The Times 1841 - 1850 Feb 06, 1845 The Lammonby Murder

Feb 06, 1845 The Lammonby Murder

The Times - 1841 - 1850

Article Index Feb 06, 1845 The Lammonby Murder Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 2 of 4 The Times, 13 February 1845 (page 5, column D) THE LAMMONBY MURDER. On Thursday and Friday, the 30th and 31st ult., at the lonely village of Lammonby, near Greystoke, and about eight miles and a-half north-west of Penrith, in the county of Cumberland, a respectable jury was impannelled on the inquest held before Mr. W. CARRICK, of Brampton, one of the coroners for Cumberland, to investigate the circumstances attending the cruel murder of Sarah Ann CROSBY, a fine little girl aged about seven years and a-half, who was burnt to death by her own mother, Jane, the wife of William CROSBY, an industrious husbandman, and keeper of the small public-house known by the sign of the Blue Miller, in the village of Lammonby. The investigation commenced a little after noon on the 30th ult., and was continued till midnight on Friday; when it was adjourned till Monday last, the 10th instant. From the evidence produced on the first and adjourned meetings of the inquest the following facts are deduced: – William CROSBY, the father of the murdered child, is a labourer in husbandry, and is only at home on the Saturday evenings and Sundays. He has a wife named Jane, and two daughters, namely, Mary and Sarah Ann, aged respectively about 12 and 7 years, the only issue of the marriage with his wife. Mrs. CROSBY is a woman of most dissolute character, passionate, and greatly addicted to drinking spirituous liquors, and taking laudanum in large quantities. The murdered child was the greater favourite of the father (the mother having poisoned the mind of the elder with indulgences and threatenings), and was in the habit of telling him on Saturday nights what her mother had done during the week; and on that account the mother, from time to time, manifested a most inveterate and inhuman dislike and hatred to her younger child. She frequently most cruelly beat her, and turned the poor child out of doors at bedtime and kept her out all night, and on several occasions threatened to put an end to the child’s existence. In order to carry this barbarous and unnatural resolve into effect, on Tuesday evening, the 28th ult., she made up a large fire in the kitchen of her own house, with the determination of sacrificing her child in the flames prepared by her own hands. For reasons only known to this wretched woman herself, she stripped off all the child’s clothes and hid them in a hole behind the inner door and in the ash-midden, and having done so took the child by its legs and arms and literally roasted it to death. One side of the face was much burnt and the eye nearly out, and its breast and neck and back were most shockingly burnt. It appears that the child on being held over the fire had turned its head on one side and thrust it forward, and by doing so one side of the face was more burnt than the other, and that she had thrust her breast against the red-hot bar, which accounts for the severe burn on that part of the body. The wretched woman then took the child off the fire, and held her on her knee by the fireside till life was nearly extinct, the little innocent faintly asking her other sister for a drink of water. On calling in the neighbours she said that Sarah Ann (the deceased) had set herself on fire while she (the mother) was absent at a farmhouse about two miles off, and made other incredible excuses. A person was sent to the farm-house to inquire if Jane CROSBY had been there that day or evening, when it was ascertained that the tale was a fabrication. Mr. CARRICK, the surgeon, was sent for, but on his arrival he found the child in a state beyond reach of medical aid, and the poor child died about 2 o’clock next morning. On examining the child’s shift it was found to be burnt about the neck and back, but the burnt places had been made with a red-hot poker, and the other articles of dress not being visible suspicion became stronger, especially when the prisoner’s former bad conduct was taken into consideration. Richard WESTON, one of the witnesses, searched the house, and found the clothes hidden in a hole of the wall behind the inner door. On the first investigation of this horrid murder, the elder girl seemed reluctant to give her evidence freely, alleging that if she told the truth she was afraid of her mother, who would ill-use her. At the adjourned inquest she gave her testimony more frankly. Fourteen witnesses were examined; and, the voluminous evidence having been gone through, the coroner in a lengthened address explained to the jury the nature of their duty on such a distressing case. The jury then retired, and shortly afterwards returned a verdict of “Wilful Murder.” The wretched woman was committed to Carlisle Gaol to take her trial at the next assizes, which commence on the 22d instant. This shocking tragedy has given rise to the greatest excitement at Lammonby and the surrounding neighbourhood, and. indeed, throughout the whole of Cumberland. << Prev - Next >>

 

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