I am writing this post for a relative in Texas USA who's GGrandmother was Rhoda (Ibbotson) Rice.
He has a small newspaper clipping that say's Rhoda Rice aged 70 had after a 2 week search been found drowned in a dam near Loxley in 1938. According to a family story Rhoda had escaped from a Sheffield insane asylum prior to her death, and he would like to find out if that's true. Any further info would be greatly appreciated.
I have been looking at burial records there is a Rhoda Rice buried in Burngreave Cemetery With her husband William Rice it says they both died at Grey Street Pitsmoor there is a Rhoda Ibbotson getting Married to William Rhodes in Wortley in 1888 it would be a coinsidence if it is someone else
If anyone has access to the British Newspaper archives there is an article on her in the Yorkshire Post/Leeds Intelligence what it says I do not know as I have not a subscription for it.
The mention in the Yorkshire Post for Monday 28th February 1938 is as follows:
"A 74-year-old SHeffield pensioner's search for his wife, who had been missing for nearly a fortnight, ended on Saturday when she was found drowned in a dam at Loxley, near Sheffield. She was Mrs. Rhoda Rice (70), of Gray Street, Sheffield."
A fuller article is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2pzwa5rj3f3g2un2vde1g/Rhoda-Rice-1938.png?rlkey=wv7bsojaq4m0bwwl0ste7b4bm&dl=0
The Sheffield Independent of 23 Feb 1938 reports in quite some detail the disappearance of Mrs Rice and her husband's search for her. He managed to trace her movements. She left home at Gray Street and took a bus to Malin Bridge. The bus conductor said she seemed confused. She had been ill for some time (memory loss included).
There is no mention of Mental Asylum. It would seem that the "escape from a mental asylum" is at least an exaggeration. I suppose she could have been treated there during her illness
Unfortunately the on-line newspapers do not include Sheffield Telegraph for that period. Presumably there will be more reports in there.
Dave