Lovers' Leap June 1894

The weathered lettering carved into the parapet of Bridge 25 at Whiteley Green on the Macclesfield Canal recalls a long-forgotten tragedy. I consulted the Macclesfield Courier and Herald for Saturday June 30th 1894 and the full story soon emerged.

Walter Brindley was a 25 year old journeyman baker and married man who had worked for Joseph France on Park Lane in Macclesfield for five years. Esther Pickford was a 29 year old single mother of three who was working as a domestic servant to Mr France. These two had apparently been walking out together for some time, in spite of his being married. They had been seen together in pubs and at Butley, and it was inevitable that this would come to the attention of Mrs Brindley who, naturally, was not amused and went to the bakery to confront them. Neither would speak to her and that evening he went to his house on Knight Street, turned Mrs Brindley out and moved in his companion Esther Pickford. This action so infuriated the neighbours that a melee broke out, with the house windows being broken and the blinds etc pulled down. The next day (June 20th) there was further public disorder and the police had to find Esther Pickford shelter in a court off Park Lane. Later that day the couple were seen together in Bollington and then vanished. Two days later a boatman found their bodies in the canal at Whiteley Green. Their wrists were tied together with a cloth. Their bodies were taken to the nearby Windmill Inn. The whole sad story was told at the inquest, where the jury entered a verdict of "Found Drowned".