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 Woodlesford Lock.
A Carter And His Horse Drowned In The Canal. Leeds Times, Tuesday 24 July, 1880.The deputy county coroner conducted an investigation at the Boot and Shoe Inn, Woodlesford, on Saturday, into the circumstances attending the death of George Hill, a carter, who lived at 26, Acorn-street, York-road; Leeds, and who was employed by Mr. Campbell, furniture remover.
On Wednesday week the deceased left home at dinner time, and did not return until two o'clock on Thursday morning. He left home again within an hour to take some furniture to Snaith. He drove a light four wheeled furniture waggon.
The horse, a fine one, was comparatively new to the road. Coming back on Thursday night, he told a Methley innkeeper that he had lost his way between Pontefract and that place. On his way he would, in the ordinary course, have had to pass through Swillington toll-bar, but he appears to have avoided this and proceeded along a by-road leading to the Woodlesford Potteries.
The road curves past the Potteries to the side of the Aire and Calder Canal near the Woodlesford lock, where it becomes very stony and rutty. It is supposed that in passing along this road one of the wheels of the van struck against a large stone, diverting its course towards the embankment, down which, judging from the marks about the place, it then fell.
No one was near the spot at the time the accident occurred. A small screw steamer belonging to the Aire and Calder Navigation Company, whilst towing a number of boats up the canal between one and two o'clock on Friday morning week, accidentally struck against the immersed furniture van, and at once came to a standstill. Means for removing the vehicle were devised, and it was ultimately pushed into the lock, and the water having been ''raised," it was brought to land.
The horse, which was still in the shafts, was dead, as also was Hill, who had hold of the reins. It is supposed that he had fallen asleep on tlie road home, and that the horse, being somewhat strange to the locality, had taken the wrong turning. Deceased, who was forty-four years of age, leaves a wife and four children.
At the inquest, James Harrison, captain of the screw-steamer, deposed that just before reaching the Woodlesford Lock on the Aire and Calder Canal on Friday morning, about two o'clock, they ran into something. Witness was at the helm, and ordered the fireman to stop the engine.
On peering over the sides he saw part of a furniture van above the water. The shafts had been broken from the van, and the body of a horse was in them about twenty yards distant. Thinking that the driver might be in the water also, he roused the lock keeper, and after searching about for nearly an hour, they found the deceased in the van.
The driver must have come half a mile out of his way. Instead of going along the road through the Swillington toll-bar, he must have taken along the Tadcaster and Wetherby turnpike.
A Juryman considered that the side of the canal ought to be fenced off. No accident would have occurred if there had been a fence there. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidentally drowned," adding that they thought a representation should be made to the Aire and Calder Company as to how the place was neglected.
 A steam powered canal boat.
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