Frost Genealogy

Newspaper Clippings

Enlarged Heart - Inquest Ajourned

When the inquest was opened in Sheffield today on John Frost, aged 52, blacksmith of Ridge Road, Highfields, Doncaster, who died following a fall at Brodsworth Colliery where he was employed, it was stated that a post-mortem showed that his heart was 50 per cent larger that it should have been.

This gave rise to blood pressure and would make him liable to dizzy attacks. The Coroner, Mr. A. P. Lockwood, said a letter from Sheffield Royal Infirmary stated that Frost was admitted to the neuro-surgical unit at the Infirmary from Doncaster Infirmary, but he died the same day.

Frost had fallen from some scaffolding in the pit.

Dr. Lionel Walman, pathologist, said a post-mortem showed that Frost's skull had been fractured in three places and the brain severely damaged.

Stanley Frost, of The Park, Woodlands, Doncaster, said his brother was a normally healthy man. He had never known him to have dizzy spells. The family visited Frost in hospital, but he had been unable to say anything about the accident.

The Coroner adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed so that a jury could be summoned.

Huge crowd at the funeral

An impressive ceremony

The Wakefield Express October 29, 1920

The internment of Miss Darwell took place in the church burial ground on Thursday afternoon, amid many manifestations of sincere sorrow and regret. In the village and in the lane leading to the church there was a large concourse of people, who reverently stood by as the hearse, followed by the mourners, including the dead girl's father and mother, proceeded to the church, which was filled with people. Here a short and simple service was conducted by the Rector, the Rev H Brownrigg, and there was a formal and impressive committal service at the graveside, where the residents of the village and a large number of people from outside districts paid their last tribute of respect. There was a large number of beautiful floral tributes from the parents and relatives of the dead girl, and from those who had been associated with her. After the funeral service the crowd, which was exceedingly reverent, quietly dispersed.

Ball room tragedy at Crofton

Alleged murder of a young woman

The story of a jealous lover

A newspaper report into the murder

Pontefract and Castleford Express October 29, 1920 The Wakefield Express October 29, 1920

What reads more like a ghastly cinema story was enacted in reality shortly after midnight on Monday in the Council Schools, Crofton and ended in a shocking tragedy as a result of which a young girl met her death by violence and a miner, who was apprehended for the crime, was taken to the Clayton Hospital suffering from self-inflicted wounds in the throat. On the night in question a whist-drive and dance was held under the auspices of the Crofton Cricket Club, and this being an annual event which is always anxiously looked forward to by the villagers, and especially the young people, there was an exceptionally large attendance. Among the guests was the victim of the tragedy, a bright young girl named Jane Darwell, 19 years of age, and the man in the case, Edwin Sowerby, a miner, 27 years of age. Miss Darwell was in domestic service and her parents reside at 16, North’s Yard, Crofton, while Sowerby also lived at his parents’ home, at No. 3, North’s Yard. The deceased had only taken up domestic duties with Mrs Harry W Hewitt, the landlady of the Royal Oak Inn as recently as Saturday last, but she had been previously employed there. She did not appear to like the idea of asking off to go to the dance, but after closing time at 10 o’clock, Mrs Hewitt told her she could go.” Janie,” as she was popularly known at Crofton, at once proceeded home to change her dress, but it was not until about eleven o’clock when she ade her appearance in the ball room, and at this hour, the whist being over, dancing was in full swing.

It was shortly after midnight when the tragedy took place. Miss Darwell was “sitting out” the lancers, and, when dancing was in progress, Sowerby, who, by the way, could not dance, crossed over to speak to her. He was seen to stoop down, as though whispering something in her ear, and suddenly there was a cry and the unfortunate young woman, with a terrible gash in her throat, shouted “Oh” and collapsed on the floor. For a minute or so the scene was one of confusion for no one appeared to know what had really happened except those in the immediate vicinity, but on the guests earning the true facts of the case, the young people were terror struck. What a transformation scene it was. Many women screamed, ran down the room, and exclaimed, “Oh look at the blood on the floor.” The police were at once summoned and Sergt. Anderton was soon on the spot, while Dr GG Clarke of Foulby, was sent for, but on his arrival he found life extinct. Indeed, the wound in her throat was such that death must have been almost instantaneous. When Miss Darwell collapsed, Sowerby was seen attempting to cut his own throat with a razor, but the men present closed with him, and took the razor, one very much like the Army pattern, from his grasp, before he had inflicted what was more than superficial injuries to himself. He was held until the police arrived, and when apprehended, was taken to the Clayton Hospital, where he was under the observation of the police.

The tragedy has caused quite a painful sensation in the mining village, for both Miss Darwell and the man are well known in the district. There seems little room for dought that the motive of the tragedy was jealousy.

It is stated that Sowerby was madly in love with “Janie” but she, on the other hand, did not entertain the same feeling for him. This evidently played on the young man’s mind so much that, on at least one occasion recently, he spoke of his determination to take his life. Still, so far as can be gathered, no one had the slightest reason to believe that a tragedy such as that which was enacted so dramatically early on Tuesday morning would happen. During the war, Miss Darwell was one of the many young firls who worked at the Barnbow Munition Factory, but more recently she had been in domestic service in at least two places in Wakefield. She was the eldest of a family of five. A strange and pathetic feature about the affair is that the girl’s home was just over the school playground, and when the father and mother retired to bed they heard the scream from the ball room. At the time they little thought that such a shocking tragedy had been enacted on their daughter. One of the officials of the club, Mr Richard Sarson, who acts as scorer, told one of our representatives that he was seated next to Miss Darwell in the school room when Sowerby approached. The first intimation he had that something unusual had happened was when he felt a sudden splace of something in his face. He heard Miss Darwell exclaim “Oh!” and as he turned his face towards her, his face was so bespattered with blood that for a moment or so he could not understand what had happened. When he could see, the sight was awful. Blood was gushing in a terrible stream from a large wound in the poor girl’s throat, and she was lying in a large pool of blood. His clothes were bespattered with blood, and that part of the room quickly resembled a slaughter house. The young ladies ran down the room screaming, “Oh look at the blood on the floor.”

A nice and cheerful girl

Mrs Hewitt of the Royal Oak Inn said Miss Darwell was a nice and cheerful girl and was so pleasant to everyone. She had known her for many years, and was a first rate worker, willing and obliging, and was really a good girl: “She did not like asking off, as she had only been with me since Saturday” said Mrs Hewitt, “but I told her she could go after ten if she liked.”

Sowerby’s attempts to join the army

General surprise is expressed in the village at the position in which Sowerby has placed himself, and all whom our representative came in contact with gave him a good word. One woman said it was a great trial for his people and she could not understand him committing such a deed. He was quite a harmless, inoffensive young fellow. Sowerby’s mates also speak highly of him and cannot understand what has come over him. One young fellow told our representative that when the war broke out he was mad to join the Army, and was very disappointed when he was rejected on three or four occasions. “When I joined up,” said the young man, “he went with me and stated that if they would not take him he would commit suicide.” They took him, however, but he was not allowed to proceed overseas, except to Ireland.

A decent young fellow

Mr S Bateman, a checkweightman, and an uncle of the dead girl, described Sowerby, whom he had known since he started work in the pit at Hostell as a motty lad, “as decent a young fellow as ever walked in the village.” Mr Bateman added: “I met him last Thursday night when he seemed strange, and he told me he was going to put his head on the railway line. I spent some time in trying to cheer him up and pointed out the foolishness of doing such a thing, and he promised he would not do it. Later that night, he knocked at my door, and asked if he could stay the night on the sofa in the kitchen, which he did. “I know that he was madly in love with Jane.”

Inquest opened on victim and adjourned

A father’s grief

The inquest was opened in the small class room at the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Wednesday morning, before the West Riding Coroner (Mr CJ Haworth) and a jury, but only formal evidence of identification was given. Mr William Greeves was elected foreman, and Dr GG Clarke and Sergt Anderton were also present. The first witness was Charles Darwell, coal miner, 16, North’s Yard, Crofton, the father of the unfortunate girl, who stated that his daughter was 19 years of age. She was a single woman, had been employed as a domestic servant, and had lived at home on and off. At the time of her death she was employed at the Royal Oak Inn, which was only a short distance from her home. On Monday night, she came home soon after 10 o’clock in order to dress for the dance, which was at that time taking place in the Council School, which was quite near her home. She left about 11 0’clock, and he accompanied her to the door of the schoolroom. Proceeding witness said he went back home again, and after staying up for some time retired to bed, but shortly after midnight he heard a scream proceeding from the direction of the ballroom. He got up at once, went to the place, where he found his daughter lying dead on the floor, with blood on her blouse. “When I saw this I fell away, and could not say exactly what took place afterwards,” added Mr. Darwell, stricken with grief. Later the body was conveyed home by Sergt Anderton with assistance.

At this point the Coroner adjourned the inquiry until 10.15 on Thursday morning, November 4th, when he said he hoped he would be able to complete the evidence. When the jurymen and the Press representatives left the room some half-a-dozen women without hats look on in curiosity, but beyond this the residents kept to their homes, evidently grieved at the loss of a respected young lady, and the serious position in which a respectable young miner has been placed.

The children had holiday from the schools on Monday and Tuesday, but owing to the tragedy, the Education Authorities decided to keep the schools closed for the remainder of the week.

The hanging of Edwin Sowerby

Newspaper reports on the hanging of Edwin Sowerby

Yorkshire Post, 30th December 1920

There was to have been a double execution at Armley this morning but as Edwin Emsley (39), grinder of Sheffield has lodged an appeal, only Edwin Sowerby (28) miner of Crofton near Wakefield will be hanged today. Sowerby is the man who cut the throat of his sweetheart Jane Darwell (19) whilst dancing at Crofton. He has been visited in gaol several times by his parents and yesterday his brother and sister had their last interview with him.

Yorkshire Post, 31st December 1920

Yesterday morning, at Armley gaol, Edwin Sowerby (28) miner of Crofton near Wakefield was hanged for the murder of his former sweetheart Jane Darwell (19) whose throat he cut during a dance at Crofton on the night of October 25th. Sowerby walked from his cell to the scaffold. The executioners were Pierpont and his assistant. This was the 50th execution at Armley gaol. The first took place on September 10th 1864 being the only public execution there. There have been five double executions, and at one of them in 1903, a woman was hanged.

Wakefield Express, 1st January 1921

EXECUTED AT ARMLEY GAOL - Edwin Sowerby, the young Crofton miner and ex-soldier who murdered his former sweetheart Jane Darwell by cutting her throat at a dance in the village schoolroom on October 25th was on Thursday executed at Armley Gaol, Leeds. Pierpont was the executioner. An inquest was afterwards held by the City Coroner (Mr W. H. Clarke) and the jury certified that death was due to dislocation of the vertebrae caused by hanging, duly and properly carried out. On Wednesday the condemned man was visited in his cell by his brother and sister. He handed over to his sister the whole of his personal belongings and retained only a photograph, believed to be that of the murdered girl. It was stated that Sowerby was hanged with this photograph in his possession. The execution on Thursday was the 50th which has been carried out at Armley.