Walter Green

Walter Green was found drowned in a pond.

He had driven a horse and cart to Sleaford which later made its way home unaccompanied.

His body was found the following day, Sunday 29 November 1903 by a 12-year-old girl at about 9.15am.

He was from Bassingthorpe near Grantham and had been employed by a farmer that sent dairy products to Sleaford every day by cart which was driven by Walter Green.

Walter Green had been in Sleaford on the Saturday with milk, leaving the farm at 4.30pm and had left late in the evening for his masters farm. However, the pony and cart were later found in the yard at the farm at 10.45pm, but no trace of Walter Green could be found.

The farmer then drove into Sleaford and reported the matter to the police but Walter Green's body was not found until the following morning.

The farmer had suggested that the pond be dragged as he believed that Walter Green had fallen in whilst delivering a parcel at some house.

It was noted that all the accounts were correct and that everything was satisfactory as far as Walter Green was concerned.

It was heard that the farmer’s wife had requested the people in the village not to ask Walter Green to bring their parcels from Sleaford on Saturdays and added that she was convinced that Walter Green had been doing that when he fell into the pond.

Walter Green's brother, a blacksmith who lived in Leasingham said that he had ridden with Walter Green from Sleaford to Leasingham on the Saturday night and admitted that they had had a drink at both places but could not remember what Walter Green had drunk even though he had paid.

He noted that Walter Green had made the pony gallop after they had left Sleaford.

The jury at his inquest returned an open verdict of Found Drowned.