murder at clipstone

HUNG IN CHAINS

Mary Hardy of Letheringsett (1733–1809) was the wife of a Norfolk farmer, maltster and brewer. From 1773 until her death, she kept a diary detailing the working and social life of the times. Her writing covered a range of topics - family and home, farming, brewing and running public houses.

A brief diary entry by Mary from 1792 reads:-

‘Went to see William Anthony that is hung in chains on Kettlestone Common ‘

LEFT - A PORTRAIT OF MARY PAINTED IN 1785

Following execution, William Anthony's body was transported back to Kettlestone and suspended in a gibbet cage near Clipstone, the scene of the crime. It was common practice for locals to view the grim spectacle. ‘Hanging in chains’ was fairly rare and in Norfolk between 1700 and 1830 only 12 incidents are recorded.

A GIBBET CAGE AND SKELETON RYE CASTLE

MURDER OF SARAH CUSHER

William Anthony, who was born at Croxton in 1759, was found guilty of the murder of Sarah Cusher. She was born in Kettlestone to James and Frances Cusher and was baptised in All Saints Church in 1768. In 1792, she was living at Clipstone Farm when she became pregnant by William Anthony. In early January 1792 he gave Sarah a herbal poison, presumably to induce an abortion. Unfortunately she died and he was arrested for her murder. Following a brief trial in Thetford on March 16th 1792, he was found guilty and was executed on 24th March 1792. Subsequently his body was gibbeted and he was transported back to be hung on Kettlestone Common.

THE PRACTICE OF HANGING IN CHAINS

Although ‘hanging in chains ‘was practised prior to 1751, a parliamentary act was passed in that year “for better preventing the horrid crime of murder”. This ordered that the bodies of those executed for murder could not be buried unless they had first been either given to anatomists for dissection, or “hung in chains.” Hanging in chains, also called gibbeting, involved placing the dead body inside a gibbet cage and suspending it from a high post. When a man was sentenced to hang in chains, it was the responsibility of the sheriff to make arrangements for the erection of a gibbet pole and for the manufacture of a gibbet cage. A gibbeted criminal would be exhibited close to the scene of crime and could remain in his gibbet for many decades. Where possible, the condemned man was measured for his set of irons before execution.

GIBBETING OF WILLIAM ANTHONY

Hanging in chains was an expensive business. The cost of gibbeting and transporting William Anthony’s body was £10. This is equivalent to about £1800 in today’s money.

William Anthony's body was left hanging on Kettlestone Common until about 1830

REPORTS OF THE MURDER IN THE NEWSPAPERS

THE NORFOLK CHRONICLE SATURDAY JANUARY 21ST 1792

The coroner sent William Anthony to Norwich prison to await trial at Thetford Assizes

IPSWICH JOURNAL SATURDAY JANUARY 28TH 1792

‘William Anthony was carried to Norwich Castle charged on the Coroner’s inquest with the wilful murder of Sarah Cusher of Kettlestone who was far advanced in pregnancy by him by putting poison into some gruel of which her father and two brothers partook and from the fatal effects of which they all narrowly escaped but are now likely to recover. The young woman was buried on Friday last when the constable who had Anthony in custody led him to see the funeral pass by at which he wept most bitterly'.

Trial at thetford assizes

REPORT FROM THE NORFOLK CHRONICLE SATURDAY 24TH MARCH 1792

GUILTY VERDICT

SENTENCE 'Anthony, aged 33, will suffer this day on the Castle Hill, and his body will afterwards be hung in chains near the place where the murder was committed'

A REPORT FROM THE NORWICH AND BURY POST 28TH MARCH 1792

William Anthony protested his innocence to the last

The place of execution is not clear as both Thetford and Norwich carried out capital sentences on 'Castle Hill'

WHAT WAS THE POISON USED BY WILLIAM ANTHONY?

There are conflicting reports about the poison William Anthony is alleged to have used to kill Sarah Cusher

There is a note in the parish register for Fulmodeston with Croxton written next to the entry for William’s baptism which states that he was executed for murdering her using poisoned tobacco.

A report in the Chester Courant dated 27th March 1792 states that Sarah was given arsenic. The Norfolk Chronicle's account is that William put poison in her gruel but there is no indication about the nature of the toxin.

The church depicted in 1795, three years after Sarah's burial

The burial of Sarah Cusher January 16th 1792

The Site of the Gibbet

INFORMATION FROM NORFOLK HERITAGE EXPLORER

Site of the gibbet on 'Gibbet Piece'

The pole for the gibbet was cut in Thorpland Woods.

A man called Anthony was gibbeted there in 1792 and his bones remained hanging until 19th century. A painting was made of the sight in 1822.

The remains were not buried until the gibbet was dismantled in 1830 and made into gates for the church porch, but these have now gone

Two parcels of land in the parish are recorded as having been called 'Gibbet Piece' One is located close to Kettlestone village, with the other in the southeast. It may be that there were gibbets on both sites during the post medieval period, or that there has been some confusion between the two locations.

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