Late on Monday evening, Mr. Carter, the coroner for the eastern division of Surrey, held an inquest at the Old Swan Tavern, Battersea, upon the body of Henry Wombill, aged twenty-three, who was found drowned in the Thames on Sunday morning last. It appeared from the evidence adduced that the deceased was one of a family of five children left by the late Mr. Wombill, of the Pavilion Tavern, Vauxhall-road. There were three sons and two daughter [sic]; two of the sons are artists, and highly respectable young men, lving in Britannia-terrace, Chelsea, and the deceased followed the business of a tailor, in the neighbourhood in which his brothers resided. Some few months since the relict of Mr. Wombill died, and in April last the property was divided amongst the children; the eldest brother paying over to the deceased the sum of 275l. as his share. Up to this time the deceased had been steady in his habits, worked diligently at his trade, and gave every promise of becoming a very respectable member of society. He had no sooner, however, obtained this money than he forsook his trade, and devoted himself to dissipation. Being a remarkably handsome man, his company was sought by the not too scrupulous portion of the other sex. His brothers and sisters remonstrated with him from time to time, but to no purpose, and latterly when they attempted to reason with him, he would say "He'd live like a king whilst his money lasted, and then it was gone he'd drown himself." This threat of self-destruction he repeated so often that at last it was thought nothing of. It appears that his money lasted him until about the middle of July, when he began to pawn what available property he had, the last duplicate being dated the 27th. ult. (Thursday last). On that day he called on his brother-in-law, and amongst other things stated, that he had spent all his money, and should go and drown himself. This threat having been repeated so often had but little effect on his relative. The decceased, however, from that time was never seen alive by any portion of his family, and it it supposed that on that night he must have thrown himself into the Thames. On Sunday morning his body was found washed on shore between Battersea church and the bridge. It had all the appearance of having been in the water several days. There were found upon the deceased's person several duplicates, and tenpence halfpenny in copper money. As there was no direct evidence to show how the deceased came into the water, the Jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned."
Source: The Morning Post (London, England), Wednesday, August 02, 1843; pg. 2; Issue 22637
There is a shorter report in The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday, August 11, 1843; Issue 659