Knowing that the family lived in Camberwell, Southwark, in the 1920s, Jennie began searching the General Register Office indexes<\/a>. She found the death entry for a George Long, age 11, registered \u201cI ordered the death certificate, which confirmed that George was the son of Albert and Hannah Long, and that he had drowned while swimming off Horselydown Stairs, near Butler\u2019s Wharf. I began to wonder what the story was behind the tragedy.\u201d<\/p> Jennie noticed tiny handwriting on the certificate recording that an inquest into George\u2019s death had taken place. \u201cThe mention of an inquest is always exciting for family historians, because there\u2019s a chance that it will have been reported in the newspapers.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThis was in 2008 and many old newspapers<\/a> were not yet digitised, so I had to scan through microfiche editions at Southwark Archives. It became apparent that drownings in the Thames were far from unusual, and they generally received only passing mention. I was astonished, therefore, to find a lengthy report of the inquest and funeral in several newspapers, including the South London Press<\/em>. The discovery was a spine-tingling moment.\u201d<\/p> “The discovery was a spine-tingling moment”<\/p><\/blockquote> George had been one of a group of boys playing by Horselydown Stairs on 3 August 1922. This was on the south side of the Thames, by Tower Bridge.<\/p> The boys were spotted by Albert Garlick, a watchman on the Kestrel<\/em>, a Thames barge moored close to the wharf. At the inquest, Garlick stated that the tide was running strongly. When George jumped in, he found himself out of his depth almost immediately.<\/p> Although he could swim, the current carried George away from the shore in the direction of the Kestrel<\/em>. A 22-year-old bargeman called Edgar Cheesman threw off his shoes and dived into the water.\u00a0<\/p> Edgar was a strong swimmer and managed to reach George twice, but the current tore them apart. Unable to do more, Edgar turned back towards the barge. His colleagues threw him a rope, but he was unable to catch it.\u00a0<\/p> A flotilla of boats joined the rescue attempt, but by this time Edgar and George had disappeared under the barge. Their bodies were recovered when the Thames Division Police dragged the river by the bridge.<\/p> \u201cUntil I read the newspaper report, I didn\u2019t know that Edgar Cheesman had jumped into the Thames to try to rescue George. This came as a huge surprise. It was very difficult to read of the double tragedy, and I felt so moved by Edgar\u2019s heroic efforts.\u201d<\/p> “I felt so moved by Edgar\u2019s heroic efforts”<\/p><\/blockquote> At the inquest, George\u2019s father expressed his deep gratitude for Edgar\u2019s bravery. The deputy coroner recommended that the case be brought to the attention of the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust.<\/p> Since its inception, the fund has recognised 6,000 individuals for bravery. It granted the Cheesman family \u00a31 a week for a year, and included Edgar\u2019s name in its \u2018Roll of Heroes & Heroines\u2019.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThe story didn\u2019t end there. Several newspapers published vivid and detailed accounts of George and Edgar\u2019s joint funeral. The tragedy resonated throughout the community who lived around Bermondsey\u2019s dock, where the Cheesmans were well known.\u201d<\/p> “The tragedy resonated throughout the community who lived around Bermondsey\u2019s dock”<\/p><\/blockquote> Edgar lived with his parents and siblings at 26 Curlew Street, which led directly onto the Thames near Horselydown Stairs. \u201cOn the day of the funeral, Edgar\u2019s cort\u00e8ge left his home and wound its way among the wharves. A great concourse of people joined the procession as a mark of respect.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThe cort\u00e8ge then proceeded to the Longs\u2019 home in Camberwell, and both coffins were taken to Nunhead Cemetery in Southwark. Edgar and George were laid to rest in the same grave.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cAll four Cheesman brothers and four Long brothers were pallbearers, with two from each family to each coffin. Presumably my grandfather, Harry, who was 21 at the time, was one of them.<\/p> \u201cIt was very touching to read of how the two families came together that day, united in grief. Both had lost a child, and were now inextricably linked.\u201d<\/p> \u201cIt was very touching to read of how the two families came together that day, united in grief”<\/p><\/blockquote>![\"Black](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2024\/02\/Edgar-Cheeseman.jpg\")
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