Tuesday Express
March 27 1951
TRAGIC DEATH OF YOUNG CHILD
Received Shock In Bath
Misadventure was the verdict at an Ashford inquest on Thursday on John Anthony McLoughlin, aged 14 months, boarded out by the London County Council in the home of Mrs E. M. Ward, of Hillside, Mill-lane, Aldington.
He was the son of Mr. And Mrs. J. McLoughlin, of Brixton, and had been in Mrs Ward's care most of his life.
Evidence was given that the nursemaid, having bathed two young children, took them to the nursery, then put John and another child in the bath. She left them while she went to put the two into bed, and while she was in the nursery, Mrs Ward's son, aged 16, brought John to her and asked whether he was all right. The child appeared to be unconscious and later was found to have died of shock.
Evidence of identification was given by Miss Barbara Howe, of Bracebridge, Lincoln, companion to Mrs. Ward
The children's nursemaid, Miss Edith Elizabeth Ashwood, said that she had been employed by Mrs. Ward for three weeks. She had not been in charge of children before. There were four children in the house, aged two and a half, two, one and a half years, and 14 months, John was the youngest.
LEFT IN CHARGE
On March 19 Mrs. Ward and Miss Howe went out at 3 p.m. Leaving her with charge of the children. Also in the house was Mrs. Ward's 16-year-old son, Geoffrey, and he and her in charge of the children during the afternoon.
Tea had been prepared for 3.30 p.m. And at 4 p.m. She started to bathing the two elder children, leaving the two others to finish their tea.
"I bathed the elder two and dressed them in their night clothes and took them into the nursery," said Miss Ashwood. "Then I went to the other two, undressed them and put them in the bath. By then Geoffrey had gone up to his aunt's house with a loaf of bread. Her house was about five minutes away. I was then alone in the house. There was not much water in the bath and it was up to John's waist when he was sitting down. I left them for a short while-about five minutes-while I put the other children to bed.
"I went into the nursery to see the children. While I was there Geoffrey Ward brought John to me. I did not know that Geoffrey had returned. He asked me if the child was all right and I replied 'I think so.' I gave this answer so as not to make Geoffrey anxious. The child was wet and appeared unconscious.
ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION
"I took the child from Geoffrey, put him on the nursery floor and carried out artificial respiration. Water came out came out of John's mouth. There were no signs of life but he was still warm. I dried him, dressed him in his night clothes, put him in bed and covered him with a blanket.
"Geoffrey said her was going to Mrs Mills. He seemed very anxious. The doctor arrived shortly afterwards.
"Linda, aged 18 months was still in the bath. She can only speak a little and could not say what had happened. She was crying. I had put John in the bath with his back to the taps and Linda was facing him. They had a little boat in the bath.
"After John was brought to me I found that Linda was at the other end of the bath where John had been."
In reply to Mr. L. E. Swann, who represented Mrs. Ward and Miss Ashwood said that before going to Aldington she had been a student nurse at Willesborough Hospital for a year. She had been left alone with the children on previous occasions.
QUITE SATISFIED
Mrs. Elsa May Ward, of Hillside, Mill-lane, Aldington, a State Registered Nurse, said that she had previously had other older children, aged between three and five years, from the Invalid Children's Aid Association for recuperation.
The four babies were not invalid children but were healthy and were there because their mothers were ill. Her home was inspected from time to time by health visitors, or doctor representing the L. C. C. and Kent County Council. Miss Ashwood had been with her for three weeks.
"I was quite satisfied with her with regard to her care of the children."
John's parents had been to see him and were very satisfied. Geoffrey was very kind and good with the children. He was left in the house and was asked to help Miss Ashwood on March 19.
Mrs. Ward said she knew he was going to take a loaf of bread to his aunt that afternoon.
Dr. I Morris, pathologist to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital Group, who performed a post-mortem examination, said the child bore no marks of injury. He was a healthy child.
There was no evidence of water in the lungs and none of the usual signs of death from asphyxia which were found in true drowning.
INSTANTANEOUS
In his opinion death was due to shock. This could have been produced by sudden immersion in water causing the upper respiratory passages to be blocked by water. He thought death had been instantaneous.
The Coroner, Mr. W. Mowll, "Could that have come about if the child had slipped feet forward and with his head down in the water?"
Dr. Morris: "Yes."
Dr. L. O. Fysh, of Lacton Hall, Willesborough, said that he had been to the children's home several times to see the children, being their medical attendant. It was a well kept home and the children were well nourished and cared for.
"I have the greatest admiration for Mrs. Ward and I hold her in high personal esteem," added Dr. Fysh.
He continued: "On March 19, by a coincidence, I happened to be about 300 yards from the house visiting Mrs. Ward's sister. As I was leaving, a neighbour came to see to say something was untoward had happened at Mrs. Ward's home. I went straight there.
"I found the maid in great distress and I gathered that a baby had died so I went to see. I found the dead body of an infant in bed, covered over with a sheet and dressed in a nightgown. I gathered there had been an accident in the bath, and started artificial respiration, with negative results. Quite a lot of clear water came out of the babies mouth.
Soon afterwards Dr. Fitzgerald arrived from Sellindge. He had been summoned by phone."
In reply to Mr. Swann, Dr. Fysh said that Miss Ashwood did not tell him that she had tried artificial respiration. She did not tell him she had phoned for the police.
FOUND UNCONSCIOUS IN BATH
Summing up, the Coroner said this was a case which he had gone into rather carefully because the circumstances were somewhat unusual and particularly tragic.
This little child aged 14 months, was healthy and was in the care of Mrs. Ward's home, which he had every reason to believe was a well run home. While the nursemaid was in the nursery, Mrs. Ward's son, who had apparently been out to deliver a loaf of bread, came into the nursery with this wet, and what was found to be dead, child which he had extricated from the bath.
The Coroner explained that he had not called this youth because he understood that he was not really capable of giving evidence.
"I am satisfied that from what the nursemaid tells me, that was the case, and that he found this child unconscious in the bath," said the Coroner.
In recording a verdict of misadventure, he said that with the evidence before him, he was justified in coming to this. The case was a particularly tragic one, as great care had been taken of the children.
The only criticism that might be levelled was that there were four of these very young children left in charge of this nursemaid. On the other hand, the nursemaid had been employed there for three weeks and had been left on previous occasions.
The accident was of an unusual type and no blame could be attached to Miss Ashwood, or Mrs Ward. It was a case of misfortune.
The L. C. C. were represented by Mr J. Porter, and the Invalid Children's Aid Association by Mr. M. Bompas.
n.b. L. C. C. = London County Council.
Another article appeared in the Kentish Express, March 30 1951 - page 6.
