In December 1823, the residents of Little Leighs witnessed the real horrors involved in the crime of body snatching. This was a crime mostly experienced by the Metropolis but, as the security of graveyards there increased, the ‘Resurrectionists’ had to travel further afield to carry out their gruesome trade. The unguarded churchyards of villages such as that at Little Leighs became perfect targets. The crimes that took place here are well recorded. The depositions of the witnesses still exist, as do the press cuttings of the time and the incompetence of the criminal; the chain of events can be plotted.
St.Johns Church, with its graveyard, the scene of the crime! In December 1823 there were three burials of residents from Little Leighs in the churchyard. Susannah Knight age 30 was buried on the 14th; the day after Abraham Leader aged 33; and on the 21st Johanna Chinnery aged 24 was buried. Johanna prior to her death had requested which clothes she should be buried in. Her husband granted her this wish and she was buried wearing shift, gown, night-cap and a pair of white cotton stockings. The local carpenter, Joseph White, confirmed this as he made her coffin and screwed the lid down.
On Friday 26th December Charles Rogers was walking home from Felsted. Being superstitious he did not walk through the graveyard but made a detour and came across a horse and cart in the field called Lower Reedings. Finding no owner he told the toll collector, John Redwood (the Tollgate was at the bottom of Church Lane where it joined the Main Road). They took the horse and gig to St.Annes Castle public house for safekeeping. They handed them to the landlord, John Crisp, telling him of the circumstances and if anyone should claim them, they should not be handed back unless they gave a good account of themselves, for this was about 5 o’clock in the morning.
Two hours later Crisp was approached by a man called Samuel Clark. He asked for his horse and gig. He said he had got tipsy drinking ale and lay in a field to sleep it off. When he woke his horse was gone. Crisp satisfied with the explanation handed the cart over. Clark headed off.
John Broomfield, the local blacksmith, lived near the tollgate and heard of the unusual happenings of the night and out of curiosity went to the Lower Reedings to see what he could find. He found a shovel on the branch of a tree. He then went to the next field Church Brooms, and found a sack, doubled up; when he lifted the sack a brace of pistols fell out. He did no more than went to find the owner of the land, Hugh Simons of Leigh Hall, and churchwarden. He returned with Broomfield to the spot where the sack was found and began searching the ditch. About 12 feet away they found a woman’s body partly covered with earth. Fearing a murder had been committed he went to get help. On the way Simons passed the churchyard where he found the earth of Joanna Chinnery’s grave had been disturbed and that her burial clothes had been strewn around.
One can only assume that what followed was a hue and cry to catch Clark. He was found drinking in the Kings Arms public house, Broomfield. He must have thought he had got away with it.
On the order of a magistrate on Wednesday 31st December the churchyard of St Johns was again visited and the graves of Abraham Leader and Susannah Knight were dug up. Their coffins were opened and found to be empty except for the shrouds which had been stripped from their bodies.
Clark appeared before the court on Friday 23rd January 1824. The case is reported in The Chelmsford Chronicle. Clark was charged with taking three bodies, and accused of stealing the clothes Johanna was buried in. He was sentenced to be transported for 7 years.
There is no record of the bodies of Leader or Knight being recovered. As for Johanna Chinnery, she was reburied. Sadly, the poor could not afford headstones, nor were church graveyard records kept. So the exact location of the graves is no longer known.
To find this micro take a seat with George Witney.
George was here STUV - WXYZ
The final co-ordinates are N. 51. VT.(V-S)Y(V-W) E000. 2X.(W+Z)UU
<--------------------------------------------------------------------------If anybody would like to expand on this series please do so. Could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
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