RE: BIRMINGHAM PUBS as is and was - 15

On the 22nd Nov., 1780, Wilfrid Barwick, a butcher, was robbed and murdered near the four mile stone on the Coleshill Road. The culprits were two soldiers, named John Hammond (an American by birth) and Thomas Pitmore (a native of Cheshire) but well known as "Jack and Tom," drummer and fifer in the recruiting service here. They were brought before the magistrates at the old Public Office in Dale End; committed; and in due course tried and sentenced at Warwick to be hanged and gibbeted on Washwood Heath, near the scene of the murder. The sentence was carried out April 2, 1781, the bodies hanging on the gibbet in chains a short time, until they were surreptitiously removed by some humanitarian friends who did not approve of the exhibition. What became of the bodies was not known until the morning of Thursday, Jan. 20, 1842, when the navvies employed on the Birmingham and Derby (now Midland) railway came upon the two skeletons still environed in chains when they were removing a quantity of earth for the embankment. The skeletons were afterwards reinterred under an apple-tree in the garden of the Adderley Arms, Saltley, and the gibbet-irons were taken as rarities to the Aston Tavern, where, possibly, inquisitive relic-mongers may now see them.

Volty

An interesting tale that I had read before, any idea why the Adderley Arms on Saltley High Street was chosen for the re-internment? I would also add that you would no longer be able to view the chains at the Aston Tavern as that now is also defunct as is the Adderley Arms.

Phil

Inquests were often held at pubs. Usually it was a particular pub for a certain area. Certainly a lot of inquests were held at the Adderley Arms pub.Possibly it they were then dubious as to burying them in consecrated ground, and this was the nearest place to the inquest. Only a guess

Hi Mike

Yes I realise that pubs were used for a lot of inquests around those times. Also I have read previously that executed murderers were always buried in unconsecrated ground. Lots of our prisons had unmarked graveyards for just that purpose. I wonder if they are still there? or in our more enlightened times have those that were buried there been dug up and re-interned?

Phil

In most cases probably not Phil, though I think Sir Roger Casement was repatriated to Ireland. In most cases no-one probably knows where they are, so couldn't do it anyway

Mike

I would have thought that prisons would have had to keep some sort of a record where the bodies of those that were executed were laid. If only for reference in future building plans.

Phil

I seemed to remember reading somewhere,in prisons the bodies of executed prisoners were buried in unmarked graves and noone usually knew who was who. However i think this was wrong after reading http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging1.html#after . In passing,while looking for more info i came across http://www.manchester-family-history-res...new_page_26.htm , where it seems to imply that possibly while roy jenkins was home secretary he authorised the return to relatives of the body of murderer Herbert Roy Harris, inspite of the fact that he had not been pardoned, and that Herbert Roy Harris might have been his uncle . Apparently records of this seem to have disappeared, which always stirs up suspicions. Mind you if you start just assuming people of the same name were the same then you would think that I had claimed that i had been been kidnapped twice by aliens and transported onto a flying saucer!!

Mike

Only twice I've been out of this world many times, but it usually came after a visit to a licenced establishment.


Phil