Age: 50
Sex: female
Date: 17 Apr 1907
Place: Portsmouth Harbour
Annie Gallagher was found drowned in a river.
She was described as an irreclaimable inebriate.
She was last seen by a Captain in the Salvation Army at the women's Home in Nobb's Lane on the evening of 11 April, Thursday. She had been an inmate at the hostel before and knew the Captain and had come in very excited and had given her purse to the Captain and then gone out. The Captain said that she thought that she had given her purse so that she didn't spend all her money on drink.
Later on the Monday 15 April 1907 a mate on the dredger St. Michael said that they were dredging on the outer bar in Portsmouth Harbour when the body of Annie Gallagher was drawn up in one of the buckets. She was partially dressed and as she was being dragged up one of her legs struck against the side and broke just above the ankle. Her body was then taken out of the bucket and rolled up in some canvas and taken ashore.
At her post mortem the doctor stated that her death was due to suffocation from drowning and that she had probably been in the water for four days.
However, it was not possible to state how she had got into the water and an open verdict was returned.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Portsmouth Evening News - Wednesday 17 April 1907