Alice Amelia (Millie) Ackroyd (b: 18 Nov
1878 in Temuka, Sth Canterbury to John Edmund and Maria Ackroyd,
attended the Temuka school; d: 05 Mar 1890 in Temuka Interment
4 Jun 1925, Temuka Cemetery; Section General, Row
163, Plot 334
INQUESTS.
DROWNED WHILE BATHING: 
An inquest was
held on Thursday at the Temuka Courthouse before 0. A. Wray, Esq.,
Coroner, touching the death of Amelia Ackroyd, who was drowned in
the Temuka river on Wednesday last. The jury was
empannelled they having viewed the body at the residence
of the parents, returned to tho courthouse. The evidence was as
follows: Mabel Franks stated that she left school about 4
o’clock on Wednesday last, and went for a bathe with Jane Edgar,
Johanna Palmer, Nelly Fenton, Jenny Fenton, Annie Voyce, Jessie
McCallum, and the deceased. They all undressed and entered tho
water. The water was shallow af the edge but got deeper towards the
middle. They remained in the shallow part for about half an hour,
when the witness heard Johanna Palmer call out that Milly Ackroyd was drowning, and asked her
(witness) to go to her. She went out until the water was over her
head, and then returned to shallow water. Jane Edgar then went
towards the place. When witness went towards the deceased she could
just see the top of her head. She was moving her arms about and was
rising and sinking. When Jane Edgar went she had disappeared under
water. Jane Edgar got out of her depth and called to witness to help
her, and she led her back by the arm. They dressed quickly and wont
home. Witness told her mother. Her father was not at home then, but
she saw him afterwards going towards the bathing place.
They had bathed
in the same with the deceased about six times. None of them had ever
got out of their depth before, but had always kept in the shallow
water. Had tried in play to swim with Milly Ackroyd, but had not been able to
support her. Could swim a little, but none of the others could swim.
Her parents knew she went there to bathe, and had not objected to
her doing so. Thought the deceased had been walking along in the
river, and had been carried out of her depth by the current. The
water did not deepen rapidly, but the current would carry her along,
and she would be unable to return.
To the foreman:
Nothing was said on the way down about going into deep water.
James Watt, butcher,
Temuka, gave evidence of going down to the river about half-past six
and assisting to drag, afterwards getting into a boat with two
others, and finding the body at about a quarter past eight oclock.
The body was removed to the parents residence, in Mr Gibsons trap.
Considered the place very dangerous for children to bathe in, as the
current would be sufficient to carry them off their legs. John E. Ackroyd said that he was the father
of the deceased, who was 12 years and 3 months old. Knew the
children were in the habit of going into the river, but thought it
was in a shallow place near the footbridge. He heard of the accident
between five and six oclock,and got a horse from Mr Yallender and
went down to the river. After the body had been found, satisfied
himself that life was extinct.
Constable Egan gave
evidence to the same effect.
This closed the
examination and the jury brought in a verdict that the deceased
was accidentally drowned.
