The Bermondsey Horror.

Map of Bermondsey. Image taken from: https://sorry.port.ac.uk/visionofbritain.org.uk_planned.html

One of the most sensational crime stories of the Victorian era, The Bermondsey Horror. The unhappy love triangle between the wealthy Patrick O'Connor and the drunkard Frederick Manning over the Swedish beauty. The horrific death of Patrick O'Connor on 9 August 1849 sent shockwaves through the capital and across the country. So who were these people and why was this particular crime so shocking?

The ill-fated love triangle. 

Image of Maria Manning: https://headstuff.org/culture/history/terrible-people-from-history/fred-maria-manning-victorian-murderers/

First, we need to look at the two perpetrators. Maria Manning née. La Roux was born in Switzerland in 1821. La Roux emigrated to England and began working as a lady's maid for Lady Blantyre. It was during this employment that she developed a taste for a more luxurious lifestyle. She began to dread the idea of poverty, which was a daily reality for most Victorians at the time, who had to rely on the charity of others or face the workhouse. When she went to Bolougne with her employer, she met the wealthy 50-year-old Mr Patrick O'Connor, to whom she was instantly attracted by his wealth.

However, she was already involved with Frederick George Manning, who was a guard on the Great Western Railway. Frederick had a chequered past, despite working for the railway, he was suspected of being involved in some robberies. However, when he proposed to Maria, he claimed that he had come into some money from his mother, which he may have exaggerated in order to convince Maria to marry him instead of O'Connor. While Patrick O'Connor was immediately wealthy, he worked as a customs officer, but was in his 50s and a heavy drinker.

When Frederick proposed in 1847, Maria accepted. Mainly because Frederick was her age and he promised that he was going to receive some money. When Maria found out that the money was a lie, she began sleeping with O'Connor, apparently with Frederick's blessing, as Patrick was often at the Mannings' home in Bermondsey.

The Murder.

Things came to a head in 1849 when both Mannings plotted to kill O'Connor. It is unclear what motivated them, but it seems that Maria did not want to marry O'Connor, but she did want his money. On 8 August 1849, Maria and Frederick bought a shovel and some lime and invited O'Connor to dine with them. It seems that their plan to murder him was foiled when O'Connor brought a friend. However, Maria was not deterred and wrote to Patrick again inviting him to dine with them the following evening. On the 9th of August 1849, O'Connor was shot at close range, and when this didn't kill him, it is believed that Frederick Manning beat O'Connor to death with a crowbar. He was then buried in a pre-dug grave in their kitchen. 

Image taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/issyxb/maria-manning/

The Escape

After the murder, Maria managed to sneak into O'Connor's house and loot his valuables. Unfortunately for the murderous couple, O'Connor was immediately missing from work and two friends went to the Mannings' house to ask where he was. This immediately frightened the couple, who believed the 'friends' to be undercover police. 

Maria told Frederick to sell the furniture, but managed to pack her belongings and take a trip to Scotland. But when Frederick returned to find Maria missing, he too packed up and moved to St Helier, Jersey. However, both were soon caught by the police, as Maria was caught trying to sell Patrick's belongings and Frederick's drunken behaviour led the authorities to suspect and arrest him.

Frederick and Maria Manning. Image taken from: https://southwarknews.co.uk/history/in-depth-history/bermondsey-horror-maria-manning-frederick/

Trial and Execution

The trial took place at the Old Bailey on 25 October 1849.  At the trial both Maria's and Frederick's lawyers tried to blame the other for the crime, Maria's lawyer even tried to have her tried separately from Frederick on the grounds that she was Swiss and not of English nationality. But the judge rejected this, arguing that Maria had married an Englishman. When the Manning's were asked if they had anything else to say, Frederick remained silent. While Maria, who exploded into a volatile tirade, is even quoted as saying at one point 'You have treated me like a wild beast of the forest', she even interrupted the judge as he sentenced them both to death. 

After the trial, Mary and Frederick were sent to Horsemonger Lane Gaol to await their execution. On the morning of 13 November 1849, Maria Manning is believed to have tried to take her own life, but was quickly stopped by the guards.

The hanging was one of the largest ever attended, with 30-50,000 people hoping to catch a glimpse of the murderous couple being hanged. The Manning's were executed by William Calcraft, and although the time of death was not recorded, it is thought to have taken between 5 and 15 minutes. It is said that Maria and Frederick actually made up on the scaffold, and she kissed him as a sign of forgiveness for letting her take all the blame. Maria Manning also made her mark on society by wearing black satin to her death. It is believed that the appetite for clothes had diminished as a result of her wearing it. Although largely disputed, she was dubbed 'the woman who killed black satin'. 

Charles Dickens, who was in favour of abolishing public executions altogether, said of the event that;

"I was a witness of the execution at Horsemonger Lane this morning" "I believe that a sight so inconceivably awful as the wickedness and levity of the crowd collected at that execution this morning." "When the two miserable creatures who attracted all this ghastly sight about them were turned quivering into the air there was no more emotion, no more pity, no more thought that two immortal souls had gone to judgement, than if the name of Christ had never been heard in this world."

It has to be said, however, that Dickens was more concerned about the attitude of the crowd than the heinous deed of the Mannings. And indeed, public executions were finally abolished in 1868. 

Frederick and Maria Manning are synonymous with the greed and desperation that pervaded Victorian life. The honest desire not to be trapped in the poverty that afflicted most of Victorian England was a daily reality. But although the blame has always seemed to rest with Maria Manning as the instigator, it must be said that Frederick played his own part in the murder. The Manning's remain one of England's most notorious couples, and the Bermondsey Horror still captures the public imagination.

 John Ward - Lincolnshire

Map of Thorp: https://www.francisfrith.com/broadlowash/map-of-thorpe-1921_pop847435

In July 1849, John Ward, aged just 26, was hanged at Lincolnshire Assizes for the murder of his own mother. It shook the close-knit community of Thorpe, near Wainfleet, and he was convicted on 9 April 1849.

According to the newspapers of the time, Ward lived with his parents, a Mr Wm Ward, who worked as a labourer, and his wife, Mrs Martha Ward. From what was reported, it seemed that James Ward was a lazy man who had an indifferent character. It was said that he had formed a relationship with a young woman whom he wished to marry, but his mother was strongly opposed to the match, and it was over this subject that they argued on the morning of the murder. Furthermore, according to Douglas Jerrold's Weekly Newspaper, Mrs Ward had also complained about her son's behaviour, saying that if he did not behave better she would have him thrown out of the house.

Different newspapers have different accounts of what happened next, one version is that John Ward left the house immediately after the argument and then, after dinner was being prepared around 2-3pm, Ward appeared with a gun in his hand, saying to his mother that he would either shoot himself or someone else. His mother replied 'pshaw', as if she didn't believe he was capable of it. James Ward then left the house for several minutes, returned, pointed at his mother sitting at the table in the kitchen and shot her at close range. The other version was that he found his mother sitting in her chair, pointed a gun at her and shot her through the head, killing her instantly.

Image of a gun (not the gun used in this case): https://www.collectorsfirearms.com/products/2617-colt-1849-pocket-model-revolver-c16122.html

Afterwards the servant in the house, who had witnessed the whole event, said: 

"Oh dear, John, what have you done? You have shot your mother. 

Then he replied: "If you do not mind, Twill serve you the same". Ward then pulled the maid on her knees, she was frightened and asked what they should do and he replied that he didn't know. The maid then said that they should both run away, but the maid's motive was to escape from Ward. He then said that he had no money, she said that she did, but that it was upstairs. He then went upstairs to get it, while she made her escape to the house of a fellow worker named Joseph Marshall, with Ward following close behind.

Joseph Marshall went out of his house and found Ward, grabbed him and said; 

"John, you shot your mother."

He replied: "Yes, I did."

Marshall said, "Is she dead?"

Ward then said: "Ay, - she's dead enough."

Marshall commented that he seemed to know what he was doing and, having known him since childhood, said that there was nothing wrong with Ward's mental state. Marshall took Ward back to his parents' house where his mother lay dead, he felt her face and it was cold. He moved her legs away from the fire as there was a risk of her body being burned. When he looked around, Ward had managed to escape, but Marshall caught him and brought him back to the house.

At one point Ward attempted suicide by cutting his throat, but it was a small superficial wound and he soon recovered. He was then taken to the constable, who committed him to Spilsby Prison on the evidence of the maid. At the trial, the defence, led by Mr Wilmore, tried to argue that the gun had discharged accidentally and also said that it was unlikely that Ward would have any reason to kill his mother as no motive had been given. However, the jury found Ward guilty and Mr Justice Coleridge sentenced him to death.

There is little record of Ward's eventual execution, but there is a small article in the Cork Examiner in which Ward expressed no remorse for his crime and stated that he would have killed his father and servant if he had had the chance. He noted that he wanted to be a "little Rush", referring to the infamous case of James Bloomfield Rush, which we have covered on this blog. However, Ward was hanged for his crime on 27 July 1849.

Death by hanging: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/death-by-hanging

 James Griffiths - Brecon

Map of Brecon. Image taken from: Brecon Map (oldemaps.co.uk)

This post is quite different to the other posts on this blog, which have mainly centred on English crimes. However, James Griffiths alias Thomas Wilson aged 18, was charged with murdering Thomas Edwards in Brecon, Wales.

Little is known about Griffiths early life, however, he was engaged as a farm servant under Mr J Powell of Cwmgoody. The other servant, Thomas Edwards had been under Mr Powell's service for about two years. They had lived together on amicable, terms, and, even slept in the same bed together. On the 17th November Griffiths and Edwards would have left the service together, as it was the Brecon hiring fair. And, they were both in the process of looking for other means of employment.

The other inmates of the house were Mr and Mrs Powell who had a son and daughter. And another girl called Elisabeth Phillips who had stayed with the family for five years. On the day of the incident Powell's son had got up around five O'clock and found that Edwards and Griffiths had gone out before him. He then saw Edwards and Griffiths outside in the stables, although he then had to leave to go to the blacksmith.

Picture of an old farmhouse. Image taken from: Black and White of an Old Abandoned Prairie Farm House in a Whea Photograph by Randall Nyhof - Fine Art America

Elizabeth Phillips then got up for about quarter to six and Griffiths accompanied her to get some water from the stream. After talking together for a few moments. Phillips heard groaning nearby. Being November, it was quite dark. She then returned to the house. She then returned to the house and heard footsteps in Griffiths and Edwards bedroom, she then called out to see who was there. Griffiths came out of the bedroom and Phillips told him that she heard groaning outside. They both went out and both found the source of the moaning. Phillips then started back to the house to find a lantern. Griffiths started to follow her but then disappeared, he was then eventually found in Ipswich.

Both the daughter and son of Mr Powell then accompanied Elizabeth Phillips to the heap but then returned to the house to find Mr Powell. He then accompanied the group and found Edwards with his skull fractured. He was then taken into the house and they summoned medical attention. In the gutter near the heap they found an axe which was last used by the daughter. On the axe there was blood on it. Edwards hat was also found with a hole found in the fabric. Furthermore, they found a pitchfork which also had blood on it.

Picture of an axe. Image taken from: Leviathan Axe WIP 8 - Axe LVL 4 at Skyrim Nexus - Mods and Community (nexusmods.com)

On the 6th January, Mr Powell found Griffiths in Ipswich and alluding to the crime the man put his head down neither confirming or denying his culpability in the crime. Griffiths would not talk about the crime unless he was in the presence of a magistrate. A waistcoat and shirt were found in the possession of Griffiths that were identified as belonging to Edwards. A day of two before the crime Powell had paid Edwards 30s, Griffiths had left before collecting his wages of 7/8s which were due to him.

When Griffiths was brought before the court after all the evidence had been presented, Griffiths was asked for a comment to the jury but was reported to say "I do not know what to say" he added "I leave the case in your hands, my lord". The jury found Griffiths guilty of the murder of Thomas Edwards and the judge passed the death sentence.

Victorian Jurors. Image taken from: 'The Trial: Secrets of Jury Service' - What's it like when you go to court? (inews.co.uk)

At Brecon County Gaol, at ten o'clock, in the presence of ten to twelve thousand individuals, nearly half of whom were females. The prisoner walked with a firm step by the side of William Calcraft, the Newgate executioner, and mounted the steps to the platform without any assistance. He was a remarkably good-looking youth and appeared but little altered, with the exception of being rather pale. On his way from the condemned cell he repeatedly urged Calcraft to be quick. and to lose no time in covering his face when on the scaffold. 

He further told Mr. Lazenby (Warder of the Gaol) that he was guilty of stealing the £51 note from a former master, for which he had been confined in Hereford Gaol, though he was discharged from want of evidence. He also informed him that several plans had been laid, by the prisoners for trial at the last assizes, to overpower the turnkeys and to break out of prison: they wanted him to lead, arguing that as his life was already in jeopardy. He also further admitted to killing Edwards although he claimed that he had no previous quarrel with him. 

 George Howe - Yorkshire

Map of Yarm: https://www.francisfrith.com/yarm/maps

The village of Yarm situated in the North of Yorkshire, is a quaint pituresque village. On the 26th January of 1849, George Howe was taken into custody at York Castle for the suspected murder of Eliza Amelia Howe, who was his four month old child. 

Although not a lot is known about George Howe, we do know that his occupation was listed as a railway labourer. Indeed, it is said that he moved himself, his wife and children to live with the nephew of a widow called Amelia Wood on the 14th November 1848. However, Howe's wife passed away not long after they moved into the home. After his wife died, Howe according to Wood said he intended to leave the baby with her, as he had some work to do in Middlesborough, he stated that someone would come up to look after the child. When this person eventually came, Wood said that she refused to give her up. 

On the day of the incident, Wood was feeding the baby whilst Howe watched. The child took around eight-ten spoonfulls of food. She then left Eliza for a short while, however, after she retured the child would take nothing. Tasting the food, the widow noticed that it had a vinegar flavour and burned her throat. 

The poison: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/343047696596439586/

Wood immediately told her neighbour, who went to the resident surgeon a Mr Dale. The child became exceedingly ill with burnt lips and mouth. She died a couple of days afterwards. At the post-mortum it was found that the baby had ingested oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a colourless substence that can be found in rheubarb leaves, bleach and metal cleaners. For Eliza it would have caused massive damage. It was also proved by the police that they found in Howe's sack a bottle of oxilic acid, and, that he had purchased it at a chemist's in Stockton.

Wood immediately was suspicious of Howe, and accused him of murdering Eliza. She said that Howe had expressed a wish to get rid of it. As he was prevented from marrying a woman of £300 which would be around £18,125.10 in today's money. There was even an application to exhume the body of his wife due to evidence of foul play in his child's murder. However, there is no evidence that I can find that Howe did acutally poision his wife, although it does seem quite likely. Furthermore, as if we needed anymore evidence that Howe was not a pleasant individual, the Yorkshire Gazette reported on the 31 March 1849 that Howe was sentenced to two years imprisonment of hard labour in the house of correction at Northallerton. For taking liberties with a girl with weak intellect.

Before Howe was sentenced to death, there was a petition signed for a commution of sentence however, the whole town refused to sign apart from two people. Howe was finally executed on the 31st March 1849, he was attended by the Reverend T Sutton who was the Chaplin at the Castle. It is reported that he seemed to be remorseful, however, denied any wrongdoing towards his child.

George Howe seemed to put his comfort and security, above the happiness and welbeing of his family. Whether Howe truly regretted the actions that lead to his child's death is uncertain according to some sources. In contrast, it does seem that Amelia Wood did care for Eliza in the short time that she did have her in her care and geniunely cared about the justice for the little girl. 

Clifford's Tower, York: https://www.ontheluce.com/10-british-weekend-break-ideas/

 George Millen & Henry Sheepwash - Kent

Map of Bethersden: https://www.francisfrith.com/bethersden/maps

The village of Bethersden on the outskirts of Kent received a shock when two men were arrested for the brutal attack and murder of an eighty year old man. This case is evidently reminiscent of another that we have covered on this blog of Landick & Mills. However, these two young men were only 17 & 16 at the time of the crime. 

The crime happened on a bleak day in February, when George Millen (17) and Henry Sheepwash (16) reputedly of bad character, broke into the house of the elderly William Law (80). It was said that they were after the watch, that Law had apparently sold in considerable distress. Whether the two men had harassed Law for the watch, is unknown.  They both went upstairs to Law’s bedroom where they rummaged through his belongings and then hit Law repeatedly with an iron stick with a knob on the end, they took his breeches and then left the man for dead. Somehow Law had managed to crawl out of his cottage and go to a nearby neighbor for help. However, he died from his injuries a couple of days after the incident. 

William Law had said, according to various sources, that he had found two men by his bedside, and thinking that they were some friends, did not immediately become alarmed. However, when they attacked him apparently unprovoked he tried to plead for his life but was ignored. Before he died, he kept repeating the words; “"How cruelly I have been treated, cruel work, cruel work, to live to be four score, and knocked on the head like a dog.".

The motive for the crime: https://justintimesvintage.com/listing/858130539/antique-victorian-train-conductor-pocket

Thomas Millen, who was George’s cousin, was the neighbor who responded to Law’s cries for help. He testified that he had known Mr Law for six years, and that apart from his deafness the man was in reasonable health. On the day of the incident, he heard frantic knocking at the door at about 10:30 at night, he then opened the door to find Law in a shirt with no breeches, bleeding profusely from several wounds to the head. Law had apparently said to Millen; “"Pray let me in; someone has murdered me". Thomas Millen, had gone back to Law’s cottage where he found the place in complete disarray with the window broken from the outside. 

After various witnesses coming forward saying that they had seen both Millen and Sheepwash, they were immediately apprehended by the police, the instrument that was used to hit Law and the man’s breeches were found in a nearby pond. When both men were sent before the magistrates, they found the evidence so conclusive that they sent both men to appear at Maidstone assizes. However, whilst in custody both men gave different accounts of the crime. Sheepwash had apparently testified that Millen had struck Law, and that it had made him feel so queer that he ran downstairs directly. But, according to William Law who was the grandson of the victim, said that Millen blamed Sheepwash for the unprovoked attack.

Both men were convicted of murder at the assizes. However, whilst Millen was sentenced to death, Sheepwash had got a reprieve, he was sent to a lunatic asylum. I think, probably on the account of his age, but there is no reason given in any of the sources. George Millen was executed for the wilful murder of Mr William Law on the 28th March 1849, however, there is very little information on the execution itself. 

In conclusion, the brutal murder of Mr Law had left the village of Bethersden in shock at the brutal and unprovoked nature of the crime. There are still a lot of questions surrounding this crime, why did Sheepwash get a reprieve? Was Millen, indeed, more guilty? Was the motive just for Law’s watch?. However, these questions will probably remain unanswered. 

A lunatic asylum: https://novellafotografia.blogspot.com/2011/08/victorian-lunatic-asylums-uk-high-royds.html

 John Smith - Salisbury

Map of Collingbourne Ducis: https://www.francisfrith.com/collingbourne-ducis

The defence of insanity is incredibly difficult to plead, John Smith is one of those defendants who tried to use the defence in order to avoid the death penalty for the murder of Eleanor Lawrence.

Eleanor Lawrence was 34 year old, she lived in Collingbourne Ducis in Wiltshire with her friend Mary Annett. According to Annett, she last saw Eleanor when she went to the fields to give the workmen some lunch. Lawrence then went back to Collingbourne after an hour and a half, Annett made her way back home. She then found Eleanor on the road blood, with several wounds to her head and face. Apparently inflicted by a stone or a sharp object. Lawrence was insensible and Annett reports that after two days, Eleanor succumbed to her injuries and passed away. The only evidence that was present was that there was a jacket lying near the body. 

The perpetrator of this crime was John Smith, he was a blacksmith who was out of work at the time. He was last seen at Luggershall which was a mile and a half from where Eleanor's body was found. Smith was seen at another blacksmith's house asking for work, and reportedly looked well. 

Smith then went to the house of the Rev. Mr Hadon in Eversleigh where he again asked for work. After Hadon said that he had no work to give him, Smith threw two stones at Hadon which was aimed for the head, fortunately for Mr Hadon it only hit him on the arm. Hadon also reported that Smith looked very out of breath and excitable. After Smith left the house, Hadon ran after him trying to get him into custody, but Smith responded by throwing more stones. 

Smith's weapon of choice: https://back2back.org/2016/04/throwing-stones/

This commotion resulted in other villagers trying to help Hadon subdue Smith, one asked if Smith was not ashamed for throwing stones at a man nearly killing them. Smith responded by saying "I do not care if I had, for I had murdered one person this morning already. I did not care what I did, for I am tired of life." He was then asked where he had killed the person and he said "You will soon know". When he was taken to gaol, he had said that he had thrown a rock at Lawrence and then kicked repeatedly in the head. 

Smith was tried for the assault on Mr Hadon and was sentenced to be transported for seven years. But was also charged with the murder of Eleanor Lawrence. He was tried at Collingbourne in front of Lord Denmen, the prosecutors were Mr Slade and Mr Hadow, the counsel for the defence was Mr Challanor Smith. The defence as stated earlier tried to use the plea of insanity to suggest that at the time of the incident Smith had no sense of right and wrong. 

However, Lord Denmen threw the defence out by arguing that it was rashness that made defendants use the defence to excuse their worst passions. He said that he was not aware that the medical authority had more claim over a person's actions than their peers. He did not see anything that warranted a plea of insanity apart from the violence of the crime itself. Lord Denmen even argued that the surgeon attending the gaol could find no evidence of mental disease, and he had attended Smith throughout his time at the gaol. 

According to various newspapers at the time, 7000 people attended Smith's execution on the 27th March 1849. Apparently Smith ran up to the gallows and placed himself under the noose. Smith did not say a word and when the bolt was finally drawn, he struggled occasionally by severe convulsions due to the short drop. After one hour, he was cut down and buried within the confines of the prison. 

Executed by hanging: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0105r8x

 Robert Pulley - Worcestershire

Map of Pershore: https://www.francisfrith.com/pershore

The village of Broughton in Worcestershire was left reeling after the death of a sixteen year old girl, by a man who was well known to them.

The victim, who was named Mary Ann Straight was sixteen years old and lived with her Aunt Richards in the village of Broughton. On the day of her death, she had been sent by her Aunt to get some tea and sugar, but never made it home. She was found lying in a ditch, her body saturated with water. Her basket containing her purchases was lying spilled next to her. Upon examination of the body it was found that she had blunt trauma to the skull which had fractured upon impact. 

The perpetrator of this heinous and unprovoked crime was a local man who was identified as Robert Pulley. Pulley was born on the 25th August 1799, to John and Jane Pulley. At the time of the incident, he was of no fixed address and was reported by the Standard of Freedom which was published on the 16th December 1848 to sleep in outhouses or barns and gained a living by doing odd jobs and helping out as a farm labourer. 

It was said that Pulley who was 49 at the time and was 4ft 8 had become obsessed with Mary Ann, and had begun to try and gain her attention by shouting insults at her. He referred to Mary by shouting “my little whore” and “You want your bloody head broke”. which obviously did not endear Mary to him, as the result was that she ignored him. 

Numerous witnesses saw Pulley following Mary back from her shopping. When following her, Pulley met the son of an local Innkeeper and asked for Mary's whereabouts, when the man said yes. He replied "Damn her! If I light on her tonight, I'll giver her a 'snowler'. She says I'm jealous of her with a man at Broughton; but I'll give her a 'tout' on the head, and then see what she'll think about it.'. Another witness named James Savage who worked as a labourer said that he also met Pulley on the night of the murder and that he said: "he should not mind if he was in prison himself, even if it was for wilful murder, and to have what the law allowed rather than be in the state that he was in". Apparently Pulley had said to Mary, "You be going off again tonight, be you?. You'll have it before you comes back."

The scene of the crime: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18537759.crime-files-grisly-story-behind-bob-pulley-lane/

Three days after the incident, Frederick Taylor a young boy of thirteen and his father went to find the murder weapon. They found near where the body was a stick, with a knob on the end with two or three brown hairs on it. Taylor said that he had seen Pulley, with a hatchet with the same description, saying that he wanted to put it through Mary's head. The surgeon who had attended the scene had said that the force of the blow that had killed the the young girl had caved in her skull. 

The police finally traced Pulley to the Parish of Purvin, where he found lying on some straw in a barn where two men were threshing. When he was taken into custody it was said that Pulley's clothes had blood on them, one stain on the waistcoat and one of the wrist sleeve. When the police charged him with murder, Pulley claimed that 'he didn't do it'. 

Worcestershire County Jail: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18537759.crime-files-grisly-story-behind-bob-pulley-lane/

The trial was set for the 6th March 1849, apart from mumbling a plea of innocence Pulley remained silent. It took just 10 minutes to convict Robert Pulley of the death of Mary Ann Straight, he did try and appeal his death sentence but it was refused. He was set to be executed on the 26th March 1849, according to the Berrows Journal it was reported that; 

“By five o’clock many people were beginning to assemble outside the Gaol and began to take up the most favourable  positions they could find in Infirmary Walk and its vicinity. As the morning wore on the crowd increased and by seven o’clock a large concourse had assembled. Vast numbers of persons in every available vehicle were continually arriving, especially from the Pershore district. Cart after cart brought its load of human beings and as the time fixed for the execution drew near every place from whence a glimpse of the scaffold could be obtained was completely crowded. Very large number also arrived from Birmingham."

“With the exception of a few of the very lowest class of persons, the mass behaved very orderly. But we fear from the levity which we witnessed that the moral effect of the scene was quite lost upon the multitude, who eventually had come to look upon it as a spectacle, or a matter of amusement or curiosity and were actuated by the same feeling as if they were witnessing a theatrical entertainment. 

Among the crowd we were aggrieved to see many apparently respectable females and so powerful was the incentive which brought them there, that numbers of them that could find no-one to take care of their children at home, actually brought them with them. Hundreds of women with children in their arms stood for hours exposed to all the boisterousness and ribaldry of a mob composed of some of the very worst specimens of humanity. 

As noon approached, the already grim event took an even more macabre turn when all the male prisoners in the jail were herded into an area called the debtors yard and arranged in rows to witness the execution. All the women prisoners filed into another enclosed yard and were also told to watch. Then Robert Pulley was brought to the gallows to meet his executioner. This dreaded personage was enveloped from head to toe in a dark gloomy coloured cloak, which entirely covered the whole of his person, the lower part of his face was muffled in a capricious handkerchief and a cap slouched over his head and eyes, most effectively disguising his countenance.

As the jail bell began to toll, Pulley and his executioner, accompanied by several civic officials, made their way up a short flight of steps to the press room where the black painted gallows had been erected. Pulley’s arms and hands were pinioned to his body and his necktie loosened. On reaching the platform, the prisoner was positioned beneath the beam and the cap placed on his head. The executioner then soaped the rope well with soft soap and positioned it over Pulley’s head. Everything being ready the drop was released. The body remained suspended in the air for a few moments quite motionless. But then a few tremors in the legs were observable. Shortly afterwards it heaved convulsively four of five times and then remained without motion and Robert Pulley was no more. So it was entertainment over, everyone back in their cells, mothers take your children home and the crime correspondent returned to his desk."