Sarah Treman had been born into a poor family in the parish of Gulval in 1783 and received no education, being unable to read or write. She moved from Cornwall to London where she worked as a prostitute and married a soldier there. Her father died in an accident in London and her mother left her when she was aged just four months old in the … Read more
The Affair and the Murder Plot Nineteen-year-old Catherine was having an affair with her brother-in-law, John Camaish, who was nine years her senior. She was described as having “uncommonly interesting and rather handsome features.” John had married Catherine’s older sister but had always harboured feelings for Catherine. They plotted to murder Mrs. Camaish, who was … Read more
Only two hangings took place at Beaumaris Gaol on Anglesey. The first was that of William Griffith, at 10.00 a.m. on the 15th of September 1830. The new gaol had opened the year before. Griffith had been separated from his wife, Mary, but on the night of the 2nd of April 1830, he went to the house in Newborough where … Read more
John Thurtell’s case was considered sensational at the time. It also made history in two significant ways and, therefore, forms a valuable part of the chronology of capital punishment in Britain. Thurtell was born on December 21st, 1794, the son of the then Mayor of Norwich. He seems to have been a fairly wealthy young … Read more
Early Life and Troubled Behavior Jane was the wayward daughter of John and Mary Scott, who were shopkeepers in Bridge Street, Preston, Lancashire. By the age of sixteen, Jane had become pregnant, and her parents stood by her despite the fact that she also stole from them to fund her lifestyle of drinking and debauchery … Read more
