Sheffield Independent, April 1, 1876
A Conisbrough man Found Drowned in the Rotherham Canal
On Tuesday afternoon, the body of a man named Joseph Crabtree, Labourer, belonging to Conisbrough, was found by a man named William Earnshaw, captain of the Flat Dundee, in the Rotherham Canal.
It appears that deceased, who leaves a wife and two children living at Conisbrough, had for the past three weeks worked as a Labourer for the River Don company, and had resided during that time with Ann Glaves, of Shaftesbury Square, new Rotherham.
On Monday night he left home to take supper to a son of Ann Glaves, who was working at Browns Rotherham forge. After having had his supper this young man, accompanied Crabtree on his return journey for a short distance.
That was the last time the diseased was seen alive. A short time after he left young Glaves a girl heard a splash in the canal, and on it being dragged his body was found as above stated.
It was removed to the Phoenix hotel, where an inquest was held, and a verdict of “found drowned” was returned.