1/ Ledbury, October 1869 – Vicar has a fling with cook and she returns with a baby!
2/ Hope Mansell, November 1870 (Suicide on Son’s Grave)
There’s a grave in Hope Mansell churchyard which was the scene of a melancholy suicide. William Symonds Rootes was a doctor in nearby Ross (on Wye) and had been in financial difficulty, this being so, he was bankrupt and had his possessions sold off at auction. Several months previously his son had died rather suddenly, where he was practising in a London hospital. Don’t forget that in these days there was no Social Security or any help of any kind. Physically and mentally he was drained so he decided on suicide by poison, next to his beloved son.
3/ Green Dragon Hotel Suicide, Hereford, March 1897
A travelling salesman while staying at the Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford, decided to end his life in his bedroom. The man had stabbed himself sixteen times in the chest and abdominal area of his body. In the room was found an envelope addressed to “H.S.Green, c/o Miss O’Connor, 53, Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London”. He was still alive and told a member of staff that he’d been accused of the murder of his housekeeper. (Who was he?)
4/ Orleton Wife Murder, January 1885
5/ Orleton Wife Murder, May 6th, 1885
6/ Hereford, (Concealment of Birth) November 1898
Mary Ann Matthews was charged with concealment of birth in April last. Her husband married her in August and afterwards found the body in the cellar. He then panicked and buried it in the garden, but his conscience got the better of him, and he went to police and told them everything.
7/ Kingsland (Lady’s Suicide) August 1871
8/ Shobdon Court, May 1857 (Two Men Killed)
A tragic accident has taken place at Shobdon Court, the seat of Lord Bateman, resulting in the deaths of two workmen, who were working at the mansion. Some alterations were being made and extensive arches were part of these. As the carpenters and masons were busy an arch gave way, burying several men. Word was sent to Leominster where the families of the men lived, that four had been killed and could they get to the hospital and find out. Eventually, the news came through that only two had been killed, they were Edward Ellis and Thomas Jones, and there were four serious injuries. Shobdon Court was demolished in 1933.
9/ Ashperton near Ledbury, April 1851
A blacksmith called Mattey who lived in the village of Ashperton near Ledbury committed suicide. He had done this kind of thing before, when 17 years ago he worked for E.T.Foley M.P., at Stoke Edith Park, and was fired when he began a relationship with a “disreputable woman”. This depressed him somewhat, and he tried to drown himself in the River Froom but was stopped. More recently the business had dropped off, and the depression started up again.A local bobby saw him go into the workshop at 5 a.m., and shortly after this a sound of a firearm going off was reported, and on inspection, they found him with a hole in his chest and a discharged gun next to him.
10/ Bromyard Family Poisoned, June 1899
11/ Hereford Triple Suicide, June 1864
Three suicides in Hereford on one day. George Brookes, who was experiencing financial difficulties slit his throat, while the family had gone to church. A man rushed into the church while the service was going on and asked for surgeons to help him as a man had attempted suicide. There was great consternation in the St Peter’s church congregation.
Another suicide was that of a man and wife named Went, who lives at Burcot Row and he too had been extremely unlucky recently and suffered misfortune, then hearing about Brookes suicide he thought he’d follow suit. The wife then walked in and thinking she’d be accused of murder, she decided to end it all and picked up the razor and cut a fearful gash across her throat. Brookes died, Went is serious and his missus might well recover.
12/ Bromyard Murder? December 1835
A skeleton of a man was unearthed on the old Hereford Road near Bromyard and lay eighteen inches under the surface. It was in excellent condition and had been covered with a large flagstone, leaning against a rock. It is believed that the corpse was buried about twenty years ago. One such possibility is that of a Welsh drover who used to flash the cash about. He stayed in Bromyard for a couple of days, going in pubs, generally making sure people knew he had a few quid and since then has never been seen again. Someone remembered hearing shouts of “Murder!” coming from a lodging-house in Sheep Street, but locals thought it was a wife beater in the neighbourhood. It is now being treated as a case of murder, as there can be no doubt it is the body of the drover.
13/ Weobley Murder, October 2nd, 1885
Weobley, October 13th, 1885
At Weobley, Herefordshire, the two men John Hill and John Williams, charged with the murder of Ann Dixon on the 30th ult, were committed for trial.
14/ Weobley Murder, November 5th, 1885
15/ Eastnor Castle Attempted Murder, November 1856
The castle above, was the scene of an attempted murder by a valet, on Lord Somers. As I can make out, it was about a missing item of luggage that the murder attempt was about. The valet was a Swiss national who had been in the service of his Lordship for fifteen years. When the family arrived at Eastnor Castle, the luggage was removed and taken indoors, but when the items were checked it was found that a parcel had disappeared. His lordship sent for the valet and had a word with him in private, in the library. The valet was in an agitated mood and when some time elapsed his Lordship was heard to shout for help. The other domestics ran in and saw the valet standing over him with a small dagger in his hand but he somehow escaped. The strange thing is that the matter was at the time “hushed up” and another servant had disappeared from the estate. (Was he ever caught?)
16/ Hom Green near Ross-on-Wye, (Mother’s Suicide) February 1840
This is a woman with a disturbed mind! Mrs Smith, the wife of a farmer at Hom near Ross, put the three kids to bed put on her shawl and bonnet, went into the parlour, locked the door, climbed out the window and walked as calmly as you like down to the river. She then took off her hat and bonnet and jumped into the Wye and drowned herself. Mrs Smith was found downstream, snagged on a bush on the bank. It was found by Mr Smith who had asked where his wife was and when he tried the door and found it was locked, he realised something was wrong. He wandered down the river and saw her body floating in the river
17/ Dinmore Wood Murder, near Hereford, May 1878
The dead body of a woman was discovered in Dinmore Wood, about seven miles from Hereford, in a horrendous state of decomposition. Post-mortem examination results point to the fact that the body had been there at least a month and identification has been impossible. All they know is that she was a woman aged 25-40 and her clothing is of a smart appearance. It seems that some kind of struggle occurred at the scene and drag marks were found near the body, which means she murdered. The unknown woman had suffered two fractures of the skull and may have been sexually assaulted. The place near here is popular with picnickers and there was a large picnic party about a month back, but nobody has reported any missing persons. (Who was she?)
18/ Garway Attempted Murder and Suicide, December 1870.
19/ Appalling Treatment of Idiot Boy, Hereford. January 1867
20/ Gun Accident at Ross-on-Wye, November 1866
An accident, which may be attended with fatal results, has happened to Lieutenant-Colonel Timbrell, formerly of Her Majesty’s 58th Regiment, and late Paymaster of the Sanatorium, Cape of Good Hope. In stooping to pick up some game, one barrel of the fowling piece was accidentally discharged. The shot entered his instep, passing almost through it. the foot has been amputated, but the gallant offu=icer, who has fought his country’s battles unscathed in every quarter of the globe, lies at Ross, in Herefordshire, in a very precarious state. (Did he make it?)
21/ Murder at Tarrington, near Ledbury. November 30th, 1903.
22/ Wife Murder near Leominster, November 30th, 1903. (Mortimer’s Cross Inn is still there!)
15th December 1903.
William Haywood, a roadman, aged sixty-one, was hanged at Hereford this morning for the murder of his wife in a quarry at Lucton, near Leominster. The man was found trundling a wheelbarrow in which was the terribly mutilated body of the woman. Haywood behaved with the greatest callousness at the trial, and while awaiting execution in prison.