General Chat

When my mum was a girl, in the village she lived in, a very religious old lady put a notice in her orchard saying "Thou Shalt Not Steal" Some lads got into the orchard, scrumped loads of apples, then replaced her notice with one of her own saying "All Is Safely Gathered In" !! Lisa

Not much changes though.... Remember the old chap who shot his neighbour over a hedge recently?

Yet it was only 117 years ago.

Very sad that two men died because of such a trifling incident as stealing fruit. I suppose it was much harsher times that they lived in then.

As if to prove that murder has no age limits seventy one year old Samuel Crowther,an aged shoemaker was convicted of the murder of John Willis, a gardener, at Dudderhill, near Droitwich. Early on the morning of 1st August, Willis spotted Crowther stealing fruit from some tress on his property. He challenged the elderly thief who responded by pulling out a knife and stabbing Willis three times, leaving him for dead. Willis was able to crawl into his house and tell his wife that Crowther had stabbed him before he collapsed and died. Crowther was arrested later that morning. He was convicted at Worcester Assizes in November. The frail old man had no visitors while awaiting execution as his only living relative, a daughter, had testified against him in court. Crowther was lame and walked to the drop with the aid of a stick. He was hanged by James Berry on the 11th December 1888 in Worcester. Samuel was my Stepmother's Great Grand Uncle!!!