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William Davidson

Age: 44

Sex: male

Date: 9 Aug 1937

Place: River Eden, Egremont

William Davidson was found dead in his car in the River Eden.

He was the manager of a carpet mill in Egremeont, Cumberland and had left his office at 10am and it was thought that he had gone into the river, about 50 yards from the mill, soon after.

His car was seen in the river about seven hours later at about 3.30pm by a mill employee who saw a hand sticking out of the water and the gleaming chrome plated headlamps of the car sticking out of the water.

It was thought that he had drowned in the car trying to get out through the sunshine roof which was barely one foot beneath the water.

A rescue party was organised, and an improvised bridge of planks was thrown from the bank to the roof of the car and the sunshine roof was forced back. They then found him dead at the wheel.

He had been just going off to take his car to a neighbouring garage.

The inquest heard that there was no explanation as to how his car got in the river. It was heard that it had plunged through thick bushes into the river but had got caught up in some tree roots that had prevented it from being swept downstream to the mill weir.

It was noted that the small carpet mill which was powered by the water was only approachable via a cinder path with an acute bend close to the river, at which point his car was found in the river bed still on four wheels.

It was noted that he had no financial difficulty. He had worked at the mill for the previous 17 years since being demobilised and had lived in Loop Road in Whitehaven with his wife and two children.

An open verdict was returned.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Lancashire Evening Post - Wednesday 08 September 1937

see Belfast News-Letter - Thursday 09 September 1937

see Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Wednesday 08 September 1937

see Northern Whig - Thursday 09 September 1937

see Nottingham Evening Post - Wednesday 08 September 1937