Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 29 Nov 1849: Undergraduate drowned in river

FATAL ACCIDENT TO AN UNDERGRADUATE OF CHRIST’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, WHILE BOATING. — We last week reported the occurrences of this accident, and we now give a statement of the evidence taken at the inquest. The Vice-Chancellor, (Master of Christ’s College) and some other members of that Society, were present during the enquiry. The first witness called was

Sarah Hawes, who said — I knew the deceased, and was in the habit of letting him boats: I let him one this afternoon about half-past two: he went up the stream, and then returned. He asked the time, and when I told him half-past three, he turned to go up again, saying he had time to go up again and back before Hall time, at four o’clock. I saw him again about half-an-hour afterwards, when he was taken out of the water. He was then in a boat belonging to Mr. Pemberton: Sheldrick was in the boat, and had the body in charge. The boat was then in the middle of the river. There was another boat, with two gentlemen in, some distance off. The boat deceased had was a common one, not a light funny, or an outrigger. Many gentlemen have hired it before. It was last used on the Friday previous to Mr. Gunning having it: it was quite sound, and did not leak.

Robert Carroll, a youth, about fourteen years of age, said — I was in a field near the chain across the water, and on Mr. Pemberton’s side of the river. I saw a boat with a gentleman in it upset by running against the chain. I had noticed a boat before: it turned up when it reached the chain, but I did not see it touch it. I ran up to it directly. My attention was called to the boat by a lad who was with me, saying, “that boat cannot get any further.” I saw the gentleman in the water after the boat had turned up. We called out, and Mr. Sheldrick came. There was no one in the boat with the gentleman, and no other boat near him. He had been in the water about three minutes when Sheldrick arrived; but he had to fetch a boat, and it was about ten minutes before the deceased was got out. There was another boat on the river with a gentleman in it, but it was about 200 yards from the deceased at the time of the accident.

William Sheldrick said — I live in Trumpington parish, and am gamekeeper on the late Colonel Pemberton’s parish: about twenty minutes to four this afternoon, I heard some boys call ‘There’s a man in the river,” and I took some creepers and ran to the river side as quickly as I could. When I got to the river side I saw the deceased under the water sinking. I flung the creepers in six or seven times to get hold of him. Finding my efforts were in vain, I ran and got a boat from a house (Paradise) belonging to Mr. Christopher Pemberton, standing in Grantchester parish. I was about ten minutes going to the boat and returning to the spot where I saw the body sinking. I put the hilt end of the spread down, and pulled the deceased up the second or third time I put it down. Witness then drew the body into the boat, and tried to restore animation. He proceeded — I then shoved on the Grantchester side, and took in a gentleman who said he was a doctor (Mr. Adams). The water was from eight to ten feet deep where I found him. I cannot swim. The chain was about fifteen or sixteen inches above the water at the time. The water was very low. I was in my garden, about four chains from the spot where the body lay. The river is very weedy at that place. I had to go about twelve or thirteen chains for a boat.

By the Vice-Chancellor: It was about twelve minutes from my hearing the alarm before I got the body out. I ordered the boys to go and call assistance. The boat did not sink.

Mr. Dennis Adams, surgeon, stated: — I was passing into Newnham from the Barton Road this afternoon, and met a little boy and gentleman running. Some others were looking up the river, and, fancying there was something wrong, I asked what was the matter, and was told a poor gentleman was drowned. I went to the spot as quickly as possible, and reached it just as Sheldrick was getting the body into the boat. The man was holding his head downwards to let the water out of his mouth. I begged of him to lay him on his back and raise his head, and let me get into the boat as quick as he could. He came across, and I got into the boat. We were obliged to get to Newnham in the boat. I kept him as warm as I could by placing my coat on the chest, and tried artificial respiration while in the boat, but without success; that was by pressing on the ribs and pit of the stomach for a time, and then by removing the pressure, the elasticity of the ribs brings them out. When we got him to Newnham, we put him before a large fire, in blankets, and rubbed him well; but I was even then afraid the case was hopeless, as it was a quarter of an hour from my first seeing him before we could get him into the house. I again tried to excite artificial respiration, but failed in doing so. I continued my treatment for twenty minutes or half an hour, but considered the case hopeless from the length of time he had been under the water, and the length of time before the application of any warmth. There was no symptom of life visible from the time I saw him put into the boat. Life was then quite gone, and the surface of the body quite cold.

Wm. Barry Cole, undergraduate of Caius College, said — I was on the river in a boat this afternoon; I was not with the deceased, but met him rowing up the stream as I was rowing down. I passed him, and went on, and after the lapse of about twenty minutes, as I was rowing up again, I saw two people running to a corner of the field, and the woman who lets the boats called to us to make all the haste we could. We guessed what was the matter, and rowed to the spot as quickly as we could, and arrived there as a person was in the act of pulling the body out of the water. We got into the boat, but did not see the deceased stir. When I saw the deceased pulling I did not think he pulled very well, as he splashed, and I remarked I thought he was a freshman. I had used the boat he had about a week before; I did not find any fault with it: it did not leak, but was much like all the rest. I accompanied the body to this house, and then went to Christ’s College to give information.

The Jury returned a verdict of “Died from accidental upsetting of a boat.”

The melancholy intelligence of the death of Mr. Gunning was conveyed to his bereaved friends with all speed by the college authorities.The deceased was the only son of the Rev. W. Gunning, B.C.L., formerly of Christ’s College in Cambridge University, rural dean, and Vicar of Stowey, Bath.

After the inquest, the remains of the deceased, who had a few days previously completed his 20th year, were conveyed to his rooms in College, from whence they were removed to the College Chapel on Thursday morning, where the first part of the funeral service was read by the Vice-Chancellor, the Master of Christ’s College. The melancholy procession then took its departure for the burial ground allotted to St. Andrew’s parish, on the Mill Road. The Master and the whole of the resident members of the College attended, the pall being borne by six of the Fellows of the College and two private friends of the deceased. At the College gate the body was deposited in a hearse, and the mourners having entered a coach provided for them, the sad procession, which numbered about ninety persons, moved on by Emmanuel Lane and Parker’s Piece, to the place of internment, where the remainder of the funeral service was read by the Rev. J. D. Ridout, Curate of the parish, and one of the Fellows of the College. The whole scene was truly solemn and impressive.