Robert Wythe

Robert Wythe was found dead in Lake Lothing at the foot of the railway bridge.

He was the skipper of the fishing boat Fear Not but at the time had been working on another boat painting it.

Robert Wythe and his brother had travelled from Oulton to Lowestoft on 15 February 1904. They parted at the railway station at about 8am but met up later at the drifter Maryland which Robert Wythe was working on at 4.15pm on the slipway.

His body was found at about 9.45am by a builder floating face down in about 2½ feet of water. At the spot there would have been about 2½ feet of water at high tide but none at low tide.

The body was taken to Lowestoft by a policeman who said that Robert Wythe could not have fallen into the water at the spot. He said that it seemed to him that he had walked in and fallen face downwards. He said that at the spot there would have been about four feet of beach at the spot and that his body was found about ten feet into the water.

Robert Wythe had been engaged in painting the Maryland for the last 4-5 days. A fisherman that had been working with him said that Robert Wythe had appeared very strange in his mind and said that on the Monday Robert Wythe had made three complaints about his paint which the fisherman then changed saying that after Robert Wythe appeared more satisfied. The fisherman said that he parted with Robert Wythe at 4.45pm on the Monday near the bridge adding that he was sober at the time and that he had never known him to be the worse for drink.

When questioned the fisherman said that Robert Wythe had appeared low spirited all the time that he had worked with him.

Robert Wythe's brother said that Robert Wythe had been worried a good deal since his little son had died four months earlier but had seemed brighter than he had been when he was with him on the Monday. He also said that Robert Wythe had insured his life for £200 only a fortnight earlier without his wife's knowledge. His brother said that he had never heard him threaten to commit suicide.