On this day in Yorkshire

March 4, 1884

An inquest was held at Leeds Town Hall yesterday - before the borough coroner, Mr J.C. Malcolm - on the body of Grace Ann Plows (43), wife of Thomas Plows, miner, of 9 Farrar Street, Green Road.

The deceased was seen to jump into the river Aire on Saturday, and was drowned before assistance could be procured. Thomas Plows said his wife had been addicted to drinking since the death of his daughter about seven weeks ago.

She had taken a great many things from the house and pawned them, and in consequence of this he told her last saturday week that she would not have to be in the house when he was out.

He did this because he could not trust her, fearing that she would pawn other things. She then left the house.

On the following Monday she fetched her clothes, and he then told her to go to the relieving officer, to whom she applied the next morning.

At her brother’s request he had previously agreed to allow her to remain in the house for another week. He had been married to the deceased, who was his second wife, two years.

George William Mason, clicker, said the deceased, who was his sister, was a very steady woman up to the time of the death of her husband’s daughter.

A week ago he asked Plows to take his wife in, and she also begged of him to take her back saying she was starving to death, but he refused to do so.

The Coroner and several of the jurymen expressed a strong opinion that Plows had behaved very harshly in declining to yield to his wife’s entreaties to be taken back.

The jury returned a verdict of “Suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity,” which, they added, had been brought about by her drinking habits and the improper and harsh conduct of her husband towards her in refusing to allow her to return home.