Age: 62
Sex: male
Date: 29 Mar 1953
Place: Warwick, Warwickshire
George Nicholls was found dead in a canal on 29 March 1953.
He had lived at 21 Victoria Street in Warwick.
His body was found by a draughtsman that worked for the Warwick Production Company who said that he had been on the factory premises near his house when he saw what he first thought was the body of a dog floating in the canal and then saw what he thought was an overcoat lying nearby and called the police, although it was later noted that George Nicholls had been wearing his overcoat when he was pulled out.
He said that after they pulled George Nicholls's body out of the water they called the police.
George Nicholls's daughter said that George Nicholls had been suffering from tuberculosis which she said he had first known about after an operation at Christmas in 1952. She said that he had been depressed all the time but that he had never threatened to take his life.
She said that he often went for short walks and that after he left the house on the day that he disappeared that they had gone looking for him after he had not returned within an hour.
The pathologist said that George Nicholls did not die from drowning as his heart stopped almost immediately from shock when he entered the cold water.
The Coroner noted that there was insufficient evidence to ascertain the state of George Nicholls's mind on the morning he died.
An open verdict was returned at his inquest, it being heard that there was insufficient evidence to show how he entered the water.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser - Friday 10 April 1953
see Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser - Friday 17 April 1953