Charles Moston

Category : Article Category : Person



Charles Moston, was found dying on the canal towpath at about seven o'clock on the morning of Monday, 16th April 1877. The Coroner seemed to have already decided who was to blame, before any evidence had been taken. Reports are from the "Cheshire Observer", April 1877.


 * "As kids we were discouraged from going there, historically 'bad things' had happened there.... There was the suspicious murder of Charles Moston, a canal boatman, in 1877. His dying body was found on the canal towpath. Even 100 yrs later we were told not to go there....."

The weather in April 1877 was grim. There was a notable tornado in Herefordshire and "black rain" fell over large parts of Oxfordshire. April was to prove as cold as January and the start of May was even colder.


 * 11th April: "Between 2pm and 3pm thunderstorm passing west of this station. Slight rain. The water was black, like the streaky appearance of washing inkstand. The next day, I heard of black rain having fallen and spoiled the washing of linen put out to dry. I understand it occurred over a space of fifty or sixty sqaure miles."


 * "The first few days of May 1877 were dominated by north and easterly winds which brought snow in places and severe frosts"

The Inquest
The inquest was held at the "Black Dog Inn" at Waverton opening on Wednesday, 21st April 1877. The inn is not too far from Egg Bridge on the Chester Canal and still exists today.

Those involved:
 * Henry Churton, county coroner;
 * John Morris, boatman on the narrowboat "Star";
 * John Probert, master of the narrowboat "Usk";
 * Mrs Probert
 * W. C. Watson, surgeon;
 * Superintendent Wilson, investigating officer;

First Witness (Morris)
''"I knew the deceased, Charles Moston. He was a boatman in the employ of the Shropshire Union Canal Company. I saw him last alive on Sunday evening about six o'clock, and about a quarter of a mile this side Bates's mill, near Beeston. He was then on the towing-path and jumped into a passing canal boat. He had not been, as far as I am aware, at Bebington's public house close by. I saw him go along the canal side and jump on to the boat. When I saw him first he was about a quarter of a mile from the public house. The boat he jumped on board was going at a rapid rate when he sprang on her from the towing-path.  The boat is named the “Usk” and was in charge of John Probert, who is the master. Probert was on the towing-path leading the horse drawing the boat when the deceased jumped on board. There was no one on board at the time except Mrs Probert, who was steering the boat. The deceased was a boatman on board the “Usk”. I had known the deceased several months, and the boat he jumped into was on its way to Ellesmere Port, being at the time I saw it empty. The deceased appeared to me to be sober when he jumped from the towing-path. On Monday morning about seven o'clock, as we were going to Ellesmere Port on our boat, I saw the body of deceased lying on the towing-path of the canal, near Waverton. He was on his back and had all his clothes on with the exception of his hat, which was under him. I got off the boat, went to him and shook him, and shouted “Charley”, after which he gave a groan. His eyes were closed when I first went to him, but after I shook him he opened them. I am sure he did so. Three of us then carried him to a boat belonging to Mr Parry, and one went to a farm house and got a little brandy with which we rubbed deceased's lips. He was not dead then, but life became extinct in about ten minutes after I first saw him. The deceased's face was marked in several places, but there were no wounds. His clothes were wet up to his middle, while the upper portion were quite dry. He was also covered with slush, just as if he had been rolled along the path. Where I found him there was a great deal of slush on the towing-path. I did not notice whether the ground around where the deceased lay bore any traces of a fight or struggle. I did not see the “Usk” on Monday morning when I found the deceased, but I saw it in the afternoon, about four o'clock, at Ellesmere Port. It was the same boat that brought the remains of Captain Coppack to Chester on Monday. While the boat was at Ellesmere Port I saw John Probert, the master, and told him we had found the deceased. The deceased had only been engaged on the boat about nine days. He was a regular boatman, and had been engaged at it all his life. As far as I know he was a very steady young man. I never saw him take any intoxicating liquor, nor did I ever see him the worse for drink. When we found the body on the towing-path we took it in the boat to Waverton Bridge and then sent for a policeman. I dare say the bridge would be about a mile and a half distant from where we found the deceased."''

Morris's testimony seems quite straightforward, but will later be seen to clash with that of another boatman as to where the body was found. He also states that Moston was dead within ten minutes of having first been seen. A narrow-boat travels at walking pace, so this would mean that Moston would have been dead by the time that the boat reached Waverton Bridge. Note also how is only wet from the waist down.

The Coroner and the Surgeon
The next witness was Mr W C Watson, surgeon.

Mr Watson: ''I saw the deceased breathe once when he was lying quietly. I did not see his chest move, but I heard a gurgling sound proceed from his mouth, around which there was a little froth. The deceased did not move at all, and I cannot say that he breathed distinctly.''

The Coroner: It is to my mind a most extraordinary thing that the man should have been able to open his eyes.

Mr Watson: ''Yes, it is most extraordinary. I dare say the shaking of the man would produce a sound from his throat, but it is difficult to account for the eyes being open. I cannot understand it, though I could well believe when the man was shook that a groan could be heard.''

In reply to the Coroner, Mr Watson said he had seen the body and saw nothing externally to account for death. There were only superficial abrasions on the face. He had examined the head, and there seemed to be an unusual movement about the neck, which, he had no doubt, was caused by dislocation or fracture of the bones of the neck. He could not reconcile the fact of the man being alive at the time he was found on the towing-path with that of the spinal injury, and therefore it would be impossible for him to give an opinion as to the cause of death without a post mortem examination of the body.

The Coroner (to the Jury): ''We cannot proceed without a post mortem examination. It would be impossible.''

Mr Watson: I think so.

The Coroner Decides "Who-Done-It"
The Coroner: ''"There are circumstances in connection with this case which to my mind seem of a very suspicious character, and I feel it to be a case of some importance, and therefore should not be hurried over. I would therefore propose that this enquiry be adjourned until the day after tomorrow.  Of course I will consult your convenience as to whether we shall hold the adjourned inquest in the morning or the afternoon.  Probably it would be better that we should proceed with the enquiry in the morning, as we would then have the day before us.  In the meantime a post mortem examination will be made, and the police will have an opportunity of further investigating the case, and bringing before you any evidence they may think necessary to bring forward as bearing upon the case.  It would be useless to continue the examination of the other witnesses now.  The most important witness, of course, at our next meeting together will be that of Mr Watson, who will make the post mortem examination. You have here I believe also the man who was master of the boat on which the deceased was engaged?"''

Superintendent Wilson: "He is here, and I shall feel it my duty to take him into custody."

The Coroner: "I can't help thinking, under the circumstances, that you are fully warranted in doing so. You have my sanction to arrest him, and I believe I have the power.  There is a reasonable ground of suspicion, and upon that ground you can arrest him."

Probert is described as "a stout built man, of medium height, and about 45 years of age".

The Second Witness
After the post mortem the Coroner's court met again at the "Black Dog". The next witness was Edward Parry, who said:

''"I am a boatman and I belong to the Shropshire Union Canal Company. I knew Moston (the deceased) well. I did not see him on the Sunday night, nor before he was found on the towing-path.  I last saw him at Newport, Staffordshire on Saturday, when he was with his boat, the “Usk”.  I saw Probert there at the same time.  The boat was then on its way to Ellesmere Port, and we were going the other way.  Our boat came to this district on Sunday night and arrived at Beeston about eight o'clock that night.  About seven o'clock on the following (Monday) morning on arriving at a point about 400 or 500 yards on the Beeston side of Golden Nook Bridge, we saw the deceased lying on the towing-path.  We also saw Morris and my father, Edward Parry, there.  The deceased lay on his back.  He was alive but did not speak;  he only groaned.  We carried him into our cabin, and I was left with him while my father went for some brandy. The brandy was brought, but he did not swallow any of it; his lips were merely rubbed with it. He lived about five minutes after we rubbed his lips with the brandy. We tried to get him to take some of the liquor with a table spoon, but he did not show any power of swallowing. It is about four miles from Bates Mill at Beeston to the place where we saw the deceased lying on the towing-path. It would take about an hour for a boat going at ordinary speed, to traverse this distance. There are no locks between these points. I did not take particular notice of the ground where the deceased was found. I saw nothing in the appearance of the deceased and Probert at Newport that was unusual. They both appeared to be sober. They had worked together for about three weeks"''

Sources and links

 * the monthly weather in 1877