Shepley Bridge 2

The deep lock stepping down to the river Calder at Shepley Bridge as remained relatively unchanged over the years, The lock keepers cottages looking newer today than in the days of the old photograph!
The empty fields to the left of the are long gone and are now occupied by the chemical firm Mitchel Cotts.
Chemical production has being carried out on this site since before WW1, and a large project was recently completed to prevent contamination from old workings entering the river Calder.

21st January 1879

THE LATE MRS, WILDSMITH, OF BATLEY.—

Yesterday morning, about nine o'clock a man named Henry Greaves, found the body of a woman floating in the canal, near Shepley Bridge, Mirfield. The remains were identified as those of Mrs. Wildsmith aged 40 years, wife of Mr. Alfred Wildsmith, bookseller and stationer, Batley, who, as previously reported, disappeared from her home on the night of the 17th of December. The body was removed to Batley to await an inquest.

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13th January 1855

EXTRAORDINARY INQUEST AT MIRFIELD.—

An inquest was held by Thomas Taylor, Esq., coroner, at the Ship lnn, Mirfield, yesterday afternoon week, on view of the body of Sarah Ann Lumb, who was fifteen years old, and the daughter of a farmer residing at Marsden. It appeared from the evidence that on Thursday, the 14th ult., the deceased left her home about eight o'clock in the evening, the weather being very boisterous, and having gone about 300 yards with a school fellow, she turned back, and is supposed to have accidentally walked into the river Colne. Samuel Whitehead, of Marsden, builder, deposed that deceased was his niece; that her skirt was found in the river on the 15th ult., about a quarter of a mile below Marsden, and that her shawl was discovered on the following Tuesday, her flannel petticoat on the 24th, and her dress skirt on the 28th ult. Advertisements were published offering a reward for the recovery of the body, and witness, at the request of deceased's friends, had been to Holmfirth to consult a "wise" man, who, however, could give no information. Inquiries were made at Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and Wakefield, without success, However, on Tuesday week, witness received a letter stating that Capt. Hudson was mesmerising persons in Huddersneld, and on Wednesday he accompanied Mr. Josa. Farrer, a spinner, of Marsden, to the mesmerist's lodgings. The captain, on being asked if he knew of any person who could give information respecting a young woman who was
missing, mentioned the name of a female residing at Mold Green. The witness went for her and brought her back in a cab, but did not tell the purpose for which she was required. She was immediately mesmerised, and then asked if she knew what the two gentlemen had come about. She replied, "Yes, about the young woman who was drowned at Marsden." She was then asked if she knew the shawl there on the chair; she said " Yes, it is the shawl that young woman had on her bead when she was drowned." She also identified the dress-skirt, which was very much torn, and was told to see where the missing woman was. The mesmerised person appeared to be asleep for about five minutes, and then gave a description of the progress of the body down the river, and ended by saying that the body was covered with mud, except her feet, within one hundred yards of the second bridge in Mirfield, where horses go over. In consequence of this statement the witness went to Mirfield on Thursday week, and commenced searching in the river Calder, near Ledgard bridge, but was told that Shepley bridge was the second, and accordingly had the workmen removed to the latter, where after three or four throws deceased was found in the mud, about twenty yards above the bridge, and her feet did not appear to have been buried. The distance
by land between Marsden and Mirfield is about fourteen miles. A post mortem examination proved that deceased had come to her death by drowning, and the jury returned an open verdict.

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19th May 1884

MYSTERIOUS DROWNING CASE NEAR DEWSBURY.—

On Saturday afternoon the body of a man unknown was found in the lock at Shepley Bridge of the Calder and Hebble Canal. It was much decomposed, and appears to have been in the water for several months. The discovery was made by two little boys, who told the lock-keeper, and he fetched the police. The body was removed to the Ship Inn, Shepley Bridge. The corpse is believed to be that of Isaac Peel, factory operative, of Elland, who was missed last December, and advertised for in the Police Gazette of January 9th. It corresponds in appearance with the description given of Peel, whose relations were communicated with on Saturday evening. Information was also sent to the Coroner.

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25th June 1862

A GIRL DROWNED AT MIRFIELD.—

Yesterday, T. Taylor, Esq, held an inquests at the Black Bull Inn, Mirfield, on the body of Ann Wilby. The deceased was a little girl, aged eight years, and the daughter of James Wilby, of Crowther-row, Mirfield, cloth dresser. On Monday morning she was sent by her mother for some flour, and in going the errand she had to pass along the banks of the canal (Shepley Bridge Cut). It seems that she accidentally fell into the water, but in what manner could not be ascertained. The bag of flour she had been sent to fetch was found on the canal bank, and the body of the child herself in the canal. The verdict was to the effect that the deceased had been accidentally drowned.

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6th April 1867

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER NEAR MIRFIELD.—

RICHARD HEYWOOD was indicted for the manslaughter of Ada Hobson, a little girl eight years of age, near Mirfield, on the 5th November. Mr. SHAW prosecuted, and Mr, WADDY defended the prisoner. The deceased, it appears, was at the time of her death on a visit to her uncle, Edward Dyson, at Mirfield, and on the 5th November the latter took her to Raven's-walk, in the neighbourhood of Mirfield, On returning in the evening Mr. Dyson placed his niece on a donkey, seating her on a piece of carpet on the top of the saddle, and leaving her feet suspended into one of two panniers which were on the back of the animal. When on the road near to Shepley bridge the prisoner came up from behind with a brewer's waggon and two horses at a fast trot. The noise of the trotting horses, together with that of the rolling barrels in the waggon, alarmed the donkey, which began to swerve across the road. Mr, Dyson called out to the prisoner, "Stop, stop," but the waggon continued its course, and the front wheel struck one of the panniers. Deceased was thrown violently to the ground, and she died shortly afterwards from the injuries she received. The defence set up by the Learned Counsel for the prisoner was that the unfortunate occurrence was purely the result of an accident caused by the donkey crossing the road immediately in front of the waggon, which was on the right side of the road, and he urged that his client could not be held responsible because it had not been proved that the prisoner had been guilty of culpable negligence.—
"Not Guilty."

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