TOPIC:

The Lancashire Daily Post, of Monday, 14th May 1900, reported

On Saturday Mrs. Thornton, who lived in the neighbourhood of Maida Vale [ West London ], and who had received melancholy news from South Africa, in her despair went on to Bishop's-road Bridge, and jumped into the Regent's Canal, and was drowned. In the pocket of her dress was found a communication from the War Office informing her with official regret that the unfortunate woman's husband had fallen gallantly fighting the Boers.
At least two possibles - Lieutenant Archer H. Thornton, Brabant's Horse, who was killed in action on 12th April 1900, or Private J. Thornton, West Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action on 23rd November 1899.

Berenice
Lt. Archer H.Thornton of Brabant's Horse (killed in action at Wepener on the indicated date) went to South Africa in 1883 and served during the Matabele Rebellion in 1893. He enlisted in BH as a trooper in 12/99 (info from Palmer). As Archer H. Thornton appears to have been in Southern Africa for quite a while (barring going back to the UK to marry and then returning), perhaps the unfortunate "5126 Pte. Thornton J of the 2nd WY, killed in action at Willow Grange on 23/11/99, is the man indicated?
Regards
IL.

Thanks, IL. I'll contact Maida Vale library, and ask if they have whatever the local newspaper would have been then.

Berenice
It would be really good to be able to tie his actual identity down. You are much better placed than I to do it.
Best regards
IL.

An update - Maida Vale library has forwarded my enquiry to the City of Westminster Archives Centre.

Also, "Bishop's-road Bridge" is incorrect; the road is actually called Bishop's Bridge Road.

The Archives & Local Studies Officer, Westminster City Council, has been through The Paddington Times for May 1900, and failed to find any mention of Mrs. Thornton. Seems odd that a Lancashire paper picked up on the story, but the local one failed to cover it.

So I wonder if it could be that the report wasn't picked up outside of London immediately following her death, and that it had occurred earlier than May 1900. If her husband was J. Thornton, of the West Yorkshires, died 23.11.1899, and she had received the news of his death the following week, a local report of her death could have been in The Paddington Times in early December.