Trying to find reference to a drowning 1890’s

[nellie d]

Not sure where to post this...so here it is.
I am looking for reference to my great great grandfather who lost his own life whilst trying to save a woman from drowning.
Apparently it was recorded in a newspaper, a clipping of which was kept by his daughter. She then showed this newspaper cutting to her nephew many years later, who then told his son about it, even more years later.
The event was after 1896 but before 1901. It most likely was in London, and more specifically, probably the Camberwell/Southwark area.
I have ploughed through the limited newspaper archive available on Ancestry to no avail.
Any ideas where else I might look?

[avm228]

Have you search FreeBMD or GRO Online death registrations for his name, so as to narrow down date and location? The death certificate would confirm his cause of death too.

[Chris Doran]

It would most likely have been in a local newspaper, but very few from the London area have been digitised. We'll be in a better position to help if you give us his name and that of the woman he tried to rescue if you know it, as well as hid DoB and names of close relatives to ifrntify him.

He may have received a posthumous award from the Royal Humane Society or some similar body. I don't see a list on a cursory glance of its website, but there is a contact form.

[nellie d]

Thank you avm228 and Chris. I have trawled through all the recorded deaths for William John  Rowlands about that time and there are a few of similar age. I didn’t want to order all those certificates to verify him as it would cost a fortune! I didn’t put his name up as it said no requests on this forum subgroup and I didn’t want to bend the rules!
His name was William John Rowland b1860 and according to the 1891 census, (the only census return that we definitely know is him) he was born in Wood Green. His father was William too and he is found as William John on my great grandma’s birth cert  and John William on his own marriage cert, 1891 census and Workhouse Admin/Discharge records, and those two names are, well, no exactly unusual are they! 
If the newspapers aren’t digitised I imagine that would mean a trip to London to scroll through miles of microfiche.....crikey, I haven’t done that for years....scroll through microfiche...or go to London either actually!

[nellie d]

This is the most likely death cert. I had to crop it so I could upload it!
But would phthisis really be used as a term for death by drowning. I thought that related to TB/ consumption!

[mckha489]

What was his occupation?
Can you please post a link to the 1891. Am having trouble finding it.

(Yes, phthisis is  TB)

[rosie99]

What was his occupation?
Can you please post a link to the 1891. Am having trouble finding it.

They are in Southwark - surname Powland - FindMyPast has birthplace as London
RG12/345 f11 p17
Clifton Buildings, Noel Street, Southwark (St Gge the Martyr)

John W   Powland   26   occ   Warehouseman   bn Wood Green
Margaret E 30      bn Holborn
Margaret   6   bn Lambeth
Alice M   4   bn Lambeth
William G   2   bn Bermondsey

This family were located on an earlier post

[rosie99]

Just so that we have the information 
Marriage Mar qtr 1884 
EMMETT    Margaret Ellen       
ROWLAND    John William       
St.Saviour    1d   17

[rosie99]

On your other post you mention 4 children plus one dying

Until this afternoon I knew they had 4 children, my great granny Margaret Helen b 1884 Southwark
Alice b London 1888, William b London 1889 and George b London 1893.
My great Aunt told me today that there was a baby sister born just before the mother died who herself died.....then the father died and the 4 children were orphened and ended up at Barnardo's.

ROWLAND, MARGARET  HELEN     mmn EMMETT 
1885  Mar Quarter in ST SAVIOUR SURREY  Volume 01D  Page 74

ROWLAND, ALICE  MAUD     mmn EMMETT 
1887  Mar Quarter in ST SAVIOUR SURREY  Volume 01D  Page 85

ROWLAND, WILLIAM  GEORGE     mmn EMMETT 
1889  Mar Quarter in ST SAVIOUR SURREY  Volume 01D  Page 41

ROWLAND, ALBERT  EDWARD     mmn EMMETT 
1890  June Quarter in ST SAVIOUR LONDON  Volume 01D  Page 37
Deaths Mar 1891 
Rowland    Albert Edward    0    St. Saviour    1d   27

Do you have Margarets death certificate

ROWLAND, GEORGE       mmn EMMETT 
1892  Jun Quarter in ST SAVIOUR LONDON  Volume 01D  Page 38