Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Tuesday 09 July 1889

A Boy Drowned at Denaby.

On Saturday night Wm. Humphries, aged six, son Benjamin Humphries, miner, Denaby, was drowned in the canal near the old Toll Bar the road leading from Denaby to Mexborough.

With two companions named John Baines and George Constantine, the lad bad been fishing. Baines and Constantine left him on the canal bank four o’clock and returned home.

As he did not put appearance the night wore on search was instituted, with the result that the body was discovered in the water.

Sheffield Independant – Thursday 11 July 1889

Boy Drowned At Denaby

An inquest was held before Mr. Wightman, at Denaby, yesterday, on the body of Wm. Humphries, aged 6 years, who was drowned at Mexborough on Saturday night.

Benjamin Humphries, the father of the deceased, said he last saw his son at three o’clock on Saturday afternoon. The deceased had not been in the habit of fishing in the canal, nor of bathing there. He believed the deceased had fallen in accidentally.

George Constantine, aged 9 years, and living at Denaby, said he went with the deceased and John Baines, another boy, on Saturday. They went under the bridge by the canal side to catch fish. Baines and witness came away together. The deceased did not go with them.

Police-constable Midgley said he understood that the boy had a penny given him during the day, and he bought a half-penny worth of twine and a half-pennyworth of pins. With some of the pins be made hooks, and put the twine on a stick. That was how he went fishing.

A verdict of “Accidental death ” was returned.