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WILLIAM BARTLETT - MURDERER
Researched by and © Moreen Thorne
(nee Bartlett), who can
be contacted by email.
This article was first published in the CFHS Journal of
June, 2009, and is included here with the author's
permission.
I have for a number of years been tracing my Cornish
ancestors the BARTLETTs. The earliest record I have of
my direct line starts with Henry BARTLETT born 1675. His
son Hugh BARTLETT was born 1715 in Lanlivery and married
Grace PASCOE in 1738 in Lanivet. Their son Jeremiah
BARTLETT was born 1753 in Lanlivery and married Ann(a)
TRIGG in 1781 in St Winnow. Their son Edmund BARTLETT
was born 1802 in Lanlivery and he married Mary PRICE in
1835 in Lostwithiel. Their son Samuel BARTLETT was born
1845 in Lanlivery and married Julia WHITCOMBE in 1867 in
Newton Abbot.
Samuel BARTLETT was my gt gt grandfather. His brother
William Meager BARTLETT (my 3 x gt uncle) was born 3rd
July 1837 in Callington. William was hanged for murder
at Bodmin Gaol on 13 November 1882.
In the1841 census, William was living with his parents
at Bodmin Hill, Lostwithiel. In 1851, he was living with
Hezekiah and Ann MEAGER in Colkerrow. (Hezekiah was a
farmer of 40 acres.) William was aged 13, and was
described as nephew. Ann was the sister of Edmund,
William’s father.
William married Elizabeth Ann RUNDLE on 17th May 1860.
In 1861, he and Elizabeth were still living with
Hezekiah, and William was listed as lodger, occupation
Ag labourer. By 1881 he was Foreman of a Messrs
Freeman’s Colkerrow Granite Quarry. He and Elizabeth
were living in Puddle, Lanlivery and had eight children
all born in Lanlivery. William Henry 1862 (died 1887),
John 1864, Edmund 1867, Samuel 1870, Annie 1873, Fred
1875, Ben 1877, Mary 1880.
In 1882, some of William’s family were struck down with
typhoid fever. He called upon the help of a family
friend, a young widow named Mrs Elizabeth Ann WHERRY,
who before she was married, was living with her parents
Henry and Maria ROUSE, next door to William and his
family.
During her stay with the family, William had a liaison
with Mrs WHERRY who became pregnant. She went to
Newquay, where a daughter, Emma Owen WHERRY was born on
4th June 1882. When the baby was 16 days old, William
asked for her to be brought to him, and said he had
arranged to take her to a nurse, a Mrs Philps who would
look after her.
Mrs WHERRY packed up some clothing, much of which she
had made herself, and her nurse Mrs Knight took the baby
to Par Station where William met her and told her where
she was to meet Mrs Philps. However, William had told
Mrs Philps and her husband just to feed the baby then to
bring it to him at an appointed time to the foot of a
hill near the quarry. They delivered the baby and the
box of clothing and William paid them. The baby was
never seen again.
A few days afterwards, William tried to commit suicide
by drowning himself. He was found stretched flat on the
ground near his office. His head was submerged in a pool
of water, and he was unconscious but was brought round.
He was heard to say ‘let me die’ - then told a rambling
story as to why he was there. However, with the recent
disappearance of the infant, the police were suspicious.
William told them the baby had been sent to London, but
refused to say where and to whom. The police
investigated and found the baby’s box of clothing in his
office at the granite works.
They began a search, and found footsteps down an old
mine shaft about 40 yards from William’s office. A
policeman descended the shaft, and there he found a heap
of stones. When he moved them he found a box, and inside
was the body of the baby, still wearing the same clothes
it was dressed in when William supposedly took it to Mrs
Philps. The baby was found to have cord tied tightly
round its neck, and had died from strangulation. Mrs
WHERRY identified the baby as Emma, by the clothes she
was wearing.
In July 1882 William was charged with the wilful murder
of an infant. He was brought to trial before Lord
Justice Lindley. However the jury could not agree on a
verdict, so the judge directed he should be tried again
at the Autumn assizes in Exeter. This court was held on
28th October before Lord Justice Rowan, and the prisoner
was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
On Saturday 11th November, William expressed his
surprise at not having had a visit by his wife or
relatives. A Mr Edyvean went to Lanlivery, and returned
on Sunday 12th November, with William’s son William
Henry, his brother-in-law William Henry Rundle, and a
nephew Mr Roskelly. "The interview was an
exceedingly painful one"
On the following day, Monday 13th November 1882, at
8.00am, William was hanged at Her Majesty’s Prison,
Bodmin.
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| The plaque at Bodmin Jail |
Philip Marwood, the Executioner |
I have copies of the of the ‘Cornish Times’ dated 15
July 1882, which had the verdict of wilful murder
against a quarry manager and also a copy of the ‘Cornish
Times’ dated 18 November 1882 with the execution of
BARTLETT.
I was curious about what happened to William’s widow
Elizabeth and her children. In the 1891 census,
Elizabeth Ann was still living in Lanlivery, with
Samuel, Annie, Fred, Ben and Mary. Edmund was lodging
with a family in Granville Street, Sheffield. I could
not find John in the census. William Henry had died in
1887.
In 1901 Elizabeth was a visitor to her daughter Annie
(now married to Robert WEST) in Lawhitton village,
Launceston. Annie and Robert had two children Gladys
Mary b 1900 and Mabel Dorothy b 1901.
John was living in Penrynn with wife Jane and daughter
Mabel b 1901.
Samuel was living in Hornsey Middx with wife Annie, son
William Cecil b 1897, son Leslie Owen b 1899 and
daughter Doris May b 1900.
Fred was living in Devonport with wife Annie Tremeliam
nee BUNNEY
Ben was lodging with a Mary Tucker in Truro.
Only Mary remained in Lanlivery living with her uncle
Frederick ROUSE.
I would love to find out what happened after 1901. Are
there any Cornwall FHS members who are descendants, or
who have any more information? I have no photographs and
would love to have copies of any that members may have.
I am a member of the Cornwall Family History Society,
membership no 16718, also member of the Berkshire Family
History Society (membership no 6293).
If any website visitor can help with further
information, please contact Moreen using the email details near the top
of this page.
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