Genealogy Chat

Merry, I have a death certificate for one of a family of seven who were all murdered on the 22nd. May 1870, death registered 17 June 1871, cause, Wilful murder by John JONES alias John JENKINS. He was tried on the 22nd. July 1870 and duly Hanged on the 8th. August 1870. No hanging around in thise days, excuse the pun. Jennifer

Yes, horrible - but also proves the point that JUST a certificate doesnt tell the whole truth about things - you need to collect more than one bit of paper for your rellies rather than just rely on certs and census, which are only a snapshot of one particular day in the life of your rellies. OC

How does the date of registration compare with the trial date? Do you think they meant to say he had been charged with murder, rather than the verdict being ''guilty of murder''?? Makes your tree rather interesting, but very sad for both of them and their extended family. My gran was brought up at Twickenham and there was a local family where the husband murdered his wife and children whilst his father-in-law was downstairs (f-i-l was elderly and deaf). On the census, the old boy shows as living in the same house 8 years later. How dreadful to have to stay in the place where such a horrible event happened to your daughter and grandchildren? I can't imagine that happening today :o(( Merry

I've just got his fiancee Sarah Moss's death cert and it says in the cause of death column 'Her throat was cut by William Mealing against whom a verdict of wilful murder was returned.' But he was found innocent!!!! Interestingly, in the when/where died column, it says 'in the night between 23rd and 24th October 1862'.

William Mealing, my gt gt grandmother's elder brother, is the poor chap who spent most of his life in Broadmoor. He killed his fiancee and was found innocent on the grounds of insanity.