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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Berkshire => Topic started by: SamnJoan on Sunday 29 December 13 16:51 GMT (UK)
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There is a burial record in St Mary's Church, Chieveley of a Wernham lady who was married to someone with the surname Chamberlain. Her husband is reputed to have poisoned her circa 1880.
Please can anyone throw any light on this and give me the christian names of either/both husband and wife?
Joan
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Have you found this Burial Record, Joan?
If there is a gravestone, it might have more details...
Other than that, - there might be a newspaper report on the case, - (Find my Past have a newspaper section).
More details, - (especially names) would help though.
Romilly.
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Hi Romilly
Thankyou for your quick reply.
A very old cousin wrote and told me that he had been 'to Chieveley in the summer of 1953 to go through the parish register for entries for Wernhams.... I found the tombstone on the far side of the cemetery'.
Unfortunately I am no longer able to contact this cousin (I think he may have died) and am a long way from Berkshire, so unable to visit the churchyard myself.
I will see if I can find any newspaper reports on Find My Past.
Joan
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This might be it... (And looks like he was hanged!)
Executions in England from 1606 - Ivanlea.net
www.ivanlea.net/sub_pages/executions.htm
In the ten years between 1820 and 1830, there were executed in England alone .... 'Murder of his wife by poison .... CHAMBERLAIN, Thomas .... 1880 17 Feb'.
I've looked at the Site, - but I can't see the Chamberlain Entry, - perhaps some one else can?
Romilly.
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The Thomas Chamberlain entry just says murder. The date was 30 Mar 1874
William Dove 1856 is the only entry specifying murder of his wife by poison.
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I could not open the link so went to website and found same as Lizzie with the addition of a location
CHAMBERLAIN, Thomas 1874 30 Mar Murder Northampton
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Many thanks Romilly, LizzieL and murphy60.
I couldn't open the link either, but at least I now know that this really did happen. Perhaps I will be able to dig up some more about the case now that I know the name of the man involved. Can't quite work out why this happened in Northampton tho', when they came from Berkshire.
Joan
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From The Bradford Observer March 11 1874
At Northampton, yesterday, Thomas Chamberlain was sentenced to death for the murder of Mr. Newett, an aged farmer
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Hi Joan, The info comes from a person who created a website for personal use in other words, not an official website ....It could have errors. I looked (quickly) at the others in the list, nothing jumped off the page!
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Are you sure this event took place in the 1880's. The only marriage between Chamberlain and Wernham is John Chamberlain to Florence Sarah Wernham registered in Newbury district Q1 1892. Florence Sarah Chamberlain's death was registered Q2 1899 in Newbury district age 34.
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I think that someone who lives near to that churchyard ought to take a look!
If it ever stops raining, that is...
Romilly.
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The only burial I can see within five years at St Mary, Chieveley was Mary Chamberlain aged 40 on 7 December 1879 with abode Curridge. Unfortunately I have been unable to locate any article about her.
In the 1871 census there was a Mary Chamberlain born circa 1835 at Peasemore living in Chieveley with her husband James (born circa 1835 in Chieveley). There dies not appear to be any burial for James at Chieveley & the couple cannot easily be seen in 1881 census.
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Hi Galium, murphy60, LizzieL, Romilly and PamberG
Thank you all for your help.
I have been looking at newspaper articles on findmypast and am now convinced that the murder committed by Thomas Chamberlain near Towcester is not connected . The person he mudered was a wealthy farmer, John Newitt, and the servant girl who he also attacked was called Harriet Stevens, so no obvious Wernham connection.
LizzieL - No, I am not sure that this event happened. It is a family rumour and the date I was given was circa 1880. The marriage you found between Florence Sarah Wernham and John Chamberlain 1892 in Newbury sounds a possible start for the 'rumour', especially as Florence died in 1899 at the age of 34. Did you discover if she is buried in St Mary, Chieveley, by any chance? Unfortunately all the relevant family members who would know about this are now dead, or aged and not responding to my queries.
PamberG - the Mary Chamberlain whose burial you have found in St Mary, Chieveley is another posibility, but difficult to know without her maiden name.
Many thanks, once again, to you all for your help.
Joan
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Florence Sarah Chamberlain was buried 6 May 1899 at St Mary in Chieveley. The entry records she died 1 May 1899 & was resident in Newbury.
On a second look it is likely that Mary Chamnerlain who was buried in 1879 was the wife of James. I think I have found him in 1881 census still in Chieveley but now recorded born Snelsmore as opposed to Chieveley in 1871. The children are still with him. He is recorded as a widower. Unfortunately there does not appear to be an obvious marriage in GRO index in Berkshire between 1851 & 1871.
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Thankyou PamberG for that information.
So, Mary Chamberlain died aged 40 around the right year, but we don't yet know her maiden name. Florence Sarah Chamberlain (nee Wernham) is the other possibility, but she died nearly 20 years later aged 34. Both buried in St Mary, Chieveley.
I shall have to keep looking.
Joan
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In 1861 census, Mary is listed as Mary A Chamberlain (possibly Mary Ann), her age is 21 so born abt 1840, still born Peasemore. So we are probably looking for a marriage just before the census. FindMyPast has transcribed James as Job, but on original scan it is the abbreviation of James (Ja with "s" over a little dot).
So if there is a likely Mary (Ann) born Peasemore in 1840 in 1851 census we might be a bit closer
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There is a Mary Pontin b 1840 Peasemore in 1851 living with grandparents. Also a marriage of James Chamberlain to Mary Ann Ponting quarter 4 1860 Whitchurch reg district (just over border in north Hampshire).
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Hi LizzieL
Thankyou for that. I think that might rule Mary Chamberlain out, as she wasn't a Wernham. It looks as if Florence Sarah Chamberlain (nee Wernham) is the most likely candidate (she was my grandfather's sister). Perhaps there was a confusion tho' because both are buried in St Mary, Chieveley.
Thank you all, and a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to everyone.
Joan