Ancestor hung at Taunton Gaol

[misstinkerbell77]

Hello,

 My 3rd great aunt, Catherine Churchill, was hung at Taunton Gaol on 26 May 1879 for murdering her husband.  I was wondering if there would be a record as to where she was buried in the prison grounds and if it was possible to visit, though it’s probably a car park by now 😕.  Also, am I able to find a lpc4 form anywhere, detailing the drop etc of her hanging?  I obtained records from National Archives about the court case, but this form wasn’t part of it.  Thank you for any advice!

Julie

[goldie61]

Have you seen this site which gives a fairly comprehensive account of the case?
http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/Catherine%20Churchill.html

This gives even more detail - interesting reading.
https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=SEs7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT103&lpg=PT103&dq=%22Catherine+Churchill%22+taunton+gaol&source=bl&ots=PJPGt6CgE7&sig=ACfU3U02S7C4mQqJDlnHu_ozI5uy2zjtuA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNvJORyIr-AhVjlmoFHdxmDQYQ6AF6BAgJEAE



From http://www.heritageplaces.co.uk/my_projects/understanding-tauntons-civic-heritage/?doing_wp_cron=1680417205.1614470481872558593750

Although not recognised as such today, the stature of civic Taunton (the County Town of Somerset) was once clearly expressed in a grouping of significant buildings on the western edge of town, not far from its medieval castle.  Taunton gaol was built in 1754 at Wilton beside a new turnpike road known as Shuttern.  Over the next century, the prison expanded greatly, becoming the County Gaol in 1841.  By then, the town’s Police Station had come to occupy an adjoining site.  In 1858, an elegant mansion, Grove House, directly across Shuttern from the County Gaol, was bought and demolished, making way for Shire Hall, which would house the new County Assize Courts and its Judges’ Lodgings.  Somerset Constabulary took over the whole Gaol site for its County headquarters in 1911, after the prison was closed.  The old police station site and the town’s Crescent Fields next to Shire Hall were then incorporated within the 1933 County Hall and public gardens by E Vincent Harris, the country’s foremost inter-war civic architect.  Shire Hall, County Hall, and the remains of Taunton’s County Gaol are all now Grade II listed buildings.

[misstinkerbell77]

Thank you for your reply.  Yes I’ve seen that site and have the book 🙂,  I actually purchased the case records from National Archives, but no info about roughly where her grave is situated.

Your info about the prison is interesting, thank you 😊

[Elwyn Soutter]

I am not sure whether it’s helpful or not but I toured Belfast Crumlin Rd Prison a few years back. It closed about 2005 and is now a museum. A number of people were executed there between the 1850s and 1950s (perhaps around 20) and their bodies are still in the prison grounds. There is a list of who they were and a delineated area where they were buried which visitors can see, but there are no visible markers as to who is precisely where, or where the individual graves are. The ground was smoothed over, if you follow. (Presumably the Prison authorities kept a chart but that is not on display in the museum).

Maybe Taunton will be similar?

[misstinkerbell77]

Yes that is helpful, thank you.  I would like to find at least a rough area of where Catherine is buried if possible, just something I feel I need to do 🙂

[Lemontree]

Do any of the records specify that Catherine was buried?
 It wasn't uncommon for the body to be used after hanging for medical research.

[misstinkerbell77]

Do any of the records specify that Catherine was buried?
 It wasn't uncommon for the body to be used after hanging for medical research.

A newspaper report stated that she was buried

[SamuelF992]

Realise I'm quite late to this, but I live near Taunton and am familiar with the area around the old prison.

The old prison grounds are now indeed a car park. The old police station/prison itself is about to converted into houses - I don't know if there'd be any opportunity to visit?

As has been mentioned it's also right opposite the Crown Court, which you can visit. Apparently there is as tunnel from the court itself to the gallows - although I'm not sure if this is true!

[misstinkerbell77]

Thank you, that’s really interesting.  I appreciate the info!