| 1832 |
Mrs BELL |
Landlady 1st December 1832, of a public
house where labourer William Wright fell ill and died. At the March 1833
assizes 28 year old Mary Wright was accused of poisoning her husband and
found guilty of the crime . Upon the death sentence being given, she
declared she was pregnant, consequently the Judge ruled that, should
that be the case, the execution would be delayed until after the birth.
A jury of matrons was summoned and after some delay, 12 married women
were sworn "to try according to the best of their ability and skill
whether the prisoner was pregnant with a `quick' child". After one hour
of examination of Mary Wright, the jury of women gave the verdict that
she was not pregnant with a `quick' child. By 30th March 1833, the
prisoner had been respited since three eminent Accoucheurs
(Messrs. Crosse, Scott and Johnson) had declared their decided opinion
that she was indeed pregnant.
Interestingly the contents of the deceased stomach were assessed by a
chemist based in Wells, a Mr. Bell. Presumably this is the druggist
Richard Bell of Wells, who on the last day of November 1832, sold Mary
Wright some three ounces of arsenic, value 3d. |
| 1836 |
CHARLES SADDLER |
|
| JOHN STURGES |
|
1845
-
1854 |
STEPHEN AMPLEFORD |
Quay Street |
age 50 in 1851
|
Master brewer |
Mariners
Arms? |
|
