Missing Monument Murders

Judy Stove

Description

The Missing Monument Murders is a veiled story of power, wealth, dark deeds and intrigue. In 1806, Jane Austen's relative, the Reverend Thomas Leigh, came into vast estates and the mood in the extended Leigh/Austen family was jubilant. But within a few years, bizarre events were the talk of the district: the removal and destruction of monuments in the village church, cheating, blackmail, and the eviction of tenants who dared speak of events. It would even be alleged that the family engaged in murder to protect their inheritance.

Sujets

• Droit et juridique
• True crime
• Legal history

Informations

• Publié par: Waterside Press
• Date de parution: 14 juin 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781910979082
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Missing Monument Murders
Judy Stove
Copyright and Publication Details
The Missing Monument Murders
Judy Stove
ISBN 978-1-909976-24-5 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-910979-08-2 (Epub ebook)
ISBN 978-1-910979-09-9 (Adobe ebook)
Copyright © 2016 This work is the copyright of Judy Stove. All intellectual property and associated rights are hereby asserted and reserved by her in full compliance with UK, European and international law. No part of this book may be copied, reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, or in any language, including in hard copy or via the internet, without the prior written permission of the publishers to whom all such rights have been assigned worldwide.
Cover design © 2016 Waterside Press. Back cover images used by permission: print of Chandos Leigh © National Portrait Gallery, London; photograph of Charles Griffin © Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum; painting of Christopher Leigh © The Trustees of Lamport Hall.
Main UK distributor Gardners Books, 1 Whittle Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QH . Tel: [phone]; [e-mail] ; www.gardners.com
North American distribution Ingram Book Company, One Ingram Blvd, La Vergne, TN 37086, USA. Tel: [phone]; [e-mail]
Cataloguing-In-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library.
Printed by Lightning Source.
e-book The Missing Monument Murders is available as an ebook and also to subscribers of Myilibrary, Dawsonera, ebrary, and Ebscohost.
Published 2016 by
Waterside Press
Sherfield Gables
Sherfield-on-Loddon
Hook, Hampshire
United Kingdom RG27 0JG
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]
Table of Contents
Copyright and Publication Details ii
About the Author iv
Acknowledgements v
Image details vii
Front cover vii
Who’s Who in the Stoneleigh Story ix
Introduction 19 Inheritance 21 Julia-Judith 35 Rivals 47 Witness 61 Denial 81 Not Far From Here 101 Chandos: The Severest Satire on Lord Byron 115 A Death’s Head 141 “Let go!” 161 Drink to the Dead Men 183 The Billinges Problem 203 A Mock Funeral 219 The White Powder 241 Coffin Plates 257 The Book Transaction 273 A Soul for the Structure 289
Afterword 305
Family Tree 307
Select Bibliography 310
Index 320
About the Author
Judy Stove is an academic based at the University of New South Wales, a role she balances with working in school administration. After studying classics at the University of Sydney, she worked for the Australian Commonwealth Departments of Defence and Finance. She is married with two adult sons, and is an active member of the Jane Austen Society of Australia.
Acknowledgements
The following friends have had faith in this project from when I first began it. To them, sincere thanks. The first group are all members of the Jane Austen Society of Australia (JASA), the best literary society in the world, to which it has been my pleasure to belong for many years. Adrienne Bradney-Smith Elizabeth Budge Susannah Fullerton Tracey Pearce Joanna Penglase
Part of the material in this book first appeared in the JASA journal Sensibilities for June 2015, and I thank JASA for permission to use it in this work.
Many friends encouraged me during the drafting, including: Jennifer Crockart and Andrew Macdonald James Franklin Michaela James and David Hickling Claire Hogan, Claire Moore, Margaret North, and Kathy Sapsford, and their families Carolyn Chapple and Debra Mullen, colleagues and friends in my day job
I also thank the following: Victoria Slade, Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum Staff of the National Archives, London Staff of the National Portrait Gallery, London Staff of the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust Record Office (SBTRO), Stratford-upon-Avon Garry Strachan, who provided me with transcriptions of documents from the SBTRO.
Special thanks to Bryan Gibson, Alex Gibson, and everyone at Waterside Press for making this book a reality.
The final group is my family, who have always supported my writing. They are my husband Stuart Wilson, sons James Wilson and Hugh Wilson, my brother R J Stove, and my mother-in-law Margaret Wilson. Thank you all.
Any errors in this work are mine alone.
Judy Stove
Mulgoa, New South Wales
Australia
May 2016
Image details
Front cover
Stoneleigh Abbey and Bridge, 1849 engraved print in the possession of Waterside Press.
Back cover (left to right)
Chandos Leigh, 1 st Baron Leigh, stipple engraving by unknown artist, early 19 th century, from the collection, and reproduced by permission, of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Charles Griffin, photograph (undated but probably 1860s) from the collection, and reproduced by permission of Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Christopher Leigh, portrait by unknown artist, probably 1640s, from the collection at Lamport Hall, and reproduced by permission of the Trustees of Lamport Hall, Northamptonshire.
Judy Stove, copyright of the author.
Who’s Who in the Stoneleigh Story
Note: Some people appear in more than one section, e.g. as perpetrator and as witness.
The alleged murder victims
Billinge(s), Joseph Stonemason, worked on the new Stoneleigh Abbey bridge; alleged victim of murder, c.1814.
Blissett, William (c.1791–c.1815) Labourer on bridge; alleged victim of shooting.
Dingley, Daniel Alleged victim of murder, c.1815.
Forbes, William Stonemason, alleged victim of murder, c.1814.
Leigh, John (I) Claimant to Stoneleigh, alleged victim of murder, 1823.
Proud, Thomas Stonemason, alleged victim of murder, c.1814.
Smith, Joseph Stonemason, alleged victim of murder, c.1814.
Sprawson, John (c.1741–buried 1815) Stoneleigh village carrier; alleged to have assisted in the removal of the Christopher stone from Stoneleigh village church, and bodies of murdered stonemasons to Adlestrop; alleged to have been murdered by order of Julia-Judith Leigh.
Thomas, John Black man alleged to have been brought by Thomas Hill Mortimer from London to assist in conspiracy to murder Billinge(s) and Forbes; alleged to have been murdered by George Shaw and others.
Four, possibly five unnamed stonemasons Who worked on the Stoneleigh Abbey cellars.
The alleged perpetrators of fraud and/or murder
Barnett, Richard (c.1796–1848) Stonemason, admitted to removing coffin plates from Stoneleigh village church vault, 1811; witness of bridge murders, c.1814.
Hay (Hayward/Haywood), John (fl. 1810–1825) Stoneleigh gamekeeper; featured in sporting literature of period; implicated in murders, in particular that of William Blissett.
Hill Mortimer, Thomas Worked for Stoneleigh agent Joseph Hill, 1798–1811; solicitor and agent for Leigh family, 1811–1849.
Jones, George (Senior, d. by 1848) Engineer; engaged by John Rennie in 1811 to supervise construction of the new bridge; accused of taking part in murders, c.1814.
Kirkland, Samuel Valet to James Henry Leigh, c.1820; accused of taking part in murder of John Leigh (I) and in faked death of James Henry Leigh 1823; Stoneleigh house steward 1844.
Leigh, Chandos (1791–1850) Romantic poet, first Lord Leigh of the second creation (1839); charged with murder of Billinge(s) and Forbes, 1848.
Leigh, Julia-Judith Twisleton (1765–1843) Wife of James Henry Leigh and mother of Chandos Leigh; effectively mistress of Stoneleigh Abbey from c.1811 until her death; accused after her death of having orchestrated several murders, and the fake funeral of her husband.
Shaw, George (d. January 1847) Stonemason; claimed that he had taken money as payment for removing monuments from Stoneleigh village church, c.1812; claimed that he had been sworn to taking part in bridge murders, and that he had taken money from Leigh family afterwards.
Smallbone, Sarah (née Silk; d. December 1846) Cook at Stoneleigh Abbey c.1815–1826; claimed that under orders from Julia-Judith Leigh, she had taken part in poisoning stonemasons, and in fake funeral for James Henry Leigh, 1823.
Wilcox (or Wilcooks), John (b.c.1800) Stoneleigh post-boy; witness to monument removal and participant in alleged murders, 1811–1815; possibly blackmailer of Chandos Leigh, 1812–1818.
Wood, William Stoneleigh employee; alleged to have assisted in murders of Billinge(s), Forbes, Dingley, and Sprawson; charged in 1848 but charges withdrawn; did not testify, 1848; denied involvement, 1849.
Selected witnesses attesting existence of Christopher stone prior to 1811 (in 1828–1829 case), and/or murder (1812–1849)
Barnett, Richard (c.1796–1848) Stonemason, admitted to removing coffin plates from Stoneleigh village church vault, 1811; witness of bridge murders, c. 1814.
Baylis, Edward (b.c.1764) Stoneleigh employee and witness to monument removal, c.1812.
Burford, Ann Stoneleigh still room maid, c.1819–1821/2; witness for destruction of records ordered by Julia-Judith Leigh.
Draper, Mary Kenilworth resident; witness on behalf of Charles Griffin, 1849; claimed to have heard confessions from Sarah Smallbone and John Wilcox.
Faxon, William Bone-collector at Ashow, witness for bridge murders and concealment of monuments, c.1814.
Gumley/Gumbley, Hannah Widow of Stoneleigh tenant farmer; evicted 1821; in prison 1824; witness for Reverend James Roberts having discussed Christopher stone.
Iorns/Irons/Hiorns, Mary (b.c.1774) Stoneleigh pensioner; recalled cleaning Christopher stone in 1811.
Palfrey, Jasper Farmer, parish committee member 1810–1811, recalled Christopher stone; resigned from committee in protest at interference by Julia-Judith Leigh.
Perks, Ann née Whitmore Wife of John Perks, witness in 1828–1829 case recalling Christopher stone in place at marriage in 1806.
Perks, John Plumber and gas engineer, witness in 1828–1829 case recalling Christopher stone in place at marriage in 1806.
Perks, Richard Plumber, brother of John Perks, worked on alterations to church in 1811;