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The Sad Boating Fatality at St. Mawes The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances connected with the drowning of Samuel Prisk (Redruth) and William Soper (Penryn) by the upsetting of a boat at St. Mawes on May 13th was resumed by Mr. E. L. Carlyon at the Ship and Castle Hotel, St. Mawes, on Thursday afternoon. On the previous occasion the inquest was adjourned in order that a post mortem examination might be made on the body of Prisk and for the purpose of allowing the search party further time in which to recover the body of Soper. - Edward Kendall deposed to finding the body of Soper. The sole survivor William Henry Tonkin, labourer of Mawnan Smith stated that at 9 o'clock on the night in question Prisk, Soper and himself had a pint of beer each at the Ship and Castle Hotel. Witness did not drink any more but could not say whether the other two exceeded that amount. After remaining at the bar for about an hour they rowed four men across to Place House Slip, St. Anthony, and commenced the return journey about half past ten. Prisk and Soper were rowing and witness sat in the stern. They had got about half way across when Prisk missed a stroke, fell on the side of the boat and capsized it. There was a heavy fog and a stiff breeze at the time. He believed they could all swim. When he came up for the first time, he observed Prisk swimming towards the shore. Soper and witness clung to the boat for about an hour. He supposed it was weakness that caused Soper to let go his hold. It was very cold at the time. Eventually a fisherman named Cockin rescued him. He never saw anymore of Prisk. By a Juror: They had no quarrel and were quite sober. Dr. Hine stated that as a result of the post mortem examination on the body of Prisk, he had not discovered any marks of violence except those that might have been produced by his endeavour to scramble into the boat. The wounds on the face were evidently the work of shellfish. A verdict of "Accidental Drowning" was returned and the Jury heartily thanked those who had so diligently searched for the bodies of the unfortunate men.
The funeral of the young man Samuel Prisk, took place on Sunday and was well attended by a very large and sympathetic company which included many of the local football club, of which Prisk was a member. The burial took place in the parish churchyard, Redruth. Several people went from Falmouth to attend the funeral. Mr. A. E. Skinner supplied the coffin and carried out the funeral arrangements.
In another report it says that Prisk was a well known football player. He was the smartest player in the Redruth B. team and his untimely end will be deplored by his confreres. He had left Redruth where he worked as a miner to be near his sweetheart who is in service at Falmouth. A distressing scene followed the breaking of the news to her.
Source: The Falmouth & Penryn Times & Cornish Echo, Saturday May 25th 1895
In another report the sole survivor is named as John Cocking - not Cockin as above. Samuel Prisk was buried in St Euny, Redruth. The monumental inscription can be found here.
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Last updated 7 July 2001