been in the service of the Company ever since the commencement of the works, and has frequently carried as many or more than it did on the present occasion) drifted a little way down the river, and was steadily nearing the opposite shore, when a man named Richard White, who was standing at the head of the boat, laid hold of a rope which was connected with a barge for the purpose of hastening their progress, and which the boat would have passed over if he had not laid hold of it. The rope, however, passed under the stern of the boat, and the sudden shock received caused the men to swerve on one side of the boat, which immediately filled with water, and the whole of the fifteen were precipitated into the river. One of them, a time keeper named Dodson, was immediately rescued from his perilous situation by one of the excavators named Read, who was standing on the shore, and who ran into the water with a pole and dragged him to shore. Another man named Poulson, of advanced years, whose son was in the boat with him, contrived to get on the bottom of the boat, which was above water, and with a little assistance was brought to shore ; and the third saved was named James Spencer. The remaining twelve sank, and were not seen to rise after the first plunge.
An alarm having been given, Mr Jackson, the superintendent of the works, was immediately on the spot, and dispatched messengers to the fishermen at Diglis, and others for surgical assistance ; and upwards of twenty boats were soon in active operation, drags and other instruments being used for the purpose, while Mr Jackson personally superintended the search. It was not, however, before three quarters of an hour had elapsed that the first body was picked up ; and it being thought that life was not extinct, directions were given to convey it to Diglis, where the usual means were resorted to for restoring animation, under the direction of Mr Walter Jones, surgeon, but in vain. In the meantime the excitement became general throughout the city, and the inhabitants flocked in hundreds to the scene of the dreadful catastrophe, notwithstanding that the rain poured down in torrents. About nine o'clock, four more bodies were picked up close together, about forty yards from where the accident happened, and these were immediately conveyed to Whitehall, the part of the river from which the bodies were taken being without the city boundary. The search was continued for some time longer, vast numbers of the citizens watching the result with apparently the most intense anxiety. About eleven o'clock however, the night being exceedingly dark, the men discontinued their labours ; which were resumed the following morning at day break ; and five more of the bodies were found in the course of a few hours. A reward was then offered for the discovery of the two remaining in the water, and by one o'clock the whole of the bodies were recovered. Of the seven found in the morning, three were removed to the Anchor public house, Diglis, and the remaining four to Whitehall.
This melancholy affair has been the all pervading topic of conversation in the city since its occurrence. During the whole of yesterday, the spot was visited by hundreds of the citizens. The scene on the banks of the Severn on Monday night is beyond description ; considerable doubt existing for some time as to the names of the men who had been thus suddenly deprived of life ; and women and children were seen rushing through the crowd in all directions, searching for husbands and fathers. A sight such as this may be far better imagined than described.
The names of the unfortunate beings who have been thus suddenly launched into eternity will be found particularised in the evidence taken at the inquests held today (Wednesday) at Whitehall and at the Anchor Public house, Diglis ; it will be seen by the list that only two are married, and the greater part of the remainder are all young men without any friends or relatives in this city. We understand that Messrs Grissell and Peto have given directions that they should all be decently interred, and they will defray the incidental expenses. We hope that a public subscription will be entered into for the bereaved widows.
We subjoin the evidence as adduced before W S P Hughes, coroner, at the house of Mr Davis, Whitehall, where the following eight bodies have been conveyed :-
Thomas Packwood, aged apparently about 28 years, a native of Ombersley.
George Poulson, jun, of Cheltenham, aged 19.
John Pegg, 24, married, leaving a wife but no family.
Charles Child of Herefordshire, aged about 19.
George Smith, aged about 25.
Charles Moscow, aged 23.
Henry Manks, a native of Solihull, aged 24.
James Marshall, aged 45, married, his wife keeping a public house at Liverpool, having five small children.
The only bodies at Whitehall identified by their relatives or friends are those of Henry Manks, George Poulson, jun, and John Pegg.
The following are the names of the gentlemen composing the Jury :-
Mr Edwin Sprague, foreman
Mr Thomas Taylor Mr Aaron Brown
Mr Joseph Watkins Mr James Bennett
Mr William Merrick Mr John Callow
Mr Josiah Lawrence Mr William Bishop
Mr Thomas Phillips Mr William Willis
Mr Thomas Davis Mr James Nicholls
After having been sworn, the Jury proceeded to view the bodies of the unfortunate men, which were deposited in the stable belonging to the house. The bodies of the three men who had been identified by their friends had been prepared for interment ; the others lay just in the same state as they were when taken from the water, and presented a most revolting appearance, very much bruised about the faces by the drags and other instruments used in recovering the bodies. On returning to the room, the facts were deposed as relating to Thomas Packwood ; the first witness called was Charles Head, who deposed : I reside in St John's, and am a navigator employed at the works at Diglis, under Messrs Perry and Lutley, who are subcontractors under Messrs Grissell and Peto. I saw Packwood before he went into the boat on Monday evening. He had, in company with the others, been engaged in raising a “stank” on the St John's side of the river to prevent the water getting on the works in progress ; they were working over the usual time, in consequence of the sudden rise of the water. The usual time to leave off work is half past five, and they did not leave off on the present occasion till nearly seven o'clock. I was working with them. There is a boat kept for the purpose of crossing and re-crossing the river. On leaving work, fifteen of the men who lived on the opposite side of the river, for the purpose of going to their respective homes, got into the boat; I did not get in, but with others waited until the boat should return for a second load. It was between six and seven o'clock that they got into the boat ; I cannot say the exact time. The boat was not very large, but as many and perhaps more have crossed the river in it before at once. Mr John Dodson, a time keeper, was present, and was one who got into the boat ; he has authority over the men, and if he saw anything going wrong had the power to correct. After getting into the boat they launched her, and on getting into the stream, the current rather drifted her down the river until she came opposite a barge that was moored on to the opposite side of the river. The barge was fastened to the same side of the river as the boat had started from, a rope hanging all across the river for the purpose of drawing the barge across the river. The rope had been affixed to the western side of the river and was about to be removed when they were crossing. to be continued......

[Merry]

.........As they drifted towards this barge, one of the men caught hold of the rope with his hands and lifted it up for the boat to go under, and the rest of the men in the boat stooped down, and the weight being a little on one side, the boat capsized and the men all fell into the water. The rope was above the water, perhaps half way up the man's body who laid hold of it. It was not from the boat coming in contact with the rope that caused the upset, but I think it was from the stooping of the men. Richard White was the man who caught hold of the rope, he was drowned. Immediately on seeing the men in the water, three of us who remained on the shore were very much alarmed. The rest of the men who had been working with us were going home towards St John's. I saw one of the men, John Dodson, making to the land, upon which I got a pole and ran into the water with it, and Dodson laying hold of it, I pulled him out. I was not present when Packwood was got out ; he was got out the same evening. There was no larking in the boat, nor was there any rocking, all of them were standing very steady. It was a flat bottomed boat ; they were all standing on the bottom of the boat and none on the seats.
Richard White, the man who laid hold of the rope, was standing on the head of the boat. I saw Spencer saved ; but not any of the other men who were drowned. I have only been at the works a fortnight, and the boat has been in constant use since I went there. I did not see the barge go over, nor can I say how long the rope had been there.
John Dodson : I live in Worcester, and am engaged as time keeper to superintend the operations of the men under me. I had been waiting with the men and got into the boat last. There was no larking at all in getting into the boat. We left off work at half past six o'clock, fifteen of us got into the boat.
She was drifting a little down the river, and we were going very steadily when Richard White caught hold of the rope which was across the river, and the sudden stoppage by White's laying hold of the rope gave the men in the boat a jerk, and caused them to go a little on one side, which overturned it and we were all thrown into the water. I think we should have gone safe over if the man had not laid hold of it. The rope was hung on to the timber head of the barge, and that part of the rope where the boat would have passed was under the water, and I am sure that the boat would have cleared it if he had not caught at it. Immediately on White's laying hold of the rope, one of the men on board the barge loosened the rope for the purpose of saving the boat. As soon, however, as he had done that we turned over. I think that the cause of the accident was White's laying hold of the rope, and by that means suddenly stopping it. On his lifting the rope, part of it came along the side of the boat and passed under the stern.
This part of the witness's evidence was rather at variance with the testimony of Head with reference to the situation of the rope ; and Head was recalled and stated that it was his belief the boat could not have passed the rope.
Mr Joseph Jackson : I am superintendent of the works at Diglis ; I was not present at the time of the accident but was about the works on the Diglis side. I was called on the alarm being given and was on the spot almost immediately. I saw none of the men in the water. Those that were saved had just got out. Search was immediately made, and the fishermen's boats from Diglis and our own were immediately put to work. I saw Packwood got out by one of the fishermen ; he was quite dead, the body was not found until nine o'clock. The first man that was taken out was sent to Diglis and a surgeon sent for, but all efforts to restore life were useless. The first that was pulled out must have been in the water three quarters of an hour.
Edward Owens, fisherman living in Diglis Street, being sworn, deposed : I assisted in recovering the bodies. I got out the first two on the Powick side of the river, they were quite dead. I do not know who they were.
William Chillingworth : I am a waterman living at Worcester. I was passing by the works at the time of the accident in a long canal boat. I had been detained at Diglis lock some time before, and I saw the barge go across from the one side of the river to the other. I was too far off to see by what means she crossed. It was between a quarter and a half an hour before the accident that the crossing took place. I saw the boat turn over ; had the boat been a round bottomed one, the stream would have run under, but being wall sided the water ran into her and she filled. I saw a man on the bottom of the boat, and I went in and got him out ; it was George Poulson, sen.
Henry Pritchard, watcher at the works : I was on the works at the time of the accident ; I saw the barge on the St John's side, and subsequently saw her on the Diglis side ; the time that elapsed between those times must have been about eight minutes, as near as possible ; but I did not see her cross over.
The Coroner then made a few observations on the nature of the evidence, stating that there appeared to be nothing on the face of it which would lay blame to any of the parties concerned. He would have been better satisfied if one of the men connected with the barge had been brought before them ; as the cause of the accident seemed to be the laying hold of the rope, and it would have been more satisfactory to learn the exact time the barge had remained in that position ; the last witness had, however, cleared up the point by stating that the time was not more than eight minutes, which was not an unreasonable time for the purposes of loosing the rope. The facts of the case presented circumstances purely accidental in their nature, but attended with the most dreadful consequences ; and if they coincided in that opinion, their only course would be to return a verdict accordingly.
A verdict of “Accidental death” was then returned as related to the whole of the eight cases, and the Coroner then left for the Anchor public house at Diglis, where the following four bodies, all single young men, were lying :-
Richard White, aged 21, of Defford, whose parents reside at Kempsey.
Charles Baker, aged 24, who comes from near Brighton.
Mark Lewis, aged 27, from near Walsall.
William Rose, aged 24, residence unknown.
Another jury was sworn, composed of the following gentlemen :-
Mr Herbert Cordle, foreman
Mr Thomas Rice Mr William Burford
Mr Thomas Sanders Mr Henry Davis
Mr Joseph Gibbs Mr Thomas Cooke
Mr John Cole Mr Henry Sharpe
Mr Richard Jones Mr William Bingley
Mr William Tidmarsh Mr William Martin
The same evidence was reproduced as in the former cases, by the same witnesses, it would therefore be unnecessary to introduce it here. Of course similar verdicts were returned in each of the cases.
We cannot conclude our report of this truly lamentable occurrence without noticing the exceedingly humane and praiseworthy conduct of the superintending authorities at the works. Immediately on being made acquainted with the nature of the accident, Mr Leader Williams, the resident engineer, and Mr Eastted, the acting agent for Messrs Grissell and Peto, hastened to the spot, and gave directions that no exertion should be spared to recover the bodies ; which instructions were strictly complied with, not less than twenty four fishermen being engaged in the search, for which they have been handsomely rewarded, we believe, to their entire satisfaction. Nor must we omit to notice the activity of Mr Jackson, the superintendent, who was personally engaged in conducting the search until the last body was found. It is also our duty to contradict in the most positive manner the reports which have been circulated that the boat was an improper one for the purposes of transit – the boat is nearly a new one, and has been similarly employed for some time, having on many occasions conveyed with perfect safety more than were in it on the present occasion ; and there is no doubt all would have been well at this time if it had not been for the unfortunate act of Richard White in laying hold of the rope, which seems to have been the sole cause of the accident, all the men standing perfectly steady at the time, and no blame whatever attaching itself to any person.

[kiterunner]

So her name is just Harriett on her birth registration and Harriet on her baptism. No middle name at all!