Philpott, Lilian 1913 May 23rd Fordingbridge
Little Girl’s Sad Death
Mr P H Jackson conducted an inquest, at the Town Hall, Fordingbridge, on Tuesday, concerning the death of Lilian May Philpott, who was drowned on May 8th, but whose body was recovered only on the morning of the inquiry at a point three full miles by road from where the child fell into the stream.
Samuel Tizard, of Ibsley, a water-keeper for Lord Normanton, said that about 8.30 that morning he was on the river, in company with Herbert Salmon, at Broad Ham Shallow, about a quarter of a mile up the river from Ibsley. They saw something in the weeds on the right hand side, and found it was the body of a child. He gave information to the police.
William Philpott, a labourer, living at Victoria Terrace, Fordingbridge, identified the body as that of his child, who was a year and eleven months old. He last saw her alive on the day she was drowned.
Lily Ann Philpott, the mother, said that the last time she saw the child was on May 8th, at about 2.30. She was at the back door, and left the child to put a clothes basket in the wash house. It was not ten minutes after that she was searching for her. There was a backway, so that the child could get to the stream, and there was no protection between the garden and the stream, which was in flood at the time.
Dr D O C Finigan, of Fordingbridge, said he went to Ibsley and examined the body, and came to the conclusion that death resulted from drowning some days before.
The jury returned a verdict that the child accidentally fell into the Mill stream and was drowned.
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 