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Mary Jane Smith

Age: 35

Sex: female

Date: 3 Sep 1907

Place: Grays Marsh

Mary Jane Smith was found drowned in a ditch on Grays Marsh along the shore of the Thames.

She had lived at Quarry Hill in Grays.

A labourer said that he had been in the habit of going out drinking with Mary Smith and had been out with her on the afternoon and night of 2 September 1907. They had eventually arrived at Tilbury Docks where they parted company.

The master of the barge Alice which had been passing Messrs. Wall's jetty on the morning of 4 September 1907 said that he heard a scream coming from the marshes. He said that it sounded as if it was some distance away and was a single rather long continuous scream.

When the police went to Tilbury Docks railway station they found no evidence of tickets to Grays having been given up at the station on the night of 3 September 1907, nor were there any people that had seen Mary Smith and her friend at the time the friend said they were there.

At her inquest her husband had said that he had constantly reproved his wife for her association with another man who he pointed out at the inquest.

He said that he last saw her on the Tuesday morning at 6.30am and had parted from her on friendly terms. He said that the night before there had been some discussion about her being out late and said that she had told him that she had been at a meeting of the Co-operative Guild.

The doctor who carried out the inquest said that there were two bruises on either side of her neck but no signs of finger marks on her throat. He said that her death appeared to have been caused by drowning.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Norfolk Chronicle - Saturday 05 October 1907

see London Daily News - Thursday 03 October 1907

see Sheffield Independent - Thursday 03 October 1907

see Portsmouth Evening News - Friday 06 September 1907