William Masterton (1793-1823)
Drowned in a Well
William Masterton of Newcastle was killed at the age of 29 in a tragic incident in Gateshead after trying to help a community by fixing a pump in a well. Unfortunately, he lost his footing, possibly affected by foul air, and fell to the foot of the well, drowning beforehe could be rescued.
Genealogy
William Masterton was the son of Thomas Masterton and Mary Aire, who had married in Newcastle in 1777. William became a keelman and married Ann Reay. They lived in Sandgate, Newcastle and had four children between 1816 and 1823. Ann married again, to William Ridley, in late 1824.
Fuller details of the extended family of William Masterton can be found in the following link.
The British Press
FOUL AIR. - A melancholy accident happened on Tuesday evening last, at the west end of Pipewellgate, Gateshead. A new well had been sunk there about a month ago, and a pump put into it for the purpose of raising the water. The well had been covered up, and the pump little used, as the water could not be obtained clear. A keelman belonging to Sandgate, named William Masterton, who has friends living in the neighbourhood of the well, proposed to go down the well, confident he should be able to ascertain the reason of the foulness of the water, and perhaps be able to remove the cause of it.
He accordingly descended by means of the cleats or natches on the pump; but he soon lost his grasp, and one of the natches catching his foot, he was overturned, and fell, head-foremost, into the water. Edward Crowan, a labourer about the gas-works in Pipewellgate, on hearing of the accident, came running with a rope, in hopes of saving Masterton; but finding it was of no use without going down with it, a loop was made in which he put his leg, and then went down. After he had got a short way down, the foul air struck him and he fell, but the loop fortunately catching him by the ankle, he was drawn up again, in a state of animation, and by proper treatment he was soon brought about.
Grappling irons were next used to raise up Masterton. In the first attempt he was caught by the shirt, which gave way; the second attempt proved successful; but it was too late - about three quarters of an hour had elapsed - and the spark of life was extinguished. A medical gentleman, who had often been successful in restoring life to persons apparently drowned, was immediately obtained, and the apparatus kept at the Town Court for the purpose of restoring suspended animation was also procured, but so shamefully out of repair, that it could not be used, and instead of it, the operator was obliged to have recourse to a pair of common bellows for the purpose of inflating the lungs. Every means employed for restoring life proved fruitless; and, melancholy to relate, Masterton has left a wife and four children to lament his loss.
The British Press
Wednesday, 30th July 1823
The Leeds Intelligencer
Same day, an inquest was held on the body of William Masterton, at Gateshead. He had gone down a draw-well for the purpose of cleaning it out, and when half-way down, had fallen into the water and was drowned. Verdict, Accidental death
Leeds Intelligencer
31st July 1823