On the evening of Friday 16 July 1869 some men were drinking at the Castle Inn at Conisborough. Two of them were called Mark Barker, aged 48 and Charles Staton aged 54. They were both sickle makers and had been bragging about the numbers of sickles they could make at any one time. At first the conversation was amicable enough, but soon it had turned into an argument as each tried to outdo the other with their boasting. Annoyed at something his compatriot had said, Staton arose and struck Barker twice in the face. Angrily the blows were returned and as a result they both fell on the ground together.

The landlord of the Castle Inn told them to take the fight outside and so the two men went outside into the Inn yard, before stripping off to their waists. Other men gathered round to watch as the two protagonists proceeded to punch at each other. They had been punching steadily for about ten minutes when Staton admitted defeat and wanted to stop the fight. Barker wouldn’t however and continued lashing out at the older man. Suddenly Staton fell heavily onto the ground and did not get up. His friends rushed towards the prone body, but they found he was already unconscious. Efforts were made to try to revive him and he was carried into one of the Castle Inn bedrooms, but it was all in vain. Within a matter of minutes of lying him on the bed Charles Staton was dead.

The local police officer, Constable Ashton of Conisbrough was called to the scene, and after hearing from some of the assembled men he told Mark Barker that he was taking him into custody.

On the journey into Rotherham, Barker asked PC Ashton what he was going to charge him with. That officer replied that he was going to be charged with being concerned in the death of Charles Staton. The Rotherham Coroner, Edward Nicholson Esq., was notified of the man’s death and an inquest was arranged for the following evening, Saturday 17 July. The prisoner was present in the custody of two constables at the inquest, which was watched on his behalf by solicitor Mr C E Palmer of Doncaster.

The first witness was a man who had been present at the Inn when the altercation took place. He was called Joseph Lewis who also worked in the sickle industry as a grinder. He told the inquest that he had known both men for the past ten or eleven years and that he had identified the body of the deceased man. Lewis said that he had been sitting outside the door of the tap room, when he heard the two men arguing inside. The witness stated that both men had been drinking for most of the evening and that as a result, neither of them were particularly sober. He had gone into the tap room to try to prevent the row escalating, just in time to see Staton grab Barker around the throat.

He then struck him twice on the face and body in quick succession. Lewis said that both men fell to the ground and that was when the landlord told the men to ‘take it outside.’ It didn’t take long for a group of men to gather in a circle in the yard, as they watched the two men start to fight. After just a few moments, the witness said that he heard Barker admit defeat as he said ‘Give over Charles, I am done’ but his elderly opponent refused to give in. He told him ‘I can beat thee’ as he punched him once again. However, soon after that, it was Staton who fell to the floor and did not get up again.

Lewis said that a man who he did not know had unsuccessfully tried to revive the injured man. He told the crowd that Staton was in a bad way and he thought that he was dying. The witness said that the landlady told the men to carry him into one of the bedrooms at the Castle Inn, and he had helped to carry the now dying man. The solicitor Mr C Palmer asked Lewis if the two men had been friendly towards each other previous to this altercation. The witness replied that that he had not known them argue before, although there had been some friendly rivalry as they both worked at the same trade. Another witness to the fight was a man called George Heywood who also corroborated Lewis’s evidence.

Then it was the turn of the surgeon Mr R Hills to give evidence of undertaking the post mortem on the deceased man’s body earlier that same morning. He said that externally there were few marks on Charles Staton’s body, head or face. In fact the only bruise had been on his right elbow. However internally he had found a considerable effusion of blood between the scalp and the skull. When the coroner asked him what this meant, the surgeon told him that in his experience, such an effusion of blood usually happened as as a direct result of violence. However he clarified that it might have been the result of a heavy fall to the ground or a kick from an opponent.

His account of the findings of the post mortem was corroborated by another surgeon Dr Maclagen of Mexborough, who had also been present at the post mortem. After hearing from all the witnesses, the jury conversed together for just a short while before the foreman, Mr T H Simpson gave the verdict of manslaughter against Mark Barker. On Tuesday 20 July 1869 the prisoner was taken before the West Riding Magistrates Court at Doncaster. Once again the same witnesses gave their evidence, although the surgeon, Mr Hills now stated categorically that in his opinion the man’s death was probably caused by a fall. Police Constable Ashton gave evidence of the arrest of the prisoner in the yard of the Castle Inn at Conisbrough.

As a result, the magistrate, Captain Bower committed Mark Barker to take his trial at the next Assizes. His solicitor, Mr Palmer asked for bail which was allowed, with the prisoner giving one personal surety of £50 and two others of £25 each. Naturally the case had caused a large sensation in Rotherham, as the character of the two men were openly discussed. Newspapers reported that Mark Barker was known to be a very passionate man, who got excited very easily. It was therefore suggested that because of the argument, he might have been in such a state of passion when he attacked Charles Staton, that he did not quite know what he was doing.

Mark Barker was due to appear before judge Mr Baron Cleasby at the Leeds Assizes on Thursday 5 August 1869. Before the trial started however, it was the custom for the judge to go over the cases which were due to be heard with the members of the Grand Jury. Mr Baron Cleasby told them that at those particular Assizes there were five cases of manslaughter from the Yorkshire area. He particularly referred to the case of Mark Barker who had been charged with the death of Charles Staton.

He told the Grand Jury:

‘This was one of those deplorable cases in which men, not criminal in other respects, by going to places where drink was sold, got embroiled in quarrels. As a result, this case ended in a charge of manslaughter. It seems that, according to the evidence, the prisoner was compelled by the other man to fight over and over again. The only question was whether the man died from a fall or from a blow delivered by the prisoner. In other words, did death result from the direct act of the prisoner.’

His words seemed to have some effect as after discussing the other cases, the Grand Jury threw out the case against Mark Barker. As a result of this he was discharged and set free. There is little doubt that he would have been vastly relieved as he returned back to Conisbrough, a much wiser man.

Madame Enault was an Italian woman who had been touring all the major towns and cities across Britain in 1880. For just a few weeks she would reside in those towns holding surgeries, pulling out teeth and selling her wonderful medicines. Dressed to kill in robes of scarlet velvet and gold braid she caused quite a stir, as she took the reins and drove three black horses pulling a gilt caravan. On Monday 19 July 1880 she came to operate at the drill ground on Matilda Street, Sheffield and by the following week had attracted quite a following. It was reported that as Madame Enault drove along Cemetery Road towards Sheffield Moor, the streets were lined with people. She waved to the crowd who applauded as she drew near. Men took off their hats and waved them and women waved their handkerchiefs and cheered as she passed, bowing right and left like a visiting dignitary.

Accompanied by a troop of seven or eight band members in gaudy uniforms, she drove into the drill ground and facing the huge crowds of people she spoke to them in a foreign tongue. Her words were translated by a young man who was fashionably attired in a light suit and a white straw hat. Madame Enault confidentially told the crowd her daily routine started when she rose at 5 am before going through her vast correspondence from all parts of Europe. Then she held private consultations until she felt hungry and had to dine. After dinner, a few more consultations would be held, before going to her dressing room to change into one of her more exotic costumes, before driving to the drill ground. Madame freely admitted that by the time she returned back to the Union Hotel, she was so exhausted that she could barely get out of her carriage.

Local people could hardly believe their eyes, and as a result they flocked in their thousands to see this spectacle. It was estimated that in one day between ten and fifteen thousand people, many of them lame and some blind, were attracted by the cures which Madame was said to have effected. Once established, she would painlessly extract teeth to the sounds of a brass band (whose music was said to be painful to the ear) before selling bottles of her wonderful China Caustic or Indian Balm. Her morning schedule also attracted crowds as she held ‘surgeries’ in a room at the Union Hotel, Sheffield where, it was claimed, there were as many as 16 people waiting daily. At first local newspapers avidly reported Madame Enault’s miraculous cures.

One described a paralysed man who, after having been carried into her caravan, instantly threw away his crutches. He claimed that after only a brief trial of her wonderful remedies, he had been cured of all his previous afflictions. Those who were experiencing troublesome teeth were then encouraged to step forward before their molars were removed to the accompaniment of the terrible music of the brass band. It was suggested that perhaps the awful music covered the cries of pain from many of her customers. Nevertheless, using her powerful wrists, this delicate lady would extract teeth from children and grown men with such a speed and ease that was difficult to comprehend. The speed with which she managed these extractions made her boast that she would give £50 to any Sheffield dentist who could do the same. Then came the party piece of this glamorous operator.

She introduced a woman from the crowd from whom she claimed she had removed a tumour the previous day. Madame pointed out the back of the woman’s head from where the tumour had been removed. She told the mass of people in front of her that she had firstly applied some China Caustic. This, she stated would dissolve the base of the tumour in ten minutes or so, before she twisted the affected part off with her bare hands. She then revealed the extracted ‘tumour’ before throwing it up in the air and catching it again. This performance was greet by the mob with ‘unmeasured delight and excitement’. People in the crowd described her as ‘an angel from heaven’ whilst others saw her as ‘the very devil incarnate.’ This display was followed by the sale of the famous China Caustic and Indian Balm which were sold for just 2s a bottle. Madame sat before a huge chest, from which she dispensed such medicines to the crowd. Only after she had sold enough, would she then depart in her gilt carriage.

Despite this exciting start, it was not long before local newspapers began to demolish Madame Enault’s singular career. It was later reported that just the previous summer she had appeared at Warrington in Cheshire, telling local people that she intended to build a house and reside permanently among them. She actually lasted three weeks, before some of her customers demanded their money back and she suddenly disappeared. Then the Madame Enault roadshow appeared in St Helens where again she did a roaring trade. However it was soon revealed that a young woman who had paid 35s to have seven teeth drawn, found that six of them broke in the operation. Since that time the poor woman had been left so ill that she was still under medical treatment.

Another man had consulted Madame and she told him that he was suffering from a large hole in one of his lungs, and unless he followed her strict instructions to the letter, he would die. He paid her a guinea [£1.1s] for each consultation, and took a great deal of the medicine she had sold him, but there was no improvement. The man was so frightened that he was finally driven to consult a medical man who told him that his lungs were perfectly sound, before he finally admitted that he had been duped. He too joined the queue of local people wanting their money back, before Madame Enault packed up her gaudy caravan and left St Helens.

After hearing such stories circulating in the press about her sharp practice, one intrepid reporter decided to buy a bottle of China Caustic and had it analysed from a local chemist. He found the substance consisted of a few essential oils, such as could be bought at any local pharmacy at 6d a bottle. It was also rumoured that the woman who had appeared to be ‘cured’ of the tumour, was in fact, a member of Madame’s Enault’s own permanent entourage. Despite the fact that these stories were widespread in Sheffield, the following day even more crowds assembled at the old drill ground. It was estimated that there were said to be tens of thousands of people all wanting a cure of some kind or another. Some of them had travelled for miles in the hope of being cured by Madame Enault.

A man from the Sheffield Independent dated Monday 26 July 1880 reported the scene. It was noted that it was approaching 3.30 pm the previous day as Madame arrived at the drill ground in her gaudy caravan and horses, to the strains of the brass band which announced her approach. The reporter described how avisible thrill of excitement went through the assembled crowd, as all eyes turned towards the entrance to the grounds. One of the supplicants was a physically handicapped young boy who had been brought to the grounds in a basket carriage by his brother. They had waited patiently since 2 pm having heard of the fame of this great healer. The two boys had spoken to people crowded around them and they had encouraged the brothers, describing the magical attributes of Madame Enault.

In another cart sat a frail and elderly man and his wife who were both suffering from sciatica. Almost instantly another cart drew up alongside the elderly couple containing a man called Wood who lived on Greaves Street, Sheffield. He was paralysed and like thousands of the others that day, was hoping to be cured. Also in attendance was a man propped up on pillows. He had been bed-ridden for years and his friends hearing about the Madame had brought him to the drill ground in the hope that she would cure him. Another in the crowd was a mother carrying her child who had some kind of spinal affliction. They had come from Barnsley the previous day, but unable to get anywhere near to the woman, had been forced to stay overnight in Sheffield. They had come early in the hope to get a place at the front of the crowd.

As the gaudy caravan approached the drill grounds, the crowd applauded vigorously and pressed in towards her as she threw the reins towards one of her attendants. Once again she made a lengthy oration which her interpreter translated into the most execrable English. However on this occasion it seemed that Madame Enault was rather annoyed. She had read the recent article in the local newspaper where a reporter had the temerity to have some of her wonderful products analysed, and she requested the same reporter to step into her caravan where she would let him watch her as she worked. She offered to anyone to allow them to smash her carriage into a thousand pieces if they could prove any collusion between herself and any of the patients she claimed she had cured of tumours.

Having vent her spleen on the crowd, then once again she performed the operation of pulling teeth with much dexterity, to great applause from the crowd. However the reporter stated that those people in the carts were heard to say loudly that those healthy people who were crowded around Madame, should move aside to allow the afflicted ones to get near to her and be cured. When friends of the paralysed boy tried to push the cart towards her, the interpreter frantically shouted at them to desist. When told that the boy just wanted a cure, he was told to go to the Union Hotel on Monday, as Madame’s attendants instructed them to ‘take him away, take him away’.

After this heartless display, there was much anger expressed to wards Madame Enault as words such as ‘charlatan’ and ‘trickster’ were heard in the crowd. However, even the reporter was forced to admit that these condemnations were in the minority, as most of the great mass of people continued to listen to her own estimation of her wonderful abilities. At that point the interpreter announced that there would now be a sale of the miraculous products which had been used to cure people. Madame again seated herself beside a large chest containing bottles and on each side of her were attendants. The band struck up its liveliest tune and the business of selling began.

As fast as she handed the bottles out, they were snatched from her hands. Money changed hands so fast, that it was estimated that within a minute she had taken something in the region of £50 – £60. The rush had been so great that many people just could not get near enough to be served. Then, when she had exhausted her stock, the great show woman drew more teeth and removed another tumour. An old man, leaning on two sticks told her he had been dependent on using those sticks for 18 years and he begged her for help. She rubbed his aged limbs with her special lotion and then took his sticks and ordered him to ‘walk away’. The man did as he was told and looked delighted at the miracle she had just performed.

Madame asked him if he was cured, to which he answered ‘completely’ before she asked him how much she had charged him, to which he answered ‘nothing’. Looking at the crowd Madame Enault told them ‘this is what I do and still my enemies malign me.’ Then the band struck a lively tune as the old man executed a jib to the amusement of the crowd. The Sheffield Independent reporter concluded with the statement:

‘For more than half an hour Madame was fully engaged in taking the money, before she gathered up the reins and drove off the grounds; leaving as she had done on each previous occasions, all the poor paralytics and cripples and other similar cases, without so much as a look of recognition. It was distressing to observe their disappointed looks, as when the crowd had thinned, they were led off the grounds.’

However, it didn’t take long before the people of Sheffield were finally coming to their senses. On her next visit it was noted that there were less crowds than had been seen previously. The limited numbers at the drill ground had also been noticed by Madame who appeared to be exceedingly angry at the small turn out. On her journey to the drill grounds, she could not help but notice that less people had also turned out to watch her driving the three horses along Cemetery Road. Newspaper’s surmised that it was possible the people of Sheffield were finally beginning to see that there had been few real miracles. They suggested that Madame was more interested in selling her quack medicines, pulling teeth and extracting tumours than dealing with the more difficult cases which had come to see her.

Nevertheless it was reluctantly reported that her morning surgeries at the Union Hotel were still attracting much attention:

‘There the blind, the deaf and the lame were still crowding into all the reception rooms and in all the approaches to the hotel, still hoping to be seen and cured by Madame Enault.’

It seems that every morning at 10 am, a daily ritual was enacted when 15 free tickets were thrown into the crowd. There was a disorganised scramble for tickets and it was with disgust that one man managed to grab five, which he then proceeded to sell for 2s 6d each. A great many people hung wistfully about in the pouring rain, hoping that the miracle worker would relent and see them, but their hopes were dashed. On 31 July 1880 the Sheffield Independent devoted four full columns of Madame Enault’s deceptions. The report stated that prior to her visit to St Helens she had been in Warrington, before leaving in a great hurry, to the bewilderment of many people who had been told to return for further treatment.

At St Helens there was the same performance as had been seen at Sheffield, with the gorgeous carriage and gaping crowds. Now, it was reported:

‘The only people who followed her from Warrington were those bewildered persons who had been promised a cure in 15 days. They now found that the only thing they had been relieved of was their money.’

As more and more St Helens people demanded their money back, it was revealed that a solicitor had been instructed to commence proceeding to recover fee’s paid to her. Having been ordered to repay 30s and costs within a couple of days, Madame Enault simply decamped from St Helens and proceeded to Wigan. However the Corporation of Wigan refused to allow her to hire any portion of their market or fair ground, and she was forced to proceed to Birkenhead. As more and more stories of her deception continued to circulate in local newspapers, her reputation in Sheffield finally began to suffer. In the same newspaper the report of Mr Alfred Allen, the Public Analyst for West Yorkshire was printed on the analysis of the China Caustic and Indian Balm. The report read:

‘Gentlemen,

From the results of my examination I believe the China Caustic is a mixture of wax, oil, Vaseline and some variety of turpentine. I am unable to find any other constituent other than those mentioned above. The greenish liquid sold as Indian Balm consists essentially of glycerine and spirits of wine, scented with oils of peppermint cassia. The green colour is not due to copper as had been reported. However the quantity of liquid is too small to enable me to give a decided opinion as to the nature of the colouring matter. However I believe it to be one of the ordinary coal-tar dyes.

I am, gentlemen, yours faithfully,

ALFRED H. ALLEN’.

Suddenly a notice was inserted on the door of the Union Hotel stating that the Madame would see none of her patients that morning, however she was intending to be at the drill ground as usual later in the day. Sure enough she arrived and commenced with the charade of curing people, but nevertheless the damage had been done. The following Monday the crowds were disappointed when the carriage drew up as before in the centre of the ground driven by one of her ‘attendants’. He introduced himself as Dr Paul Deflot, the husband of the great Madame who said that he had studied under his wife, as he commenced to perform dental operations in her stead. He was closely questioned as to where his wife was and what had become of her. The interpreter stepped forward and explained that Madame had been forced to rest after her many exertions.

Despite the condemnation of the analysts results, the sale of China Caustic and Indian Balm seemed to be as popular as ever, and quite a few hours were spent by the supposed doctor in selling this elixir. Before he left, the interpreter stated that Madame would appear at the Sheaf House Gardens to commence her operations the next day. However followers were disappointed when the same gentleman appeared in her stead, and commenced his performance. The following day it was announced that Madame Enault had left Sheffield as silently and as mysteriously as she had arrived.

Despite this, several people still hoping for cures arrived at the Union Hotel throughout the day, wanting personal confirmation that their saviour had really gone. It was finally reported that there were many tears shed when they were finally told the truth.

Clifton Park had been opened to the people of Rotherham on 29 June 1891 by the then Prince of Wales, although the house and park had been in existence since 1783. It was part of the estate attached to Clifton House and its beautiful grounds were, and still are, a pleasure to behold. The park is central to the town and because of that is visited regularly by local people and tourists alike. It is a place where families gather, and so no one took much notice when a young mother entered with her three children on Tuesday 16 May 1916. Only one man noted her distress and decided to follow them.

Arthur Marsden lived in Whybourne Grove, Rotherham and he was walking in Clifton park near to the lake, when he was passed by the woman. She was carrying her young baby and had two other small children holding onto her skirts. Something about her gave him cause for concern and all he could say about it later was that ‘she looked troubled’. At that stage he was not to know that the baby she carried was called John who was just three months old, and the other two children were Edith aged five and Margaret aged three. Nevertheless he was concerned enough to watch as the young mother sat down at the side of the lake.

Marsden decided to sit down opposite and just watch the troubled woman for a while. He could not help but notice that she still appeared to be in some distress as she contemplated the lake. To his horror Marsden saw her suddenly leap up and catch hold of the two eldest children, throwing them bodily into the lake. She then took the small baby and jumped in the water, still holding him in her arms. Without hesitation, Marsden took off his jacket and jumped into the place where he had last seen the mother and child disappear under the water. Thankfully he quickly found them both a short distance from the edge of the lake, and managed to pull them clear.

He then jumped in again and found the two older children who were about further out from the edge and he carefully brought them also safely onto dry land. At this point a police officer named Sergeant Wilson, who had been taking a short cut through the park, also arrived on the scene. He could see that the family was now completely exhausted by their efforts, and the mother was in a semi conscious state. The baby had also been semi conscious when he was pulled from the water, so the sergeant wrapped all the children in his police overcoat, before taking them to a nearby shelter in the park.

Then he sent for medical help in the form of Dr Anderson. Whilst waiting for help to arrive, the mother seemed to come around and so the sergeant tried to question her, but to no avail. Shortly afterwards the police ambulance arrived to take the little family to the Rotherham workhouse infirmary where they were put to bed and cared for by the workhouse Matron. Dr Anderson told the sergeant that thanks to the swift intervention of Arthur Marsden, there were no serious concerns for the health of the family. However, if he had not been suspicious and taken immediate action, all the family would most certainly have perished.

It emerged that the mother’s name was Edith Thornton aged 36, and she was the wife of a soldier, John Thornton (who she called Jack) who had enlisted recently in the Royal Engineers. Left on her own, she had struggled to take care of the two children with a baby on the way. Even after she had given birth to little John in February, Edith felt unable to continue with the struggles of her daily life as she became more and more depressed. As she was being taken to the workhouse infirmary, Edith told Sergeant Wilson that she had written a letter to her husband, which she had left on the table at her home in Selborne Street.

After some consultation with the Chief Constable Mr. E. Weatherhogg, constables were dispatched to the house to gain admittance and to retrieve the letter. However the letter revealed little about the young mother’s real feelings. She wrote:

‘Dear Jack. Forgive me, but I feel I have not got the strength to battle with the children. You will find us in the lake. I have been up all night badly myself and all the children.’

At 10 am on Wednesday 17 May 1916, Edith was brought before the magistrates at the Rotherham Borough Court, charged with the attempted murder of her three children. She was also charged with attempted suicide, which at that time was seen as a crime. Throughout the hearing, the poor woman held a handkerchief to her face, sobbing as if her heart would break. Mr Weatherhogg, the Chief Constable outlined the case for the court, but stated that police enquiries were still continuing and asked for a remand for the prisoner for a week, which was agreed.

Despite the assurance of Dr Anderson, on Monday 22 May at the workhouse, Edith was informed that the baby, John had died earlier that morning. The Coroner, Mr W J Bradford had been informed, and he ordered that a post mortem was to be held on the child’s body later that same day. The inquest on little John Thornton was held at the Court House on the following day. Fortunately Private John Thornton had been sent home on compassionate leave, and thankfully he was with Edith throughout her ordeal. It was reported that during the enquiry, she simply rested her head on her husbands shoulders.

Private Thornton told the coroner that he had identified the body of his son who had been ‘chesty’ from birth. This had presented difficulties for his wife to have to deal with, as it was hard for the baby to settle. Dr Anderson was the next witness and he told the inquest that the other two children, were continuing to recover from their ordeal. The surgeon then gave details of the post mortem where he found bronchitis and a small patch of pneumonia on the child’s lungs. Mr Bradford asked him if that had contributed to his death, to which he admitted that it might have. Therefore the jury took little time in recording a verdict that death was ‘due to natural causes.’ The coroner ordered that Edith Thornton was to be remanded and during that time was sent to Leeds Gaol Hospital at Armley where she would be able to have more specialised help.

When the inquest re-convened the following week, the first witness was Edith’s mother, Mrs Caroline Simpson. She told the court that she had identified the body of her grandchild. She said that she had removed him from the workhouse on 18 May and had taken care of him up to the day he died. She told the court that her daughter had been ill ever since the birth, and had become very silent and despondent in her manner. Arthur Marsden was the next witness and he described passing the woman and noting that she looked so ill and down. He then described the rescue, for which he was praised by the coroner Mr Bradford who told him;

‘I should like to take this opportunity in commending you for your bravery and the presence of mind which you displayed in going into the water and rescuing the woman and her children from what, without the slightest doubt would have been their death. You must have the satisfaction of knowing that you have been the means of saving the lives of this mother and her children’.

Thankfully a solicitor Mr. Gichard had been engaged to watch the inquest for Edith and he asked the witness if he was prepared to say that the prisoner had jumped or had fallen into the lake. Marsden told the inquest that he was not prepared to swear that, so Mr Gichard then asked another question. He asked him ‘would you say that her actions in throwing the children into the lake were deliberate or impulsive’ but once again Marsden replied that he was not prepared to state either way. Dr Lodge, who was the family doctor was the next witness. He said that he had visited Edith at the workhouse after the ordeal, but at the time she had still been in a coma.

Although his patient had since recovered, he confirmed the fact that she had been ill ever since the birth of baby John. He said that he had prescribed medication for her health for the last four or five months. The jury considered for just a few moments before returning a verdict that Emily Thornton was guilty. The coroner then announced that the prisoner would be sent for trial to the Leeds Assizes. Her solicitor asked for bail, but the coroner thought that she would continue to be cared for better at Leeds Gaol ‘where she would have every care and attention’.

Mr. Gichard then asked for a certificate under the Poor Persons Defence Act stating that the prisoner’s husband, Private Thornton, was now back serving with the colours and therefore it would be difficult for him to make arrangements for his wife’s defence. The certificate was granted. The trial of Edith Thornton was held at the Leeds Assizes in July 1916. A reporter stated that the prisoner appeared to feel her position keenly, and she was obviously under a lot of stress. Thankfully once again the prisoner had her husband and her mother in the Court room to support her during her terrible ordeal. When asked how she pleaded Edith told the judge that she pleaded guilty.

One of the staff at Leeds Gaol, a Doctor Exley had the opportunity to observe her during her stay and he felt that she remained in a condition of being suicidal and depressed. It was his recommendation that she was never to be left on her own and that consequently a constant watch had been made on her during her stay at Leeds. The Judge after listening to the medical officer’s advice said that to send her back to her life in Rotherham with the two children would be inadvisable right now. He felt that she had suffered enough following the death of their youngest child, but nevertheless justice had to be done.

In sentencing her to just two months imprisonment, he felt that in prison she would hopefully receive the psychiatric help she so clearly needed. However there was little chance that Edith Thornton would have the kind of specialised help she would be offered today. I have often wondered what happened to her after finishing her term of imprisonment. Did she return back to Rotherham and take care of her two remaining children supported by her husband and her mother? I would like to think she did.

At some time around 1845 a Sheffield girl called Ann Laycock was being courted by a young man called Joseph Wadsworth. They had been going out together for some years when Ann got pregnant. Wadsworth swore that he would marry her and take care of her and the child, and at first all seemed well. Ann lived with her father at Charlton Brook, Ecclesfield, Sheffield and he was furious with her when she told him she was expecting Wadsworth’s child. Mr Laycock didn’t like him, and he thought that his daughter could do much better than to get involved with a man like him. Consequently he urged her to take Wadsworth before the magistrates in order to get a maintenance order against him.

Reluctantly Ann did as her father asked, and the magistrates ordered him to pay a sum of money each week for the little girl who was born soon after. With such opposition from her father, it was not long before the relationship between the two former lovers broke down. Consequently it was some time later when Wadsworth abandoned his promise to her and married another woman. Ann was left heartbroken and she became more and more depressed. After some months she appeared to recover and assured her father that she was over her romance with Wadsworth. Nevertheless he could see that it still played on her mind and he often found her quiet and withdrawn.

As time went by, these periods became more frequent and her father’s concern grew as Ann’s moods became much more violent and unpredictable. At some point towards the beginning of February 1850, she became so violent that Mr Laycock was forced to call in a medical man. The only advice the surgeon could offer was to have his daughter closely watched all the time. He strongly felt that it would be very unsafe to leave the girl on her own. Mr Laycock was devoted to his daughter, so he took some time off work in order to stay with Ann and tried to cheer her up. He patiently soothed her when her moods appeared to be down, and comforted her as much as he could.

Gradually Ann improved to the point where, around the last week in February, Mr Laycock felt able to leave her and go back to to work. He had that arranged that Ann and her little daughter would stay for a few days with her uncle, a man called John Smith who lived at Potters Hill, Ecclesfield. Ann assured her father that she would be fine and that she and the baby would enjoy the break, so Mr Laycock went back to work. Her brother also worked for Mr Smith in a workshop at the back of his house, so he knew that he would also be able to keep an eye on his sister. What neither men had anticipated however, was that Joseph Wadsworth and his now pregnant wife Jane, had taken over a shop nearby to their uncles house at Potters Hill.

At first Ann appeared to have fully recovered from her obsession, so her uncle never realised just how ill she still was. He had no idea that she was planning to extract revenge on the woman that she saw as having replaced her in Wadsworth’s affections. Consequently on Wednesday 27 February 1850 at some time around 10 am, Ann told her uncle that she fancied some oranges and went off with her little daughter to the shop run by Wadsworth’s wife. Entering, Ann was smiling as she asked Jane for some oranges. The woman leaned into the window of the shop to get some out, and taking her opportunity Ann struck out at her with a sharp razor she had hidden in the pocket of her dress.

Quick as a flash, she stepped behind the heavily pregnant woman and slashed her across the throat, inflicting a most serious cut. In order to save herself and the baby she was carrying, Jane made a grab for the razor and the two women scuffled together. At this point Jane was screaming at the top of her voice for help, realising how frenzied the girl was in her mad attack. As she screamed, Ann threw the injured woman onto the floor and leapt upon her determined to slash again at the pregnant woman’s throat. Still trying to get the razor away from the madwomen, Jane tried to grab the blade in her left hand. Finally she succeeded, and managing to hold onto the razor until neighbours came to her rescue.

Together they pulled Ann off the stricken woman on the floor, but her anger was so frenzied that it now took several men to hold onto her until the local constable, a man called Shaw arrived and took her into custody. Neighbours put clean handkerchiefs, towels and other cloths onto Jane’s cuts, in order to stem the blood pouring from her wounds. A surgeon. Mr Turton was hastily called and he found that the pregnant woman had received some very serious wounds to her throat. He examined her injuries, which he found to be most serious. In the frenzied attack one of the gashes across her throat was almost six inches in length, which had severed a large blood vessel. Jane’s hands had also been badly cut as she fought off her attacker.

The ends of two fingers and a thumb on one hand had been almost completely sliced off, as had four of the fingers on her left hand. These the surgeon saw with horror had been almost cut down to the bone. Most of these wounds had been caused as she had grabbed at the blade whilst trying to save herself. Due to the trauma the young girl had suffered, the following morning Jane Wadsworth was prematurely delivered of a child. Thankfully the baby miraculously survived the horrific attack made on its mother. Meanwhile Ann Laycock had been taken to the Town Hall where she was locked in a cell with a female wardress in constant attendance. The Chief Constable, Mr Raynor had quickly realised that the poor girl was quite demented.

He had no facilities for persons of unstable, mental health, and so he applied for a medical certificate to have Ann removed to, what in those days was called the Lunatic Ward of the Sheffield Workhouse. There she was locked away in a padded cell for her own protection. Later newspaper reports claimed that even being locked up had not eased the woman’s frenzy. It was stated that even in this state of absolute mania, she had made several frantic attempts to commit suicide. As a result of this, the master of the workhouse had been forced to keep her under constant watch by members of his own nursing staff.

On 23 March 1850 the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent reported that several statements had been taken from the workhouse medical staff to prove that the girl needed more specialised help than the workhouse was able to offer. These statements were forwarded to the Home Office in order to support an application to have Ann Laycock removed from the workhouse and taken to the Wakefield Asylum. There it was hoped that the poor woman could be taken care of by professionals. The first statement was from the victim herself, Jane Wadsworth who stated that she had been married for about 15 months. Prior to that she had been acquainted with her husband for two years before they married.

Jane stated that she knew Ann Laycock by sight, and also knew that she had an illegitimate child by her husband. However she claimed that she had never spoken to the woman until the date of the attack on 27 February and had not had any dealings with her prior to that date. Jane described how she had been alone working upstairs in the house above the shop, whilst her husband was at his work. Suddenly she heard someone knock at the shop door and came downstairs to find Ann Laycock and the little girl, who she introduced as her daughter. Jane knew quite well who the woman was, and so she smiled and tried to appear friendly. In the statement she described how the woman asked for some oranges, before attacking her for no reason with the razor. Jane said that the prisoner had said nothing to her, apart from asking for the oranges.

However during the attack she had screamed incomprehensibly at her in complete fury, whilst the two women struggled. A statement made by the prisoners brother, James Laycock was also included in the application, which said that he had heard that Jane had not been in good health. He explained that he had a workshop which was situated at the bottom of his uncle’s yard. Laycock’s statement revealed that on the morning of the attack, he had met his sister outside his uncle’s workshop, and had noted her frenzied agitation. He asked her what was the matter, but she didn’t answer. Laycock said that it was around 10.30 am and that his little niece, Ann’s daughter was with her mother, and so he was quite concerned for her. He had asked her where she was going and she told him she fancied some oranges.

His statement described how he had watched them enter the shop, before returning back to work. Laycock stated that about 3 or 4 minutes later, he heard screaming and ran back to see his sister fighting with a woman in the shop. The two women were both now on the ground and Jane was bleeding heavily from the slash in her neck. Seeing that the woman was heavily pregnant, Laycock dashed across and pulled his sister off her. Other witnesses made similar statements including Jane’s husband and Joseph and Ann’s uncle, John Smith. He said that having been shown the razor with which Ann had made the attack, he had identified it as being his own. Police Constable Thomas Shaw’s statement reported how he had apprehended the prisoner, and taken her into Sheffield.

The officer said that when he arrived he could see that the front of the prisoners gown was soaked with the blood of her victim. During the journey to the Town Hall the woman had rambled furiously to herself and PC Shaw had been forced to put on handcuffs on her to prevent her from hurting herself. The surgeon Mr Foster’s account said that he had attended to Jane Wadsworth and described the defence wounds which had been made to her hands, as she had valiantly tried to fend off her attacker. He then statedthat despite the victim’s terrible wounds, she had safely given birth to a child the following day. Thankfully he added that the child had survived the trauma and was alive and well and expected to thrive.

He concluded that he was still attending to Mrs Wadsworth, as she had not sufficiently recovered from both the birth of her child or the terrible ordeal which had prematurely led to its birth. As a result of these statements, the Secretary of State ordered that Ann Laycock would be removed to the Wakefield Asylum and to be kept confined there. Consequently on Monday 15 July 1850, under a writ of Habeas Corpus the prisoner was finally removed to York Castle to await her trial. Ann Laycock was brought before the judge Mr Justice Cresswell at the Yorkshire Summer Assizes on Tuesday 16 July 1850. She was charged with ‘cutting, stabbing and wounding Jane Wadsworth at Ecclesfield on 27 February 1850 with intent to murder her.’ However it was clear that the poor girl was not in a fit state to be tried.

When asked whether she pleaded guilty or not guilty, Ann simply replied ‘its right.’ The judge asked the matron of York Castle who accompanied the prisoner, if the prisoner understood what she was being tried for. However the matron simply shook her head. She added that she had only received the prisoner the night before, and had little time to observe her. Mr Justice Cresswell then asked if the prison surgeon, Mr W Anderson had been able to assess the prisoner, but again the matron said that he had not had time. However she maintained that during that time the prisoner had been under her watch, on occasions she had spoken quite rationally to her. The judge then ordered that the prisoner be removed and that Mr Anderson was to interview her in order to establish whether or not she was fit to plead.

The matron escorted Ann out of the dock and Mr Justice Cresswell proceeded with the next case. However Mr Anderson’s assessment of Ann Laycock’s sanity was not to be an ‘in depth’ analysis. Later the same day Ann was brought back before the Assizes and the indictment against her was read out once again. When the prisoner was asked whether she pleaded guilty or not guilty, she replied quite lucidly ‘No, I did not intend to murder her.’ The judge took this as a plea of ‘not guilty.’ The surgeon Mr Anderson was asked by Mr Justice Cresswell as to whether she was fit to stand trial. Thankfully the surgeon replied that in his opinion the prisoner was clearly insane.

However even though the surgeon had given his advice, a strict protocol had to be followed. Therefore the judge ordered that a Special Jury was to be sworn in and, untrained though they were, they would decide on the prisoner’s fitness to stand trial. In order for them to do this, the jury heard evidence from the medical staff that since Ann’s confinement in Wakefield Asylum, she had on several occasions tried to kill herself. Mr Justice Cresswell finally told the jury that after hearing all the evidence, they would not have much difficulty in coming to a decision.

The foreman after a short consultation with the other jurors agreed, and the judge ordered that Ann Laycock be kept in safe custody until her Majesty’s pleasure be known. The prisoner was then removed from the dock. I would like to think that Ann Laycock found a more professional treatment for her affliction in Wakefield Asylum but sadly, it is a slim hope.

The Sheffield Independent dated Saturday 16 August 1851 reflected the prejudiced views of many of the people of the town towards its Irish immigrants. It was entitles ‘An Irish Row’ when reporting a drunken riot which had taken place a week before in Millgate, Rotherham. The piece stated:

‘It happened about midnight on Saturday from some cause or other, when there was a regular riot in the neighbourhood. The Irish turned out armed with pokers, tongs and other weapons, and attacked indiscriminately every person that came their way.’

This riot was also notable because it involved the son-in-law of the notorious ‘Lady Barton’ of Rotherham, a woman who kept one of the most unruly of the lodging houses on Millgate. [For more info on Lady Barton see Margaret Drinkall’s Lockdown Book of Rotherham Criminals: Book One]

On 9 August 1851 James Heppenstall lived in Barton’s lodging house, and he later claimed that he had not been involved in the affray, but instead had been watching from the safety of the doorstep. It seems that an argument had started around 11.30 pm which ended up with in cursing and swearing. When he opened the door, he saw groups of men punching and kicking at each other with a variety of weapons.

Suddenly a man called Patrick Masterman who lived opposite Heppenstall in another lodging house in Millgate, ran over and stabbed him on the forehead. He then knocked him to the ground and kick out at him as he lay there. Other rioters joined in, but thankfully Heppenstall was rescued by his brother, Joseph and a fellow lodger called John Green. The badly bleeding man was taken back into the house, before the police arrived to finally break up the fighting. Heppenstall was questioned by the police and he described the events of the night as he was attacked by his neighbour. He said that when Masterman stabbed him on the forehead without any warning he asked the man ‘what has thou done this for’ Masterton told him ‘damn thee, I have given thee nowt yet, but I will do’ before knocking him to the floor.

He then told officers that he was forced to let go of Masterman who soon disappeared into another house on Millgate. The Chief Constable of Rotherham, John Bland then arrived and made arrangements for Heppenstall to be seen by surgeon Mr Wilkinson, who dealt with the wound. Meanwhile two constables called Shillitoe and Timms were sent to the house where Masterman had been seen entering. It was occupied by another Irish man called Barney Fury. The two officers hammered on the door, but when Fury opened it, just wide enough so that they could see that he was armed with a gun. They told him that they were going to search the house for Masterman who was wanted for the stabbing of James Heppenstall.

However brandishing the weapon, Fury told Shillitoe and Timms that he would shoot at anyone who came through the door. He warned them that he would ‘blow the brains out of the first man who tried to enter’ as he closed the door against them. Through the window the two officers could see him taking up a firing position, ready to shoot. It was later established that as Fury and the two constables were occupied, Masterman managed to escape through a back kitchen window. Finally the Chief Constable went to the house. Mr Bland spoke to Fury and persuaded him to lay down the weapon and let the two constables do their duty. After a short delay PC Shillitoe and Timms were admitted to the house.

There they reported to the Chief Constable that Masterman had gone. Mr Bland knew that the fugitive could not have gone far, as the area had been surrounded by his men. Almost immediately he ordered a search to be made, and Masterman was found hiding in the coal cellar of a house in the next yard. He was arrested and charged with the stabbing of James Heppenstall. Two days later on Monday 11 August 1851, Patrick Masterman was removed from his cell and brought up before magistrates Rev. A Fullerton and Mr H W Pickards Esq. The Chief Constable reported the events of the Saturday night riot and produced a knife which he said had been used in the attack on Heppenstall. He said that it had been found inside the coal cellar in which the prisoner had taken refuge.

The first witness to give evidence was James Heppenstall himself. He repeated that he had not been involved in the fighting when he was attacked by the prisoner. The lodger John Green was the next to give his testimony, and he too claimed to be an observer from the lodging house on Millgate. He had heard the noise of the riot around midnight and saw the mob in Millgate attacking each other, as if settling old scores. The witness told the bench that he saw Heppenstall who was about three yards from where he stood, and confirmed that he had taken no part in the affray. Green said that he had seen the prisoner attacking several other men in a most cowardly way. Masterman would lash out at anyone with a poker and other implements before rushing back to the safety of his own doorstep.

At one point the witness claimed that he saw him emerge out of his house with a weapon and that was when he rushed up to Heptonstall and hit him on the forehead. Green claimed that he was about to attack him a second time, when the implement was struck out of his hand. The witness concluded his statement by saying that was when Masterman took refuge in the house occupied by Barney Fury. The surgeon Mr Wilkinson was the next witness and he stated that he had attended to Heppenstall’s wound, which was deep and about two inches in length. The surgeon was shown the knife and he agreed that the wound might well have been inflicted with such a weapon.

In answer to the charge, the prisoners defence solicitor, Mr Badger minimised the involvement of his client and maintained that if there was any charge to be brought against him, it could only be one of common assault. But the Rotherham Magistrates were having none of it. They informed Patrick Masterman that he was found guilty and was to be sent to take his trial at the next Assizes. The case against Barney Fury was then heard and after hearing all the witnesses, he was fined 40s and costs.

Patrick Masterman appeared before judge Mr Baron Platt at York Assizes on Wednesday 17 December 1851. He was charged with cutting and wounding James Heppenstall at Rotherham on 9 August 1851 ‘with intent to maim and disfigure him.’ On behalf of the prosecution Mr Pickering outlined the case for the jury, before calling Heppenstall as the first witness. He told the court that he had known the prisoner for five years and up to the night of the riot, had never had a cross word with him. He stated that heard a row developing outside, but had initially taken little notice as it was such a common occurrence. He was followed onto the stand by the surgeon Mr Wilkinson, whose medical evidence now confused the case considerably.

He started by describing how he had examined the injured man, and found the wound in his head had been so deep that it had cut down to the man’s skull. He also described the bruises on the injured man’s body and arms from the kicking he had received. However there was some discrepancy on the type of weapon that had been used in the attack. At the Magistrates Court in Rotherham he had identified the knife shown to him, but now it seems that was in some doubt. When the surgeon was asked what kind of weapon would cause such a wound, Mr Wilkinson did not hesitate as he told the magistrate that it might have been inflicted by a poker.

The Chief Constable however, now thought that it was caused by a coal rake, as one had been found near to where the injured man lay. Mr Wilkinson was shown the coal rake and he agreed that such an implement might have caused the same wound. This confusion was not made clear and it concluded the case for the prosecution. Needless to say the prisoners defence, Mr Overend made much of this confusion. He referred to the imprecise nature of the evidence against the prisoner, in particular the weapon which had been used. The defence maintained that when Patrick Masterman was captured, he had no knife on his person and that was still ‘a declaration he persisted in maintaining’. Mr Overend claimed that Heppenstall was also mistaken in his identification of the prisoner.

He claimed that the night was dark and tempers were high, so it is not surprising that there was some confusion over the actual events and the weapon used. The defence concluded that such discrepancies therefore caused the whole case against his client to be invalid. However he asked the Grand Jury to give his client the benefit of the doubt, and to acquit him of the charge, which he said was, at the very least questionable. Sadly this very able defence made no impact on the jury’s decision. They returned a verdict which found Patrick Masterman guilty of the assault ‘with intent to do grievous bodily harm’. The judge Mr Baron Platt said that he had taken the amount of violence used into account, before sentenced Patrick Masterman to be transported for ten years.

When Sheffield’s new Medical School of Anatomy was opened in Eyre Street in 1829, it was met initially with much enthusiasm. The idea had been driven forward by surgeon Mr Hall Overend, who had been teaching anatomy to medical students in the town since 1811. So enthusiastic was he on the subject, that he had even opened an Anatomy Museum at his home in Church Street. There he gave lectures and demonstrations on the subject of medicine and the workings of the human body. However, the plain truth was that to demonstrate surgery in the new Medical School he needed bodies, and this was where opposition to the new ideas on medicine started.

No one wanted to think about exactly where the bodies given to the students for dissection, came from. Reports of Burke and Hare’s grave robbing exploits in 1828 had circulated in Sheffield, which created a fear that such a thing might happen in the town itself. Nevertheless those fears would manifest in January 1835, when a man called John Butler and his wife Ann were working in the Medical School as caretakers. During the day they were respectful of the lecturers and the students, but at night and at weekends they indulged in alcohol and disputes between each other.

On Sunday 26 January 1835 the trouble started when, against all the rules, Butler’s brother Thomas was admitted into the premises. Fuelled by alcohol, a quarrel broke out later that day when the two brothers threw Ann outside the school and locked the door against her. In her determination to cause trouble for the two men, Mrs Butler called out to passers-by that they were trying to ‘burke’ her before handing her body over to the students for dissection. A crowd of people assembled at the door of the school, ready to rescue the woman from such a fate. It has to be said that many of them were simply curious to look inside the building.

Mrs Butler’s cries were taken up and soon the disturbance was such that the Sheffield police were quickly notified. The two men were carted off to the police station charged with being drunk and disorderly. That should have been the end of the matter, however news of the woman’s claims had now spread like wildfire around the town. Within a matter of hours the building was surrounded by hundreds of people fired up on stories of grave robbers. They were determined to prevent such happenings taking place in Sheffield. The rioting started and continued throughout the night and by the early hours of the next day, around 7.30 am the doors to the Medical School were finally torn open by the mob. Inside the new school they found partially dissected cadavers, which inflamed them to such an extent that they were determined to tear the building down using just their bare hands.

Gangs of rioters entered into each room where furniture, books, floorboards, indeed anything flammable, was thrown out of the windows and doors into Eyre Street itself. A bonfire was made of these flammable objects, which alerted the town constables to the scene. However the mob turned on them, and they were so abused that they had no option but to just as quickly disappear. By this time the wind was fanning the flames of the fire, which also disturbed neighbours in nearby houses on Eyre Street. One of the Sheffield fire engines was called out, but when it arrived, the firefighters were welcomed with stones and pieces of slates which had fallen from the Medical School roof.

They too had no option but to drive quickly away from the rioting mob.

As news that the school had been broken into spread, more and more people joined in the rioting. Once again the police authorities were called upon, but they were still powerless to intervene without the presence of a magistrate who could read out the Riot Act. This would have at least given the police powers to disperse the mob. However the clerk to the magistrates, a man called Mr Albert Smith sent off two constables in cabs to find and urgently return with a magistrate from another town. The Superintendent of Sheffield’s police force, Mr Raynor finally took action by going to the local barracks to ask for a force of soldiers to be sent into town. As a result, a detachment of the 6^th Enniskillen Dragoons was dispatched to the site.

The soldiers gathered just above Howard Street on their horses, where they halted brandishing their sabres. At the sight of the Dragoons with drawn weapons, many in the mob disappeared fearing a charge by the cavalry. Others less afraid, threw stones at the horses and the mounted men. The sergeant in charge of the men persuaded the fire engines to return to the spot, and finally to extinguish the flames of the bonfire in Eyre Street. However, even with the presence of the cavalry the rioting continued, and the police authorities were still powerless to intervene without the presence of a magistrate. Thankfully a magistrate called Mr W J Bagshawe Esq., finally arrived, and he read out the Riot Act to the crowd. The crowd however at this point were having too much fun.

Indeed the mob were only dispersed when the mounted soldiers were ordered to charge at them wielding their sabres. Only then were police authorities actually able to reach the building itself. Inside they found it had been completely gutted, as it had been literally torn down almost to the ground. The back wall and many of the inner walls had been completely smashed open. Newspaper reports of the time stated that ‘from the ground floor up to the roof of the school, there was nothing to see but roof joists and beams.’ By 11 am it would seem that the soldiers had belatedly got the situation under control. This they managed by walking their horses up and down the principal streets around the school.

Finally the soldiers were thanked for their efforts and sent back to their barracks, leaving Mr Raynor and a small party of constables to protect what remained of the building. The soldiers may have breathed a sigh of relief when returned back to the barracks, but they did not have time to rest before they were called out again. By 1.30 pm yet another urgent request for the Dragoons to return was made, as the crowds had again collected in front of the torn down remains. Many of them were showing signs of intoxication and an order was sent out that all public houses in the area had to be closed. As the Dragoons entered back into the area, it was decided once again that the only method of dispersing the drunken rabble was for another charge.

Consequently the troops were divided into two, one force being commanded by the Rev. G Chandler and the second by Mr Bagshawe. At 2.30 pm they charged down Eyre Street scattering the crowd in all directions. One man was actually caught inside the building and he was promptly arrested. As he was taken to the cells under the Town Hall and to ensure he was not rescued en route, he was escorted by a party of Dragoons. Threats had also been made against Mr Overend’s Anatomy Museum on Church Street, and around 6 pm that building too was suddenly attacked. Within a matter of minutes there was not a window of the building left intact. Thankfully another party of Dragoons arrived and they quickly broke up the mob.

By 5 pm the soldiers were lined up in front of the remains of the Medical School on Eyre Street and only then did peace return. It was reported by 7.30 pm that everything was finally quiet. Nevertheless the soldiers continued to patrol the streets until around midnight, when they were sent back to their barracks. On Tuesday 23 January 1835, the caretaker John Butler and his brother Thomas were brought before the Sheffield Magistrates charged with disorderly conduct. The first witness was a man called James Belcher who lived on Eyre Street, a few doors away from the Medical School. He said that on the morning in question he had been passing about 12.30 pm, when he heard a cry of ‘murder’ from a woman who had just come out of the building.

Belcher stated that the caretakers drunken ways were well known in the neighbourhood and they usually happened at weekend when the man had been paid. The woman was clearly drunk and she shouted out that she was frightened of being ‘burked’ before turning and going back inside. Within a few minutes, the witness said a crowd of people had gathered around the door. Belcher claimed that among many others, he found himself being pushed inside the doors of the school by the crowd. He then described how two Butler brothers had tried to turn the mob out with oaths and curses. However the woman kept begging the crowd not to go, claiming that the men were intent on killing her. She claimed that as soon as everyone had gone, she would be murdered and her body would given to the students along with the other cadavers for dissection.

Belcher said that her husband dismissed the accusations of his wife, claiming that she was just drunk and didn’t know what she was saying. Then another neighbour gave evidence. He said his name was John Driver and confirmed Belcher’s account. He claimed that when Mr Raynor appeared, the two Butlers, ‘acting like furies’ grabbed hold of the Superintendent of Police and threw him to the ground. Thankfully two other men rescued him and finally managed to pull him to his feet. Then Driver described how Butler and his brother armed themselves, using a poker, a knife and a brush handle to protect themselves from the angry mob.

The witness described how at this point more constables arrived, and Mr Raynor arrested the two drunken brothers who were quickly removed. Initially Mrs Butler had been left safe inside the building, and a constable ensured that the doors were locked and bolted. The witness said that at this point he went home, but around an hour later he could hear that the mob had returned and went back outside. To his surprise there was an even greater crowd which now collected in front of the Medical School, and that many of them had clearly been drinking. Fuelled by alcohol, the witness described how a panel of the front door had been broken open by someone, and the crowd including the witness, was pushed inside. There they found the building empty, Mrs Butler having fled.

It seemed that she had heard the noise of the mob, and escaped from the building leaving the back door wide open. Driver said that it was not long before people were pouring into the school from both the back and front doors. Anxious to see what kinds of specimens the students were actually dissecting, the mob went into every room both downstairs and up. To their horror they found plenty of body parts. When they found any bones or full skeletons, they threw them out of the windows, inflaming the crowds who still collected below. In disgust they also threw out any items which would burn, including furniture. Two other witnesses gave similar evidence to the bench, which confirmed the fact that Mr and Mrs Butler were notorious for their drunken weekend arguments.

Mr Raynor was the next witness and he gave evidence of having being called to the Medical School, and how he had been manhandled by the Butler brothers. He said he had assigned some of his men to remain to protect the building, before returning back to his office. Therefore he could not believe it when he was told later that a full scale riot was taking place. As a result of this, the Superintendent requested that Mrs Butler had better be found and brought to the Town Hall for her own protection. She was found at the rear of the Medical School, now terrified at what she had started, and was escorted to the police office. However on the journey to the Town Hall she was recognised by a crowd of people. As a result she was hooted at and pelted with rubbish from the mob emerging onto Eyre Street.

Mr Raynor said that after he had made sure the woman was safe, he returned back to the school, where thankfully he found that the soldiers had now cleared the crowd. However bones and furniture were scattered in front of the building and all along Eyre Street. Going inside, the Superintendent described finding one human body, which he said that ‘although intact, it had been opened from breast to pubes’ and all the internal organs had been exposed. The witness stated that in many of the rooms of the school there were various body parts and limbs scattered around. Upstairs there was the same grisly sights, as well as several complete skeletons in the teaching and anatomy classrooms.

George Mason, a police sergeant confirmed that he had accompanied Mr Raynor in his search of the building, and he too described finding many body parts. The sergeant informed the bench that under Mr Raynor’s direction, the full and partially dissected bodies had been removed at 2 am on the Monday morning. They had been carefully placed in a sack and taken to the Sheffield Workhouse by two of Mr Overend’s students, before being respectfully interred that same afternoon. The next witness was the woman who had started the riot, Mrs Ann Butler herself. She told the magistrates that the pair had been caretakers at the Medical School for eight months.

They had previously lived in London and her husband was an ‘articulator’ who had worked for Mr Overend. Mrs Butler said that he had prepare limbs and bones which were then displayed in realistic poses behind glass, for display in his Anatomy Museum on Church Street. On Sunday 25 January 1835, her husband and his brother were very drunk and were annoyed at her because she would not give them more money. In retaliation, Mrs Butler told the bench that her husband John had knocked her down and kicked her, putting his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.

His brother had then helped him to put her out of the doors of the school, and she found herself in Eyre Street.

The witness was asked by one of the magistrates if she was aware that there were partially dissected cadavers inside the building. Mrs Butler said that there had been three bodies to her knowledge, that were kept at the medical school at that time being used for dissection. Her husband, John Butler was the next witness and he confirmed that to his knowledge, one body had been entire and the other two had been cut up in sections for the students to dissect. The caretaker admitted that he had been drunk at the time of the riot, but denied being involved in the assault on Mr Raynor. His brother Thomas Butler told the bench that he had only been in Sheffield for a fortnight and was an unemployed bricklayer. He too admitted being intoxicated at the time of the offence and denied attacking the Superintendent.

The magistrate, Mr Bagshawe asked that the two brothers and Mrs Butler be kept in custody for the time being. He pointed out that it would not be prudent for them to be discharged to that time. The magistrate claimed that an idea had spread around Sheffield that they too were involved with resurrectionists, and if they were recognised by a member of the public, their lives would be in great danger. Mr Raynor told the court that he had spoken to Mr Overend, who said that he had heard nothing of any of the neighbours complaints about the regular drunken rows between the caretaker and his wife. He said that if he had known that, he would never have left ‘those persons in charge of the school, not even for one day’.

The two Butler brothers were therefore remanded once more, although Mrs Butler was dismissed. When both men appeared in front of the magistrates again on Friday 6 February 1835 it seems that Mr Raynor had informed the bench that he did not intend to prosecute either of them for the assault made upon him. Nevertheless the two men were both severely censured for their actions which had led directly to the riot at the Sheffield Medical School. The chair to the magistrates told the men that for the time being they should both be discharged. However they would need to find recognizances of £20 each to appear before the magistrates again, if it should be required.

Mr Bagshawe told them both that they were responsible for the present hostility towards the Medical School, which was still being felt in Sheffield. He warned them both:

‘It is for your own benefit that you have both been kept in prison, and I would advise you to get out of town as soon as possible, in order to avoid any disturbance that might arise from your being recognised.’

So ended the Sheffield Medical School riot, although the fears against resurrectionists took much longer to disperse within the town.

In April of 1853 there lived in Sheffield an 18 year old girl called Mary Ann Stocks, who saw herself as being a very independent young woman. Her father was a constable in the Sheffield Police force and probably because of his job, he was very strict with her. Naturally this meant that Mary Ann kept her own counsel on many matters which would annoy him. One of those secrets that she kept from him was the fact that she had started a relationship with a much older man. He was 38 year old Stephen Brown, who flattered the younger girl, and told her that he was from Ashover in Chesterfield.

When he asked her to marry him Mary Ann agreed without hesitation, but given her father position he suggested that they marry in secret. Mary Ann was happy to comply with his wishes and the couple made their plans accordingly. She hugged the secret knowledge to herself as he made arrangements for them both to be married at Rotherham Parish Church [now the Minster] on Sunday10 April 1853. Mary Ann had only told a few friends of her intentions, including two girls who acted as her bridesmaids. Consequently on the morning of her wedding she rose early and left the house as usual at 7.30 am. Instead of going to work though, she met Brown and the pair set off for Rotherham.

Consequently it was sometime in the afternoon before her father, James Stocks was informed that his daughter hadn’t shown up for work that morning. He spoke to some of her friends and workmates and the truth came out. He was told that she had run off to get married that morning at Rotherham. To compound matters, some of his daughters workmates were very suspicious that Brown was already married. Using his police contacts Constable Stocks quickly established that not only was Brown already married and had a wife in Chesterfield, but also that after the wedding the pair had returned back to Sheffield. At that very moment they were both installed in a furnished room off Pond Street.

Taking another officer with him, it was around 8 pm when Stocks went to the house and broke open the door of the bedroom the pair were sharing. There he found them both in bed. Stocks told Brown that Mary Ann was his daughter and that very morning he had committed bigamy with her. Brown denied this and informed Stocks that he was not taking his ‘wife’ away and a struggle ensued. Stocks managed to pull Mary Ann out of bed and hand her over to the safety of his colleague. He then proceeded to give Brown a sound thrashing, leaving the man bleeding on the floor of the bedroom he had so recently shared with his daughter.

The following day Monday 11 April, Constable Stocks went to the Town Hall in order to take out a summons against Brown for bigamy. He found his daughter’s seducer was already there and was making out a counter summons against him for assault. The Chief Constable of Sheffield, Mr Raynor was in his office that morning, when he heard the sound of raised voices coming from the police office. Going to the door he demanded to know what the noise was all about. Stephen Brown saw the Chief Constable and insisted that he wanted his ‘wife’ back. He also told him that he intended taking a summons out against PC Stocks for the assault the previous day.

Mr Raynor brought both men into his office and the story of the illicit wedding came to light. Brown showed him a marriage certificate dated the day before at Rotherham, but Stocks told his superior that he had heard that Brown was already married, therefore he wanted him charged with bigamy. Brown told him that was a lie and that he had never been married before. After listening to both accounts, Mr Raynor told Stocks to get proof of Brown’s previous marriage and to bring it to him as soon as possible. On Wednesday 13 April therefore, Stocks travelled to Chesterfield where he succeeded in obtaining a copy of the certificate of marriage. It clearly stated that the marriage of Stephen Brown and a woman called Jane Todd took place in July 1844.

Returning back to Sheffield, Stocks told Mr Raynor that he had spoken to Mrs Brown and made arrangements for her to travel to Sheffield to attend the magistrates court. A summons was taken out against Brown, who was arrested and taken before the stipendiary magistrate. He was given bail and ordered to return back to the court the next morning, when the evidence against him would be heard. On Thursday 14 April 1853, it was just after 10 am when Constable Stocks and his daughter were walking towards the magistrates court at the Town Hall to give their evidence. What they did not know was that Brown had spotted father and daughter in a street off the Wicker. He decided to follow them, still determined on extracting his revenge.

As the officer and his daughter approached Waingate, just opposite the Town Hall, Stocks suddenly found himself seized from behind. Twisting around he saw that it was Brown and that he had a pistol in his hand. To his horror, the man placed the gun next to his head and fired. Thankfully the gun misfired, giving Stocks sufficient time to knock the pistol to the floor. Stocks could barely believe it therefore when Brown brought out a second gun and once again tried to shoot the officer. Thankfully bystanders had seen the tussle and the man was grabbed by two other men who were passing. Between the three of them they frog-marched him to the Town Hall where Stephen Brown was arrested and searched.

Both guns were closely inspected and were found to be heavily charged with powder and ball. It would seem that if the first gun had not misfired, then Stocks would undoubtedly be dead. Later that same day, Brown was brought before the magistrates charged with both the serious attempt to injure Police Constable Stocks as well as bigamy. However the bench made the decision to ignore the prisoners summons for assault against Constable Stocks. They then proceeded to try the prisoner on the charge of bigamy. The Police constable was the first witness and he gave his account of snatching his daughter from the arms of the man he knew to be a bigamist.

He said that as he broke in the room where Brown and his daughter were, he shouted at him that she was his daughter and he wanted her to be restored back to him. The prisoner coolly replied that she was his ‘wife’ and that her father had no claim on her now, as they had been married that morning. At that point the prisoner was asked if he had anything to say. Audaciously it was Brown who called Stocks a villain for dragging his ‘wife’ out of his bed. The magistrate Mr Butcher reminded the prisoner:

‘You are the villain of the piece. Stocks was perfectly justified in retrieving his daughter and thrashing you. You deserved all you got, and if you had married a daughter of mine under such circumstances, I would have thrashed you even more severely if I could’

Mr Raynor then asked for a remand, which the magistrates granted.

Stephen Brown was brought back before the bench on Friday 15 April and James Stocks once again was the first to give evidence. He told the court that he had been a constable in the Sheffield police force for the last 13 years, and swore that he had never met the prisoner before he heard that his daughter had been abducted by him. The officer described rescuing her from the prisoners clutches and his journey to Chesterfield to prove his bigamy. He then described the attack, as he and his daughter were making their way to the Town Hall. Constable Stocks stated that he had suddenly felt something hard pressed against the lower part of the back of his head, and heard Brown say ‘Thou’s had thy turn, now I’ll have mine.’

The courtroom was silent as he described hearing the gun go off, before he knocked at the hand holding the pistol. The witness said that the weapon fell onto the pavement, but as he looked up the prisoner was pointing a second gun at him. Without thinking, Stocks said that he pushed Brown up against a wall, before two men who he later found out were called James Watts and Henry Rickards came to his rescue. The three men managed between them to get the prisoner inside the Town Hall where he was arrested and charged. However Brown already had his own version ready. He claimed that he had attacked the girl’s father, but not with a gun but with a stick with which he had poked him in the head.

The prisoner then accused Stocks of using unnecessary violence on him and during the struggle that followed, he had struck him half a dozen times quite viciously. He said that as a result he still had lumps at the back of his head. However Stocks’ evidence was followed by the two witnesses James Watts and Henry Rickards, who confirmed the officer’s account before Rickards described how the had disarmed the prisoner. He said that after the struggle, he took the guns into the Town Hall and handed them over to Mr Raynor. The Chief Constable then gave his evidence of Stephen Brown’s former wedding, and confirmed that his wife was a woman called Jane Todd. He told the court that he had hoped that she would be able to give evidence, but she could not appear at that time as she had just given birth to a baby. Mr Raynor produced a medical certificate to authenticate this from a Chesterfield surgeon.

However he said that had found another witness who had acted as bridesmaid at the same wedding, who could give evidence against the prisoner. He asked for a remand for an unstated period in order for that witness to be able to attend the court, which was granted. When the bench reconvened on Friday 29 April the two charges against Stephen Brown were read out. The magistrates decided that the first charge of the attempted murder of James Stocks was the most serious and therefore that would be proceeded with first. The girl herself, Mary Ann Stocks was brought into the court to give evidence, and the crowded courtroom seemed to be very interested to view the young girl, who was at the centre of this case.

She looked nervous, but gave her evidence in a firm clear voice. The witness told the court that she lived with her father in Andrew Street, on the Wicker and that she had become acquainted with the prisoner about six or seven weeks previously. Mary Ann said he was was lodging at a house near to Andrew Street and so they became acquainted as she walked back and forward to work. He told her that he was single. Mary Ann described how the prisoner started to ‘pay his addresses’ to her without her parents knowledge or consent, before she described the wedding at Rotherham Parish Church. The young girl confirmed that after the wedding they returned back to Sheffield, where Brown took her to a furnished room in Pond Street.

Mary Ann’s voice dropped as she described how her father had burst into the room and taken her home that very same night. Recovering herself slightly, the witness finally gave an account of the attempted murder of her father. She confirmed that Brown had pointed a gun at him, which thankfully had misfired. The Chief Constable was the next witness and he stated that when Brown was at his office, he had categorically said that he had never been married before. Even when the witness had shown Brown the certificate of marriage, the man still continued to deny it was his and demanded that his ‘wife’ be returned back to him. Mr Raynor also described the two guns which had been handed in to him after being used in the attack.

He said that were both found to be heavily charged and seemed to be in good repair. He reminded the court that if the first gun had not misfired, the prisoner would be facing a much more serious charge. After hearing all the evidence, the bench then proceeded with the second charge of bigamy. Mary Ann Stocks repeated her testimony of her marriage with the prisoner on Sunday 10 April at Rotherham. Then a young woman called Maria Barker introduced herself to the court, as the wife of Edward Barker of Chesterfield. She confirmed that she had attended the marriage of her friend Jane Todd to the prisoner, which had also taken place at the Rotherham Parish Church, on 4 July 1841.

Barker told the court that the couple had not been married very long, when the prisoner left his new wife and went away looking for work. After that Brown returned for a short while, before leaving home once again. The witness said that after this last time, Jane Todd had told her that she never saw him again until 1850, when they bumped into each other at Chesterfield Races. The witness said that the prisoner asked Jane to come to Sheffield and live with him again, but she refused. When asked a question by one of the bench, Barker confirmed that Jane Todd was still alive and living in Chesterfield. Cross-examined by the prisoners defence solicitor Mr Fretson, she admitted that Jane was now living with another man, who was a net maker named William Miller. The couple had lived together for the past four or five years and had two children together.

Mr Raynor then reminded the court of the prisoners statement to him, that he had never been married before he produced the two wedding certificates. These were shown to Brown and he was asked if he had anything to say. The prisoner under advice from his solicitor replied that he hadn’t. The magistrates then ordered him to be committed to take his trial at the next York Assizes. Stephen Brown was brought before Mr Justice Erle at the Yorkshire Summer Assizes on Wednesday 13 July 1853, charged with the malicious shooting of Police Constable James Stocks at Sheffield. Mr Gresham the prosecution, opened the case and gave the details to the court, after which he asked the prisoner, who was undefended if he had anything to say.

Brown made a long rambling statement, denying vehemently that he had enticed the girl away from her father. Instead he claimed that she had been the one who had encouraged him to marry her. The defendant said that he had not been the one who had sought the acquaintance with Mary Ann, which had been brought about by some neighbours. He claimed that a friend who lived next door to the house he was lodging in, had brought her to him one Sunday night and told him ‘Stephen I have brought you a wife’. Brown said something along the lines of ‘you are very kind’ before Mary Ann came into the house and sat with him on the sofa. He told the court that his friend then urged him to pay for some ‘courting ale’ and he willingly gave them some money.

Brown said that for several nights afterwards Mary Ann had come to his house of her own accord to see him. He told the judge that instead of her father statement that she had been a dutiful daughter, Mary Ann had told him that she was desperate to leave home because her father was so strict with her. The prisoner said that she had told him the situation had become so bad, that she had seriously considered killing herself on two different occasions. Thankfully both times she had lost courage and had gone back home. Significantly, Brown said the girl had told him on more than one occasion that if someone did not take her away from home soon, she would certainly make away with herself.

The prisoner claimed that he had married with her encouragement, rather than it being the other way round. The judge reminded Brown that they were dealing with the case of the shooting at the girl’s father, not for the bigamy offence. Brown then agreed that he had followed Stocks and his daughter up the Wicker in order to tell him this. However he said that when he tried to talk to him, the man just wouldnt listen. Brown said that as they got near to the Town Hall, he had simply tapped Stocks on the shoulder with his finger, not with a gun, He claimed that he had kept the other hand in his pocket, holding onto a gun which he had concealed there. His new account now said that when Stocks attacked him, he had automatically pulled his hand out of his pocket to defend himself, and had withdrawn the gun by accident.

However Brown let himself down badly by being forced to admit that he had two guns in his possession that day. The prisoner concluded by denying ever having pointed either of the guns at the girls father. Constable Stocks then took the stand and again described the prisoner deliberately pointing the gun at him, which had been witnessed by his daughter. Mary Ann Stocks confirmed her fathers account, before the court heard from the two witnesses at the scene James Watts and Henry Rickards. They both confirmed the fact that the prisoner had pointed a gun at Stocks and that it had misfired. At this point the prisoner shook his head and told the judge ‘do what you like with me, its all the same. I can see that its a made up thing amongst you all to swear as you like’.

The judge, Mr Justice Erle summed up the case for the jury and said to them that they had to decide if the gun had been pointed at Stock’s head with the intention to murder him, or whether the prisoner only wished to inflict some grievous bodily harm. His lordship said that if the jury were satisfied that Brown had pulled the trigger, fully intending to empty the contents into the head of James Stocks, then they must find the prisoner guilty of attempted murder. The jury consulted for a few minutes before finding the prisoner guilty. Mr Justice Erle agreed with them, but added that he should defer judgement in order to be consistent with what was due to public justice. The prisoner was the dismissed.

Stephen Brown was brought back into court the following Tuesday 19 July 1853 for sentencing. The same judge told the jury:

‘There is too much evidence to ignore from witnesses that the prisoner had fully intended to shoot PC Stocks. The fact that he had loaded two pistols showed that his intentions were quite clear. It could not be overlooked that he had pointed both of them at the father of the young woman who he had already ruined. The prisoner had therefore entrapped a young girl into an illegal marriage in order to achieve his object, and because of that he was bound to pass on him a most severe sentence’.

He then sentenced Stephen Brown to be transported for fifteen years. He was transported on the convict ship Stag along with another 224 convicts and they landed in Western Australia to begin his sentence on 23 May 1855.

Sarah Hewitt was a young woman who was the landlady of a public house in Masbrough called The Queens Arms. She also took in lodgers to make a living and a pair of lodgers who had stayed with her from April to December 1850 were a Mrs and Mrs James Whitehouse. He was a 28 year old puddler who worked at the Midland Iron Works, and the couple stayed at the public house while trying to find a place to rent in the town. At Christmas 1850 the pair, having found alternative accommodation left the Queens Arms, however Whitehouse continued to call in for a drink from time to time. On Wednesday 25 June 1851 he arrived at the Queens Arms around 6 pm and asked Sarah if he could stay overnight.

He said that his wife was away from home and he was joining some friends for a late night out in the town. Although she had rather a full house, the landlady agreed to squeeze him in somewhere. Sarah had employed a Scottish piper to play that evening, so the Queens Arms was quite full of dancing couples. Nevertheless she managed to find him a small room, but when he returned earlier than expected around 9 pm, it was obvious that he was already quite tipsy. Nevertheless the landlady cheerfully served him with a pint of ale, as he chatted to some of the other people who had gathered in the tap room.

Around 10 pm, Sarah could see that Whitehouse was getting more and more drunk and so suggested that it was time for bed. She carefully lit a candle and offered to escort him upstairs, being more concerned that in his drunken condition he would fall on the stairs which were quite dark. As he left the tap room, Whitehouse was carrying his coat, boots and waistcoat, and proceeded to follow her upstairs in his stocking feet. Entering the bedroom, Sarah went over to pull the curtains across one of the two windows in the room. She was about to pull the second curtain closed, when Whitehouse came up behind her and put his arm around her waist. Turning round she saw that he had already taken off his trousers.

Sarah pushed him away saying ‘go away Whitehouse; don’t be foolish’ but with that he struck her hard on the chest, knocking her to the floor. Kneeling on her, he struggled to pull at her blouse before she managed to push him off and get to her feet. Sarah made a dash for the door, but he roughly grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. There he sexually assaulted her, as she struggled to get free. Sarah cried out for help to the people collected in the room below, but unfortunately the piper was playing quite energetically so there was no immediate response. Eventually she was forced to scream out ‘murder’ as loud as she could.

Thankfully at that point, three of her lodgers finally rushed into the room. They were a woman called Mrs Caroline Appleton and two male lodgers called William Bottom and Francis Bretnall. Bottom pulled the man off the woman struggling on the bed, and Sarah ran to the door before briefly fainting in the arms of Bretnall. Meanwhile Whitehouse lashed out at the female lodger Caroline Appleton, striking her hard on the mouth. Bretnall thrust Sarah’s who was now slowly recovering towards Mrs Appleton, before he too smacked Whitehouse hard in the face. This last blow seemed to finally bring the attacker to his senses.

Then the two male lodgers took Whitehouse by his arms and dragged him downstairs, before locking him in a small room which led off from the bar. Sarah sent a boy to fetch a police officer and a few minutes later Constable Benjamin Caldwell arrived. He found Whitehouse bleeding from his eye where Bretnall had hit him. Whilst he was being taken into custody, Whitehouse told the officer that he had done nothing amiss, but the men in the house had half killed him. On Friday 27 June 1851, James Whitehouse was brought before the Rotherham Magistrates charged with a serious assault on Miss Sarah Hewitt. He was described as being ‘a strongly built young man, who still bore evidence on his face of the serious attack.’

When Whitehouse was asked by the bench if he had anything to say in answer to the charge, he simply shook his head. When asked to explain why he had attacked Sarah, the prisoner claimed that ‘what I have done was with her full consent’ which she denied absolutely. Evidence was heard from the other lodgers in the house, before the magistrates sentenced James Whitehouse to take his trial at the next Rotherham Sessions. Only then did he show any remorse. He looked across at Sarah and said to her ‘if I have done wrong, I am sorry for it, and I hope you will forgive me.’ Sarah simply looked at him with contempt as he was removed from the court.

James Whitehouse was brought before the Rotherham Midsummer Quarter Sessions at the Court House on Monday 7 July 1851. Naturally as Sarah was so well known, the curiosity of local people had resulted in the courtroom being packed. Some of the salacious details about the case seems to have already been spread by the gossips of the town, and there appeared to be a determination to turn the whole spectacle into a comical farce. A reporter from the Sheffield Independent stated that:

‘The court was most densely crowded throughout the trial, and during the cross examination of the prosecutrix, the conduct of the spectators was characterised by the most unbecoming levity.’

Mr Pickering, as the prosecution opened the case by stating from the outset that this was a very sordid crime to be placed before the bench. He then outlined the details of the case before Sarah was called to be the first witness.

The landlady gave her version of the sexual assault, before it was time for the prisoners defence, Mr Overend to state his case. His questions swiftly indicated little doubt as to the way in which he intended to defend his client. He began by making a reference to the sordid attack and bluntly asked the witness if she had kissed Whitehouse upon them entering the bedroom. Sarah swiftly denied this, saying that even if he had tried she would have spit in his face. He then asked her if it was true that on most night she would be found in a drunken condition in the public house, which again Sarah hotly denied. Mr Overend then got down to brass tacks.

He asked her if it was true that a servant, Ann Heppenstall who had since been dismissed, had ever caught her in a compromising situation with two different men. The defence claimed that the girl had not only witnessed the first one, but had been paid off with a sum of money to keep quiet about the incident. Sarah denied this allegation before Mr Overend quietly asked her if she knew a man named Joseph Warris. The witness stated that he was a customer who used to frequent the Queens Arms. Mr Overend then asked her if it was true that she had once told him that if he bought a gallon of ale to share amongst her customers, he should have as many kisses as he liked from her. Once again Sarah denied she had ever said such a thing to any customer. Mr Overend’s next question was to ask the witness why it had taken so long for someone to come to her rescue on the night in question, when the taproom downstairs had been filled with people?

Sarah said that she did not know and claimed that she had been screaming for four or five minutes before anyone came. The prisoners defence was to offer a different scenario. He suggested instead that she had been in the room for a considerable time before she started screaming, and that during that time ‘some liberties had been allowed by her’. Once again Sarah shook her head. Mr Overend then referred to the improbability of her needing a candle to see the prisoner to his bedroom. He pointed out that the prisoner had lived there previously for eight months with his wife, therefore he was well aware of the layout of the house. Sarah rebuffed this suggestion saying that she thought it best, given his drunken condition and that fact that the stairs were so dark.

William Bottom was the next witness and he reported how he had been in the tap room when he saw Sarah light the candle to take the prisoner upstairs. The witness said that about a minute or so later he thought he heard a cry of ‘murder’ and went over to where Francis Bretnall and Mrs Appleton were watching the dancing. Bottom told them what he thought he had heard, but was unsure over the sounds of the piper playing at the time. Nevertheless the trio ran upstairs and entered the bedroom. This witness too was questioned by Mr Overend as to whether or not it was a loud cry he heard, but Bottom replied that it was difficult to tell over the noise of the bagpipes. William Bottom was then asked if he had ever seen Miss Hewitt drunk, but he replied that he had never seen her drink anything stronger than a cup of tea.

The next witness was Mrs Caroline Appleton who told the court that on the night of the attack, after hearing what William Bottom had said, she too had run upstairs. As they approached the top of the staircase, they could clearly hear ‘shrieks of murder’ coming from inside a room. Barging into the nearest bedroom she could immediately see what was happening. The witness said that she asked the prisoner what he thought he was doing, and in reply she received a smack on the mouth with his fist. The next witness was the other lodger, Francis Bretnall who said that he too saw Miss Hewitt light the candle to see the prisoner to bed, and shortly afterwards he too heard a noise which he thought was a shriek of some kind.

The witness described how he, Caroline Appleton and William Bottom went to the bottom of the stairs, before hearing Sarah scream out ‘murder’ again. The three of them then raced upstairs and rescued the landlady from the attack. Constable Caldwell gave his evidence of being called to the house before apprehending the prisoner. The officer was asked to give his professional opinion on the way in which Miss Hewitt had run the Queens Arms during her tenancy. He told the jury without hesitation, that ‘her public house was always well conducted and orderly’. Mr Overend offered an alternative proposition. He stated that what the witness Bretnall had heard at the bottom of the steps was not a shriek of alarm, but a laugh of pure delight.

The defence claimed that when the three witnesses broke into the room, Miss Hewitt’s first thought was to defend herself and that was when she made the allegation of a sexual attack. Referring to the fact that Miss Hewitt had ‘briefly fainted’ but recovered herself just a few seconds later, he suggested that she had dropped ‘comfortably’ into Bretnall’s arms, before realising her position. Mr Overend then brought out the big guns. His next witness was the 17 year old girl previously referred to. She told the court that her name was Ann Heppenstall and that two years earlier she had been a servant for Miss Hewitt, working for her from April to November of 1849.

She claimed that one of the regulars at the Queens Arms was a man called Woolgar, and stated that she had once seen Miss Hewitt lying on the floor with him in a compromising position. Later Woolgar gave her 2s to say nothing about what she had witnessed. At this point in the courtroom there was such an outcry of people laughing and clapping their hands together, that the witness joined in. The chair instantly shouted out that this was disgraceful conduct in a court of law, and warned that the room would be instantly cleared if it happened again. The witness then continued with her evidence, but the farcical tone was set for the rest of the hearing. She swore that Miss Hewitt was there when Woolgar gave her the money and she too had asked her not to tell anyone.

When Mr Overend asked her what time this impropriety had taken place, the servant girl said it was sometime between one and two o’clock in the morning. Heppenstall said that she had gone to bed around 11.30 pm that night, and was already in bed when she heard Miss Hewitt opening her bedroom door. The witness said she heard her softly call out her name, but admitted to pretending to be asleep. When her employer went downstairs again, she heard her say ‘she’s asleep’ to someone. As only Woodger had been awake in the public house at the time, Heppenstall knew it must be him. That was when the girl admitted that she had crept downstairs and found the pair on the floor together.

Miss Heppenstall was asked if she had seen such depravity before, and she boldly answered that it was not the first time that such a thing had happened. Once again there were smirks and laughter in the court, as the girl claimed that she had seen similar misconduct between her mistress and a man named Harrison. She said that he was a traveller for Bentley’s Brewery and regularly called in at the Queens Arms. When Miss Heppenstall was asked by Mr Overend why she had left Miss Hewitts employment, the girl stated that her employer’s father had tried to take liberties with her. She explained that the man was employed at Sheffield during the week, but usually spent the weekends with his daughter at Masbrough.

The witness said that when she told her employer, she had shrugged the matter off telling the girl, she was as bad as her father was, before dismissing her. Heppenstall also told her mother who had made her come back to live at home, where she was now earning her living working as a dressmaker. Mr Overend asked her ‘was it not true that Miss Hewitt had in fact sacked her for staying out all night’, a suggestion which the witness quickly denied. The girl, then referred to having to stay up all night with Miss Hewitt when she was ‘entertaining old Woolgar.’ When asked to describe what she had witnessed between her ex-employer and the man, once again the witness burst out laughing.

When the people in the court joined in, Mr Overend had no option but to remonstrate with Heppenstall on the way in which she had given her evidence. The next witness was a neighbour who introduced herself as a widow named Mrs Rebecca Mortimer. She was asked if she was acquainted with a Mr Joseph Warris of Kimberworth and the witness agreed that she knew him. The woman was asked by Mr Pickering if she had ever seen Miss Hewitt kiss the man, and she stated that she had seen her do it ‘many times and in the full presence of a large number of persons’. Mrs Mortimer swore that Sarah had also told Warris that if he paid for a gallon of ale to share amongst her customers, she would kiss him in return. Mrs Mortimer pulled a face as she added ‘even though he was nearly as old as I am and I am 72’.

Once again there was much laughter in the court as the witness gave her evidence. Mr Overend roundly condemning the kind of defence which threw doubt on Miss Hewitt’s conduct and morality. He stated that as most of this condemnation had come from the prisoner himself, and that it only added to the offence with which he was already charged. He claimed that the prisoners had made one of the most cowardly accusations to bring against a woman and the most difficult to prove, as the offence had been committed when just the two of them were present. Mr Overend also condemned the levity he had experienced in the courtroom which he said, had made a painful enquiry into a topic of indecency when the subject of the chastity of the prosecutrix was openly questioned.

He appealed instead to the higher feelings of the jury, rather than to those people who, he said had disgraced the court and themselves with their unseemly conduct. Mr Overend reminded them that instead of levity, they should have shown greater sympathy to a woman placed in the position of having to give evidence on such a charge. The prosecution asked the jury ‘would any woman without motive subject herself to the torture and misery, as had been seen in the courtroom that day?’ He also blasted the evidence of the servant girl Ann Heppenstall, and claimed that she had shown shameless impudence in her answers, which could not be trusted.

Mr Overend reminded the jury not to forget that Miss Hewitt had been given a good character by an officer of the law, a person whose professional evidence was completely trustworthy. He asked them:

‘If Miss Hewitt was the disgraceful, drunken and abandoned prostitute which had been suggested, could her house be known for seven or eight years to the constable as an orderly and well conducted one?’

Finally, he asked the jury to compare the victims demeanour when giving evidence to that of the girl Heppenstall, who had laughed at the disgraceful scenes she had openly described. The chair summed up the evidence for the jury, and suggested that they might consider reducing the charge to one of common assault. The members of the jury consulted between themselves for a few minutes before agreeing that the prisoner was guilty of common assault. The chair then sentenced James Whitehouse to be imprisoned for six months with hard labour. As Sarah Hewitt left the courtroom, she must have seriously considered whether it had all been worth it.

One of the earliest recorded wife sales took place in Sheffield in 1796, when it was noted that the clerk to the Sheffield Markets had been paid 4d for his part in the sale. We only know about this case from a much later enquiry, sent to the editor of the local newspaper, the Sheffield Independent dated June 1876. The enquirer, only known by his initials of ‘JB’ was asking for information about the case. It seems that he had found a reference to the sale in an unnamed book. His curiosity had been aroused, not by wishing to know more details about the woman involved, but rather wanting to know who the clerk was! The excerpt from the book had stated:

‘SALE EXTRAORDINARY.

On Saturday evening last, John Lees, steel burner, sold his wife for the small sum of 6d to Samuel Hall fell-monger, both of Sheffield. Lees gave Hall one guinea to have her immediately taken off to Manchester the day following by coach. She was delivered up with a halter round her neck, and the clerk of the market received 4d for his toll.

It was reported that this case actually took place under the direction of the local Lord Mayor of Sheffield, who also was unnamed.

Another recorded wife sale took place in 1807 when a man brought his wife to the market place, once again with a halter around her neck. When a bystander asked him ‘how much?’ the husband replied ‘a guinea.’ ‘Done’ said the other. The halter was removed from the woman before she was immediately led away by her new buyer. It was reported that the new owner looked very pleased with his bargain.

However a more recent sale took place on Tuesday 12 January 1847 when the Mayor of Sheffield, a man called Edward Vickers was making his way to the Magistrates Court at the Town Hall. He was due to take his place on the bench, when suddenly he noted that even though it was a market day, the crowd was much more extensive than usual. Consequently Mr Vickers had to almost fight his way through the throngs of people to get to the courthouse. The situation was exacerbated by carts which had been driven into the town, by farmers anxious to sell their wares. The crowd seemed to be larger in the area around the Exchange Inn on Exchange Street, Sheffield. There Mr Vickers saw that many of them had climbed onto the empty carts, eager to get a better view.

To make things worse, arguments had broken out between the farmers and the men who had climbed onto their carts, trampling what produce had been left. The resulting fistfights made the Mayor think that the world had gone completely mad. Mr Vickers was finally driven into making enquiries into the reason for the huge crowds, and was informed that a wife sale was due to take place shortly. Only then did the Mayor see an object of pity, a young woman who looked terrified at the scene that was unfolding in front of her. Unable to do much in view of the large crowds, Mr Vickers went immediately to the Town Hall, where he ordered police officers to bring the husband and his wife before him.

However by the time the constables returned, they were forced to admit that the man, whose name was Robert Trotter had absconded, leaving only his wife in the market place. She was brought into the court room, where she sobbed bitterly as she told the bench her tale. The young girl said that her name was Harriet Trotter and although she and her husband Robert had only been married for twelve months, he had treated her so cruelly that she had been forced to take him before the magistrates charged with assault. Because of this, her husband informed her that he intended selling her to one of his workmates. Mrs Trotter said that at that point he produced a gun, and had threatened to shoot her if she did not agree to the sale.

Questioned gently by Mr Vickers, the young woman admitted that she did not know the man into whose possession she was to be sold. The Mayor, after hearing her shocking evidence, dismissed the woman and issued a warrant for the arrest of Robert Trotter. Accordingly the next morning the man was brought into court, where he appeared to be completely unrepentant for his actions. Mr Vickers castigated him for his brutal behaviour, but however disgusted he felt at the circumstances surrounding the sale, the Mayor had little option but to stick to the word of the law. As the crime was legally classified as a misdemeanour, the magistrates simply ordered him to find sureties to keep the peace between himself and his wretched wife for the next six months. The couple then left the courtroom together.

Appalling though this case appears to be, research shows that the practise was still flourishing in the town thirty years later. In that particular case not only his wife was sold, but also the couple’s four children aged from five years to just three weeks. It seems that the unnamed man was an edge tool grinder of Trippet Lane, Sheffield who had been drinking freely in a public house when his wife appeared. She was trying to entice her husband to accompany her home for dinner and as such brought all the children with her. When his friends began to chaff at him, one of them enquired of him ‘how much will you take for the lot?’ and he answered that he would sell them all for a quart of beer.

Haggling commenced and eventually the two men settled on a price of 2½d. Unfortunately the buyer was already married, so there was some ribald speculation as to what kind of reception he would meet from his wife, when he returned home with the woman and her four children. As proof of the sale the receipt for the transaction was given to a reporter for the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. In the copy dated Saturday 21 July 1877 the report concluded by stating that ‘the receipt for the 2½d now lies at our office.’

Almost a carbon copy of this case was heard by the magistrates at the Sheffield County Court, four years later on Wednesday 25 May 1881.Indeed the case, which was referred to as ‘one of shocking immorality’ was so significant that the subject was actually referred to in the House of Commons. The case which was heard before judge, Mr Justice Ellison had been brought by a woman called Mrs Henderson of Pye Bank, Sheffield. She was bringing an action against Henry Moore of Dun Street, Sheffield to recover £1.10s as four weeks maintenance of his wife. Mr Clegg appeared as the prisoners defence. Mrs Moore was the first witness and she told the court that on 30 January 1881 her husband returned back home and with him was a married woman called Wood

When she remonstrated with him and told him that she would not have the woman in the house, her husband began to assault her. He savagely kicked and punched out at her, saying that if she tried to turn the woman out, he would kill her. Moore finally succeeded in pushing his wife out of the house and locking the door against her. Looking through the window she could see that he had a quart of beer with him, which he then proceeded to drink with Mrs Wood. Knocking on the window she cried out to be let back inside, but the pair simply ignored her. Mrs Moore told the court that following the attack she went to a neighbours house, a woman called Mrs Beresford.

Mr Moore had put in a counter claim that it was whilst his wife was stayed at Mrs Beresford’s house that she committed adultery with another unnamed man, which she heartily denied. Mrs Moore stated that her injuries from the attack made on her by her husband were so bad, that such a thing could not have happened. A doctor had been called and as a result of his violence, she was unable to leave her bed for some days. Mrs Moore told the judge that after a week or so she was forced to leave the neighbours house, and being unable to return to the marital home, was forced to have herself admitted to the workhouse in Sheffield. However on 18 March she went to stay with another friend called Mrs Henderson and was still living there, hence the demand for maintenance from her husband.

Mrs Henderson was the next witness and she corroborated Mrs Moore’s evidence. Mr Clegg admitted to the judge that his client, Henry Moore was now living with the married woman. The judge condemned the fact that the court was having to hear evidence in a case of such immorality. However Mr Clegg stated that because his wife had been unfaithful, his client should not be forced into paying for her maintenance. Henry Moore was then called to give his evidence and he readily admitted that the woman he was now living with, was married to a friend of his called Wood. He was cross-examined by Mr Fairburn, and asked how he had managed to induce his friend to allow his wife to live with him. Moore answered simply ‘well, he sold her to me.’

He readily admitted that he had bought the woman from his friend for a quart of beer. He was questioned as to why he was not paying his wife any maintenance, and he stated that on the night in question he found his wife ‘acting in an improper manner with another man.’ Mr Fairburn summed up the case and told the bench that Moore was not a man who should be believed. He said ‘the real facts are that he wanted to get rid of his wife, and to continue to live with the woman he had bought. The judge than adjourned the case for a week in order that Mrs Beresford could be summoned to give evidence. She was the neighbour to whose house Mrs Moore had been forced to flee, and would be able to clarify the supposed adultery which it had been alleged had taken place whilst staying there.

However a week later when Henry Moore’s name was called he did not appear. Mr Clegg explained that he had seen his client who told him that he would not be attending the court. Mr Justice Ellison stated that if he remembered the facts correctly, this was simply a case of the husband being an adulterer and his wife was alleged to be an adulteress. When Mr Clegg agreed that was true, he asked his Worship if he would pass a judgement on the case or strike it out. The judge agreed that under the circumstances he would just strike it out. However that was not the end of the matter.

Five days later on Monday 30 May 1881, Mr T D Sullivan, the MP for Westmeath asked the Secretary of State, Sir W Harcourt in the House of Commons if he had heard about the recent case of wife selling which had taken place in Sheffield. He urged the Secretary of State to take some action in order to:

‘Remove the impression which appears to exist in some parts of England, that the sale of wives is a legitimate transaction.’

Sir Harcourt refused to get involved, saying that ‘I can find nothing in this affair except the casual utterance of a drunken ruffian, who was simply finding excuses for his own immorality’ and with that the whole subject was dropped.

Perhaps Mr Sullivan’s comments had some resonance in Sheffield, as six years later a case was heard which suggests that wife selling was to be placed on some kind of legal footing. It started at the Sheffield County Court when the same judge, Mr Justice Ellison was hearing the case of Hall v. Smithies on Wednesday 13 July 1887. A fish dealer called William Hall was brought before them, who was attempting to sue for loss of goods amounting to £28.2s.6d. The action was brought against the landlady of the White Horse Hotel on Grammar Street, Walkley, Jessie Smithies. The prosecution, in an attempt to cast doubt on the evidence of William Hall, asked him if he had bought a wife in Sheffield three years earlier.

Hall freely admitted he had done so and he had paid the sum of 5s for her. The witness seemed to show no sign of remorse at his own behaviour, on the contrary he seemed proud of the fact. The receipt for the sale was flourished at the court before being shown to the bench and passed around among the magistrates. On the paper, which had been witnessed by two other men, the heading showed that it had been written at the Royal Oak in Sheffield and dated 6 June 1884. The receipt stated:

‘I, Abraham Boothroyd, agree to sell my wife (Clara) to William Hall of Sheffield for the sum of 5s. Witnessed my hand.’

The signatures of both Boothroyd and Hall were on the paper, as were two witnesses to the sale named as George Green and Benjamin Hancock. As proof of the levity which surrounded the whole subject, there was laughter in the court as Hall admitted that he had spent the 5s in drink. Thankfully, this is the last case of wife selling that I have been able to find which took place in Sheffield. Its to be hoped that this case signalled a new more enlightened age, where such barbaric practises finally ceased.

Mary Ann Thornton was known as what the Victorians called ‘a woman of the town’ in other words a prostitute. She lived in one of the most squalid courts off Wellgate with her pimp a man called John O’Neill. The couple were well known to the legal authorities in Rotherham, as both had previously appeared before the bench charged with many offences. O’Neill, who was known to live off Thornton’s earnings, had been a prize fighter in the past and therefore had a history of brutality. At one time the couple had lived amicably enough together, but when he became more aggressive towards her, Mary Ann had no option but to ask him to move out. O’Neill agreed on the understanding that she give up her former career and remain faithful to him, to which Mary Ann finally agreed. He found lodgings not too far away on Westgate, but continued to visit her on a regular basis.

However when she asked him for money, he told her that he would not maintain her if she would not allow him to return to live with her. This she refused to do because of his violence. Therefore she informed him that he left her with no option, but to continue to earn money in the only way she knew how. At this point he became completely wild and threatened to kill her once again. On Sunday 25 August 1872 he visited her as usual, and once again swore that he would kill her if he found out that she had been unfaithful to him. In vain Mary Ann tried to re-assure him, but O’Neill just became more and more angry. At the time several woman friends had gathered at the house, and he non too politely ordered them all to go. Mary Ann assured her friends that she was alright and would soon calm him down, so they left.

However on this occasion, she was unable to divert O’Neill’s anger and almost immediately he started to punch her. Mary Ann was used to his violence, so she simply tried to protect herself as best as she could. But she knew that she was in trouble when O’Neill grabbed the fire poker and started hitting her over the back with it. Knowing that she would be seriously hurt if he continued, Mary Ann made a break for the door, but O’Neill swung the poker at her face hitting her just above the right temple. The wound immediately started to bleed profusely, but the poor woman managed to wrench open the door and stagger out into the yard. As a result O’Neill threw the poker at her hard, striking her across the back with it. He then followed her outside and commenced beating her once again in the yard.

Hearing her screams, many of the neighbours collected at their doors and began to shout abuse at her attacker. However no one tried to interfere because O’Neill’s brutality was well known. He hit Mary Ann again and again until she fell onto the cobbles. Still not satisfied O’Neill continued to kick out at her prone body. Now in a senseless rage, he stamped on her head and at this point the neighbours were forced to interfere. Finally dragging O’Neill away from the prone woman, several neighbours held onto him, whilst one went to fetch a constable. Some of the woman managed to carry the now unconscious Mary Ann back into the house she had once shared with O’Neill, and a surgeon was called. An assistant surgeon called Mr Yates soon arrived and he did the best he could for the badly injured woman.

Meanwhile a search was made for O’Neill who was quickly found and taken into custody charged with the assault. The following morning he was brought into the magistrates court charged with unlawful wounding. However it was impossible to proceed with the case, as Mary Ann was too badly injured to attend. Consequently the prisoner was simply remanded until the following Thursday in the hope that his victim would have recovered sufficiently to be able to give her own evidence. Mr F Parker Rhodes, who was defending O’Neill asked the court for bail for the prisoner, but it was rejected by the bench given his past history of violence. Sadly Mary Ann was no better by Thursday 29 August 1872 and the Superintendent of police, Mr Gillott, was forced to produce another medical certificate. Once again he requested that the prisoner was to be remanded until the following Monday, which was agreed.

Subsequently on Monday 2 September 1872, Mary Ann Thornton was finally well enough to appear in court to give her own testimony on the terrible assault. Despite the fact that she was still looking very shaky and pale, Mr Parker Rhodes questioned her on the reasons why she had been too ill to attend the court until now. He suggested that she had been out drinking several times since the alleged assault, and that was the real reason the case had to be delayed. The witness staunchly denied the accusation and said that she had only been out of the house twice for very short periods, and had never been in a public house since the attack. Mary Ann told the bench that it was around 2.40 pm when O’Neill came to her house on Westgate. The witness related how he began to quarrel with her almost immediately, even though some friends of hers were present at the time.

She stated how O’Neill had unceremoniously thrown them out, before accusing her of going with other men. She told him that she ‘would do as she liked, if he was not going to maintain her.’ Mary Ann described how the prisoner then lost his composure altogether and began to beat her unmercifully. As the witness was describing how the prisoner had stamped on her head, Mr Parker Rhodes intervened. He asked her if O’Neill had been wearing his boots at the time, but Mary Ann told him that he hadn’t, that he had taken them off as he came into the house. She continued with her statement to say that nevertheless he had kicked out at her until she became senseless. The witness claimed that when she came to, she found herself lying on the ground in the yard. By that time the prisoner was being held by some of her neighbours.

When Mary Ann finally recovered her senses she told the court that she was in one of the neighbours houses, which belonged to a Mrs Kenney. That kindly woman helped her into a chair and gave her some brandy to drink. The next witness was the surgeon, who introduced himself as Mr Knights assistant, and gave his name as Mr Donald Frazer Yates. He said that he had attended the injured woman firstly on 25 August and had visited her several times since. Upon examining Mary Ann, Mr Yates had found her suffering from a contused wound on the head, which was about an inch and a quarter in length. He immediately saw that it was very deep, had been inflicted with some force which had penetrated down to her skull. He explained that the wound was in a very dangerous place, as it was close to the temporal artery.

Since that time the surgeon told the court that an infection had set in, which he had treated her for. Thankfully Mr Yates said that he was now able to state that his patient had fully recovered. The witness was shown the poker which had been seized from the house, and he identified it as being the most likely weapon to have been used in the attack. A man called Thomas Johnson confirmed Mary Ann’s account of the vicious assault, and how the neighbours had been afraid to intervene due to O’Neill’s violent nature. Police Constable Clarke was the next witness and told the bench that when he had gone to arrest the prisoner, O’Neill had claimed that Mary Ann had attacked him first, and he had only acted in self defence. The prisoner had also stated that he had not thrown the poker at her, but rather that she had fallen against a wall in the yard and hurt her head.

At this point Colonel St Leger who was one of the magistrates, stated that as far as he was concerned all the evidence pointed to the fact that the assault had been proved. He also told the court that the prisoner had a history of aggression and had been before the bench 12 times in all charged with similar offences. The colonel said that these crimes ranged from drunkenness, prize fighting or assaulting the police in the course of their duty. For those offences the prisoner had been fined or sent to prison for a term of incarceration. Addressing the prisoner he told him:

‘John O’Neill, this is a very serious crime. Under the circumstances we shall sentence you to imprisonment with hard labour for four calendar months. We also order you to be bound over in your own recognisances to keep the peace for six months, at the expiry of your term of imprisonment.’

The prisoner was then escorted out of court to begin his sentence.

There is no evidence of what happened to John O’Neill when he finished his prison sentence, but Mary Ann Thornton continued with her disreputable life. A year later on Thursday 30 October 1873 she was brought into court again this time charged with overcrowding in the house on Wellgate, which she had previously shared with O’Neill. Mr C E Parkin, the Borough Inspector of Nuisances, whose job it was to regulate all lodgings houses, told the court he had visited on 19 October. He said it was about 1.30 am when he went to the house in the company of a police constable.

The Inspector claimed that there was only one bedroom at the house, but it held four beds all of which were occupied by couples. He said that the female prisoner had claimed that they were all visitors who had stayed for the night and they would have been gone in the morning. The unnamed police officer who had accompanied Mr Parkin, told the court that in his official capacity he knew the house to be a disreputable one, which was known to be a brothel. He stated that because of this there had been many complaints. Mary Ann was found guilty by the bench and fined 20s and costs. It seemed evident that Mary Ann Thornton had not suffered unduly from her terrible attack, and that she was still up to her old tricks!