Western Daily Press, Bristol, Saturday, April 6, 1929

HURLED TO DEATH IN THE WYE

Chepstow Bridge Fatality Caused by Bad Lighting

BROTHERS' BRAVERY
The recent fatal accident at the Gloucestershire approach to the Chepstow footbridge, where a woman was crushed against the railing by a motor-car and hurled into the River Wye, was investigated by Colonel Fothergill Evans and a jury at Chepstow yesterday. The deceased was Mrs Evelyn Jones, and it will be recalled that two brothers, Arthur and Norman James, risked their lives in an attempt to save the woman when they saw her body in the river. One jumped into the Wye and swam to the body, while the other waded in from the side and helped to bring it to the bank.
In reply to questions, Mr Jones, the husband, said he knew of no danger until struck, and did not leave the pavement.
Charles Henry Vick, a motor driver, said that on 13th March he saw Mr and Mrs Jones walking on the pavement arm in arm. Immediately afterwards he saw a motor-car coming down the Gloucester Road. It had fairly good lights and witness estimated its speed at about 20 miles an hour. After passing him it met the pavement and crashed into the railings.
The Coroner: What about Mrs Jones?-Witness: I did not see her.
If a car was coming down at 20 miles, don't you consider that too fast?-Yes, but I think the main cause of the accident was the poor lighting on the bridge.
Albert E Page, another motor-driver, of Tutshill, said that after the accident one of the rear wheels of the car was hanging over the bridge and the front was lying against a lamp standard.
Asked by the Coroner if he thought 20 miles an hour too fast to take the corner at the bottom, witness replied in the affirmative.

A Dangerous Bridge

Mr N. Howell (for the driver): What is your opinion of the bridge in its present unlighted condition?-I should say it is dangerous.
Do you think a car would have any difficulty in negotiating this bridge if it was properly lighted?-No.
Clifford Jackson (17), of Rumney, the driver of the car, said that he slowed down at the approach to the bridge to between 10 and 12 miles, and noticed two persons. The man was partially in the road, and as he got near Mr Jones he tried to pull his wife with him further into the road. They hesitated and he tried to avoid them by turning to the left and jammed on his brakes, but it was too late and he crashed into them. He could have done nothing more to avoid the accident.
The Coroner: I put it to you that you failed to get across the bridge because you were going too fast around the corner?-I slowed down.
P. S. Beale said that he thought that an illuminated warning sign at the approach to the bridge would be an advantage, and the lighting arrangements could also be improved.
Dr. C. C. B. Thompson gave the cause of death as shock due to severe injuries, and accelerated by immersion in the river.

Driver's Employers Censured

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." The driver was exonerated from blame, but the jury asked the Coroner to censure the employers, Messrs Hinton and Britton, of Cardiff, for sending a lad of so little experience on such a long night journey.
They also recommended the erection of a luminous danger sign at the Gloucestershire approach to the footbridge, and commended the bravery of Mr Arthur James and his brother.

Possible marriage for Margaret ??,
Surname First name(s) Mother/Spouse/Age District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1958 (>99%)
JONES Margaret A POWELL F.of Dean 7b 590
POWELL Alan V JONES F.Of Dean 7b 590

However it seems this may not be our Margaret, as GlosBMD has;

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
POWELL Alan Vivian JONES Margaret Ann Forest of Dean Lydney St Mary the Virgin 1958 8 41

(HOWEVER, IS HER SECOND NAME DEFINITELY ANNIS ?, I SUGGEST YOU ASK THIS FoD SITE TO CHECK HER BAPTISM PR.)

Margaret Ann JONES who married Alan Vivian POWELL was not the daughter of George Leonard JONES and therefore can be eliminated from your researches.

Admin

From Ancestry:
Name: Margaret Annie Jones
Birth Year: abt 1919
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 25 Feb 1936
Age: 17
Spouse: Bernard Gordon Nichols
Father: George Leonard Jones
Event Type: Marriage
Parish: Tidenham, Gloucestershire

Margaret died in 1952:

Name: Margaret Ann Nichols
Birth Year: abt 1918
Death Year: abt 1952
Death Age: 34
Burial Date: 24 Jan 1952
Parish: Tutshill, Gloucestershire, England

Name: Margaret A Nichols
Birth Date: abt 1918
Date of Registration: Mar 1952
Age at Death: 34
Registration district: Newport
Inferred County: Monmouthshire
Volume: 8c
Page: 232

Mike

Oh bless you. Yes, it's George Leonard. My dad was Leslie Gordon, hence the mistake. I seem to have come to a dead end here. I have William as George Leonard's father but can't find any evidence. Jessie Margaret is mistranscribed as Jane on her marriage to Leonard. He was always known as Len and she as Dot.

Thank you so much. My mothers side were, Braces, Fords and Windmills so you can see how much easier that was!

Record_ID: 1035048
Entry_Number: 359
Year: 1918
Month: Jun
Day: 16
Parents_Surname: JONES
Child_Forenames: Margaret Annis
Fathers_Forenames: George Leonard
Mothers_Forenames: Jessie Margaret
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: 6 Post Office Row Tutshill
Occupation: Rope Runner
Officiating_Minister: R P Steer (Vicar)
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P333/2 IN 1/12
Page_Number: 45
Parish_Chapel: Tutshill
Soundex: J520

Record_ID: 1035115
Entry_Number: 426
Year: 1921
Month: Jan
Day: 30
Parents_Surname: JONES
Child_Forenames: Leslie Gordon
Fathers_Forenames: George Leonard
Mothers_Forenames: Jessie Margaret
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: 2 Post Office Row Tutshill
Occupation: Crane Driver
Officiating_Minister: R Oscroft-Jones
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P333/2 IN 1/12
Page_Number: 54
Parish_Chapel: Tutshill
Soundex: J520

Record_ID: 1053237
Entry_Number: 468
Year: 1922
Month: Oct
Day: 3
Parents_Surname: JONES
Child_Forenames: Jessie Eleanor
Fathers_Forenames: George Leonard
Mothers_Forenames: Jessie Margaret
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Tutshill
Occupation: Crane Driver
Officiating_Minister: H J Forward
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born 11 Sept
Notes:
Register_Reference: P333/2 IN 1/12
Page_Number: 59
Parish_Chapel: Tutshill
Soundex: J520

Possible marriage for Margaret ??,
Surname First name(s) Mother/Spouse/Age District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1958 (>99%)
JONES Margaret A POWELL F.of Dean 7b 590
POWELL Alan V JONES F.Of Dean 7b 590

However it seems this may not be our Margaret, as GlosBMD has;

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
POWELL Alan Vivian JONES Margaret Ann Forest of Dean Lydney St Mary the Virgin 1958 8 41

(HOWEVER, IS HER SECOND NAME DEFINITELY ANNIS ?, I SUGGEST YOU ASK THIS FoD SITE TO CHECK HER BAPTISM PR.)

Here's Leslie, but I cannot find Jessie on any site;
Surname First name(s) Mother/Spouse/Age District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1942 (>99%)
Ford Florence M Jones Chepstow 11a 6
Jones Leslie G Ford Chepstow 11a 6

I hope this is of interest, altho I'd be grateful if you can clarify all the names you're looking to research, eg you say "girls" but only seem to mention Jessie ?.
Normally I would also suggest you send a direct message to poster Mark S Bonner, but I cannot see an envelope icon next to his username, so ??.

Thanks, Jeff.

--
Mary

We know from her baptism that Jessie Eleanor was born on 11 September 1922. Using this date and searching the death registrations on Ancestry we get the following:
Name: Jessie Eleanor Pearce
Birth Date: 11 Sep 1922
Date of Registration: Aug 2006
Age at Death: 84
Registration district: Gloucester
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: -1
Page: -1
Register Number: B1D
District and Subdistrict: 488/1B
Entry Number: 110

This leads us to this marriage:
Marriages Mar 1942
Jones Jessie E Pearce Cheltenham 6a 1236
Pearce Percy E W Jones Cheltenham 6a 1236

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
PEARCE Percy Ernest Walter JONES Jessie Eleanor Cheltenham Cheltenham Register Office 1942 6A 250

and this would appear to be Percy's birth registration:

Child Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
PEARCE Percy E W PEARCE PEARCE TURNER 1917 Cheltenham Cheltenham, Cheltenham 37A 47

Mike

Im a bit confused. I didn't know that Bernard remarried, but are you saying he married his wifes first cousin, Evelyn, who was the daughter of Evelyn Jones who was killed on the Wye Bridge in 1929? Can you give me details or tell me where I can find them.

--
Mary