Any dastardly crimes committed in the past on members of your family...?

[Man of Kent]

A distant reletive of mine became known as The Melksham Murderer, and was hung for his misdeed.

"A BROKEN-HEARTED lunatic asylum attendant shot dead a police officer in Warminster in 1892. Sergeant Enos Molden, whose name is inscribed on the London memorial, was shot while trying to arrest John Gurd at the entrance to Longleat, near Warminster.


Gurd went on the rampage after his engagement to housemaid Florence Adams was called off when it was revealed he owed money to patients and tradesmen.


Feeling incensed and rejected Gurd travelled to Melksham and shot dead his former fiancée's uncle in Spa Road.


Going on the run, Gurd later turned up at the White Hart Inn, in Corsley, where he was recognised by the landlord. Police were alerted and Sgt Molden was shot while a second officer tried to wrestle the killer to the ground.


A crowd of mourners, including 120 policemen and the chief constable, were at Sgt Molden's funeral in Christchurch, Warminster. Gurd was found guilty of double murder following a trial and was executed on July 26, 1892. "

[Mobo]

 

Suicide at Long Clawson - Sequel to a drinking bout - 21 September 1922

"Mr A Marsh, Dist. Coroner, held an enquiry on the 21st inst. at the residence of Alra Richards, Long Clawson, relative to the death of George Edgson, age 60, a farm labourer of Clawson, who committed suicide by hanging himself in his bedroom at Long Clawson, the previous day.
Elizabeth Ann Edgson. widow of deceased, said on the night of Saturday, September 17th, her husband came home the worse for drink soon after ten o' clock and made use of threats to her.  William Swan, boot repairer, who lived next door, came in and they started quarrelling. Swan struck deceased several times, knocking out two teeth.  Her husband soon afterwards went to bed, and did not get up until the following Tuesday morning.  He then told her he had been down to let the cat out of the house.  About noon she took him his dinner, but he said he did not want it, and complained of his leg hurting him.  Half an hour later she went in the village to do some washing, deceased then being in bed.  On returning home about four in the afternoon witness made a fire, then went upstairs to ask deceased if he would like any tea, and found him lying on the floor at the foot of the bed.  She called 'Dad', but he did not reply.  She then took hold of him and found he was cold.  Witness did not notice a cord round his neck, and she went and told Dr Atkinson.  She had never heard deceased threaten to make away with himself. He had been drinking a great deal lately and had not seemed himself at all.
William Swan, boot repairer, deposed that he lived next door to deceased.  About ten minutes past ten on the night of Saturday, September 17th, he was returning home when deceased was in his doorway.  As he was passing, deceased accused him of misconduct with his wife and struck at him.  He followed him into the house and struck him.  Deceased was always beating his wife when in drink.  He was the worse for drink on this ocassion, and witness had had drink also.

Dr G.C.B. Atkinson said about a quarter to five in the afternoon of September 20th, he was called by Mrs Edgson to see the deceased.  On arrival he found him hanging at the foot of the bed by a rope, which was tied to the bed rail.  He cut down and examined deceased, and he was cold. but rigor mortis had not set in.  He should say that the man had been dead about two hours.  There was a bruise on the left side of his face and a cut on his nose.  The injuries had been caused a day or two before, and were not recent.  The cause of death was suffocation from strangulation.  He knew deceased had been drinking heavily, and was no doubt suffering from the after effects of this.  He thought the deceased's condition was bordering on delerium tremens, and doubted if he was altogether responsible for his actions.
The Coroner returned a verdict of suicide during temporary insantiy." 

[D ap D]

5th December, 1781 on my 5x grandfather, Richard Down.

CHARLES PEAT was indicted for feloniously making an assault upon RICHARD DOWN , Esq. upon the 27th of October last, upon the king's highway, in the parish of Finchly, and putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and taking from his person a silk purse, value 3 d. and 23 shillings in money numbered, being his property .

Poor old Charles Peat was hanged. 

For the full story:
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/html_units/1780s/t17811205-1.html

[Mobo]

 

Oooh - great stuff from 1781 DapD - luv it luv it !! Fancy getting death for that though   


 

[Jane Masri]

Not as juicy as some of the stories posted here but a crime nevertheless,

The County Chronicle Surrey Herald & Weekly Advertiser.

Tuesday January 17 1843

‘Another lamentable fire took place on the night of the 7th inst, near Dorking, by which a water mill, belonging to R. Fuller, Esq., at Westcot, in the occupation of Mr. J. Bravery, was entirely burned down, with 60 loads of corn therein.  The fire was observed by a person passing on the high road, about 12 o’clock at night, gave an immediate alarm.  It appears that the mill door was open, and from all the information contained, there is every reason to suppose that it was the work of an incendiary.  The night was intensely dark, and 8 persons, endevouring to draw up the engine in a proper position were accidentally immersed in the water (14 feet deep), one of whom had a narrow escape of life, but happily the whole were rescued without injury, except a good ducking.’

Poor James, my ancestor, succumbed to the loss of his mill & died three days later.

Jane

[uk2003]

This is a newspaper clipping from 1882 of my gt gt grandfather. he died in 1886 in Winson Green Prison and the family buried him in a paupers grave in Witton Cemetery. I have not yet found out why he was in prison but maybe he was still dealing with bad meat 

That is a future task.

[Timbottawa]

Nothing to do with my relatives, but I thought it was interesting.  The reference to an 1806 "regular marriage cetificate" got me briefly excited when I first read this ... but I learnt that it would only have been a piece of paper stating that she was married to the offender.

Two other interesting things .... first, the description of "bustling, good looking female" ... something you wouldn't see in newspapers today!  Secondly, I live in Thailand, where "influential" people always seem to escape from police custody through inexplicable circumstances, and are rarely subsequently apprehended again ... seems like this was the case in 19th century England!

Oct. 8th 1830.

Immense sensation was caused in Leeds by the apprehension on a charge of bigamy, of John Stanley, of Crimbles lodge, Camp-road, a most respectable wool merchant and broker. It appears that on the 16th of June, 1829, at Knaresbro', Mr. Stanley was married to Ann Daniel, governess to Mr. William Gott's children. On the 7th of October, 1830, a bustling good looking female, attended by her son, aged 23 years, arrived in Leeds from Cumberwell, near London. She brought a letter to a respectable resident, and immediately introduced herself as the wife of Mr. Stanley, whom she married in 1806. She
stated also, that she had borne him eleven children, six of whom were living, and the eldest of whom accompanied her. In support of these and other allegations, she produced a regular marriage certificate. Mr. Sowrey, the
constable, had charge of the prisoner at Crimbles house, where Mr. Gott and Mr. Barr were taking the usual information in such cases. By some means or other the prisoner was suffered to escape, and was not heard of afterwards.

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Timbottowa,
I know I said I'd keep quiet on this thread and let others have their say, but your reference to a woman's description prompts me to mention a case involving my Sherwood family that was reported in The Times in 1853.
And as it was the case of a Caroline Sherwood being accused of strangling to death her own 5-year-old daughter, also called Caroline, I suppose it qualifies for this thread from the point of view of the poor murdered child.
The report starts:" Caroline Sherwood, 23, a good looking young woman, was charged..."
Her looks made no difference to the jury's verdict, and she was sentenced to hang at Lewes, in Sussex.  However, the death penalty was not carried out, and it was changed later to transportation...
Keith

[Erato]

The murder of cousin Arthur's wife Margaret, as related in the thread "What was the saddest death in your family,"  was a sensational crime when it occurred (1944) due to the prior history of Louise Peete, the murderess.  Several books have been written about the case, one of which I have.