Very unusual burial entry

[andrewalston]

This afternoon I was going through the burial registers for All Saints, Daresbury, and came across a strange entry for 12th September 1915:

"Legs of Charles William Roberts taken from canal at Keckwick other portion of Body Buried at Dunham Massey in Altrincham. Late of 2 Dobson St, Warrington"

The Warrington Guardian provided a report of the inquest at Moore. It appears that Charles had joined up two months earlier and was stationed at St. Helens. He had gone absent, and been at home. He kissed his family goodbye, and departed. He left a note on the kitchen table saying "God protect my little children". on the 6th of September the upper part of his body was found in the Bridgewater Canal at Dunham Massey, and an inquest held there. His injuries were consistent with being hit by the propeller of a vessel. The lower part of his body was then found at Keckwick, and his army boots enabled his identity to be traced.

[Romilly]

How terribly sad:-(

It sounds like an unfortunate suicide.

Romilly.

[andrewalston]

Luckily, the verdict was just "found dead", so the family was spared most of the stigma of suicide.

[philipsearching]

A sad story.  But I do wonder why, if the burial place of the body was known, the legs were buried elsewhere.

[andrewalston]

The rest of the body had already been buried some days earlier, following an inquest at which the man's identity was unknown.

Disturbing that burial would have been an offence.