William Thomson Poynter

William Thomson Poynter died after the fishing boat that he was in was run down by a steamer in Start Bay near Stokeham.

A 52 year old master mariner from Liverpool was indicted at Exeter Assizes for his manslaughter but it was submitted that whatever breach of duty he might be accused of it was not sufficient to make it a criminal charge and he was discharged.

It was heard that the master mariner had been the captain of the steamer Winstanley, a coasting collier, that had left Dartmouth for Cardiff on 31 August 1911, crossing Start Bay and that whilst doing so had run down a fishing boat in which William Poynter and two other men were in causing William Poynter to drown.

The prosecution claimed that the incident was caused by the negligence of the captain of the steamer, it being claimed that he had not kept a proper lookout.

The captain said that when he had left the upper deck that he was satisfied that he was steering a proper course and that he had kept a look out from the wheelhouse and that when he had heard the cry of 'Man overboard', he had stopped the vessel.

The captain was acquitted at the Exeter Assizes on 3 November 1911.