Ellen Williams

Ellen Williams was a young child who drowned in the Redan quarries.

History
Ellen Williams was born c.1898, the daughter of Alfred Williams and Ellen Hives.

Williams drowned in the Redan quarries on the 26 November 1904: FATALITY AT REDAN CHILD FOUND DROWNED IN A QUARRY HOLE. THE MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY. A fatality occurred at the quarry holes at the Redan end of Pleasant street on Saturday. A miner named Edward Veale was passing the quarries shortly after two o'clock when he saw the body of a child floating on on surface of the water buoyed up by the clothing. Veale got the body ashore, and while making efforts himself to restore animation sent a boy to the Redan Police Station for assistance. Constable Hooley summoned Dr Jordan, and both went across to the quarry where Veale and some other men whose assistance he had asked were still endeavoring to stimulate vitality. Dr Jordan on examining the little one, however, and that she was past being restored and the men reluctantly gave up the attempt. It was ascertained on enquiry the name of the child was Ellen Williams, and that her parents resided in Pleasant street a few hundred yards from the quarries. The body was removed to the house, and the distress of the parents, who believed that she was away playing at a friend’s house was very keen. It appears that the child, who was six years of age, had been playing at her parent's house with two other children named Ellis, who lived on the other side of the quarries. The deceased took her two playmates home, and it is thought that on the way back she went too near the edge of the hole and fell in. The water at the quarries is very deep in parts and and as the ground is unfenced the children have easy access to the land. Yesterday‘afternoon a magisterial enquiry was held by Mr Whykes. J.P. Dr Champion, who held a post mortem examination earlier in the day, deposed that the cause of death was asphyxia from drowning.

Florence Ellis, one of the little girls whom the deceased child took home, stated that as they were on the way home Ellen Williams stopped at the quarry hole, and picking up a stick tried to ascertain with it the depth of the water, over-balanced and fell in. Witness became frightened and ran home, but her parents not being there she said nothing to anyone about the occurrence. James Veale, the miner, who found the body, gave evidence of the fact, and Constable Hooley also testified to the efforts made to restore animation. Mr Whykes returned a verdict of death from drowning accidentally caused.