Drowning in Devon

[carolegif]

I'm trying to find out some information for one of my group. He has ancestor called William Lakeman who drowned in the River Avon at Aveton Gifford on 25 July 1886 aged 14. Found burial record on one site, but no coroner or newspaper records.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[dotty.]

The County Record Office would hold coroners records from the assizes or local court, but newspapers would more likely be at the local reference library.
All sources catalogued here:
http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/AvetonGifford/

[dotty.]

these are 2 entries from Kelly's 1893 directory for the village:
Lakeman, Servington, carpenter

Lakeman, William, carpenter

The parish register entry records the drowning as 'accidental' which may well mean there was a brief coroners inquest held locally and no criminal action taken against a third party.

[carolegif]

Thanks Dotty. I am going to tell him to go to Exeter and look up the Exeter Assize records which should have a coroner's report.
I looked up the date and other drownings in the area and it seems that there were a few in the South Devon area due to flooding. The guy in my group wondered if he went swimming in hot weather and drowned, but I think it may have been due to the flooded rivers in the area. There were two drownings in Shaldon and a couple of others in the Tamar.