inquest into a death

[melody]

Hi there,
I am researching Kezia Clare Walkinshaw, nee Campbell. She died under mysterious circumstances on Nov 3rd 1891 between 6am and 8:45 am. She was found floating in the canal at Port Dundas, Glasgow. The death registration is hard to read but looks like place of death: wharf of the Forth and Clyde canal, Glasgow. The rest is illegible. In The Scotsman of Nov 5th 1891 it says:"The body of a woman found floating in the canal at Port Dundas, Glasgow, on Tuesday morning, has been identified as Kezia Campbell or Walkinshaw, who resided at 247 Parliamentary Road."

Would there not of been an inquest into her death? And if so where could I find out the details of the findings of that inquest? Cause of death was drowning, but how did she get into the canal? Would it of been easy to fall in? Also is this place anywhere near her residence on Parliamentary road?

She was 70 when she died and a widow.

Any help greatly appreciated.
Melody

[nelmit]

Hello Melody,

You can view the area herefrom the nls site. Zoom in on VI.7.11 and surroundings.

Kind regards,
Annette M

[Russell]

And if you pan down to V1.!11.2 you will find Parliamentary Road in fairly easy walking distance of the canal.

Scotland does not have an Inquest system. Instead all unexplained, accidental, suspicious deaths are reported to the Procurator Fiscal who investigates and decides whether further investigation is needed.
If he is satisfied there was no foul play an entry is made in the margin of the Death Certificate and an entry made in the Register of Corrected Entries (or a change to the original entry is required). The entry on the certificate gives the volume and page number. Presently RCE's as they are called are not yet available on-line but they may soon be available from scotlandspeople. Whether such an entry would give any additional information is a moot point.
More information is often gathered from newspaper reports of the time.

Was it an accident or was she pushed ? A working canal in those days was next best thing to an open sewer. It was unprotected along its banks and the sidings would be slimy and slippery. Most townies couldn't swim so if they fell in, unless someone threw them a rope or a passing bargeman fished them out they would drown. Even a person being hauled out was apt to bring something unpleasant out with them since typhoid and cholera were not unknown.

Detailed Procurator Fiscal records are not likely to have survived so unless it made the local rag you may never find out exactly what happened.

Russell

[DavidWW]

Melody

Check your email.

In this case the RCE entry does a wee bit more than just confirm the death; (a) it gives info on when she was last seen alive, and (b) states that the drowning was believed to have been suicide.

I'd be most surprised is there isn't at least a para in the Glasgow Herald and/or other Glasgow newspapers of the time, which might give a bit more info than the Scotsman.

David

[JustJean]

Hi Melody

I'm posting this info into this thread as it's relative to research on Kezia. I've been able to locate Kezia and hubbie in 1861 and 1871 which I think were 2 of the 3 you were missing. Still nothing for them in 1841 so I think they were missed for some reason. On Ancestry I've found them in 1861 Argyll. She in indexed on Ancestry as Kezie Walkingham (see how wildcards would have picked that up for you???) she is age 39 and listed born Shoreditch, London. John is age 47 and b. Dalzell Lanarkshire. I'm not certain these spellings will transfer to an SP search so use the wildcard just o be certain....but the ages should theoretically hold as well as the county.

In 1871 another interesting spelling....this time as Kezzia Walkinshaw age 50 b.. London and John is age 59 born Dalzell. They are in Hutchesontown Glasgow Govan at 57 Commerical Rd. Again this is ancestry indexing....but hopefully will assist you to find images of the original census pages on SP.

Best wishes
Jean

[melody]

Thank you so much Jean, David, Russell, and Annette,
Sorry to not reply but I didn't know anyone had answered my post. The e-mail notification does not seem to be working and now I know to look in and check. What a fabulous map! I wonder if it was a suicide after all as Kezia's namesake neice lived at #6 Vulcan. Perhaps she was on the way to see her? The neice's husband was the informant on the death registration. But perhaps they had reason to think she may of killed herself. Has Parliamentary road changed it's name? I can't find it on my 2003 Glasgow city map. A lot of the streets on the old map are missing now. Renamed or changed due to WWII bombing?? Thanks for the background info on the canals and the census lookups. Another one of Kezia's nieces was also named Kezia and her family was living in Argyl. Also Kezia the niece on Vulcan rd. had a sister born in Milford/Kamelford Argyll. Hmmm. So two of her brothers that I know of named a daughter Kezia Clare. But I can't find the name in the family before her. Her mother was Elizabeth Hamilton Darby (or Harrison Hamilton maybe) and her father John Campbell. Perhaps his mother was a Kezia?

I can't thank you all enough for the wonderful information, it's very kind of you all to take the time and trouble. I really really appreciate it! Lots more researching to do now, but it's midnight so I'll stop for tonight.
Melody

[LesleyB]

Hi Melody
You can see Parliamentary Road on this web page:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html ... sgow.shtml
Looks like it was redeveloped:
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/vie ... f4c372631f
Best wishes
Lesley

[melody]

Thanks Leslie!
Melody