Edwin Jones Jay

Edwin Jones Jay was found dead in the River Wye.

He had a small head wound that could have been caused by a humane killer and an open verdict was returned.

He had lived in Monnington Court in Monnington, was a farmer and had a wife and daughter and had served in the 1939-45 war.

He had disappeared from his home on Wednesday 24 July 1957. After the police were informed of his disappearance a search was made and his body was found on Monday 29 July 1957 by a former gamekeeper from the Moccas Estate.

At the inquest it was reported that Edwin Jay's father made an outburst in which he accused Edwin Jay's wife of driving Edwin Jay to 'death by the act of his own hand'.

Edwin Jay's father said, 'There is no mystery surrounding my son's death, his wife told me he was broken-hearted and she was responsible for it. I said 'go and put it right', but instead of that she slashed him day after day with her tongue and drove him to despondency and despair and to death, by the act of his own hand'.

However, Edwin Jay's wife said, 'We have not had a serious quarrel in our lives, but I think his father and brother tried to part us'.

Edwin Jay's brother said that there had been unhappiness in the house owing to his sister-in-law wanting to farm with his brother alone. He said that his father had volunteered to retire and that it was decided that he and his brother should split the farm 50-50. However, he said that his brother's wife would not agree and had threatened to throw herself in the river unless Edwin Jay took her away. He said that it was eventually decided that they should take over the farm of another brother at Raglan in Monmouthshire.

However, Edwin Jay's wife said that Edwin Jay was perfectly happy about moving and had told her that they would make a fresh start in life together at Raglan. When she was questioned she said, 'I think my husband's father and brother tried to part us but there was no suggestion of my ever leaving him. We had been perfectly happy. I don't think we had ever quarrelled seriously in our lives till this time'.

When the Coroner summed up he said, 'This is one of the most tragic inquests I have had to hold. It is obvious that there has been a great deal of unhappiness in this house'. He added that there was no real evidence to show how Edwin Jay' had got into the river.