Unsettling stories of prisoners hanged in Cornwall
As well as murder, people were hanged in Cornwall for 'feloniously killing a mare' and forging a £2 note
The new 100 Years, 100 Stories exhibition at Bodmin Jail allows you to be at the centre of unsettling, haunting and downright nasty stories from Cornwall's dark history. Between the mid 1700s and 1909, 55 people were executed within its imposing walls - and the fully working Victorian hanging pit can still be seen today.
The objects on display in the new exhibition tell stories about the building, the people in it, and its history which are curious, tragic but always intriguing. For example, a bathtub asks visitors to consider which type of prisoner was considered so unimportant as to be unworthy of being clean.
As you walk through the immersive exhibition you will hear, see and smell the stories behind four of the prisoners who were executed in the prison.
Selina Wadge
Selina, 28, was sentenced to death for the murder of her two-year-old son Henry Wadge, by dropping him into a well on Bodmin Moor. During her trial, Selina claimed it was her lover James Westwood who murdered her son. After her condemnation, Selina received a letter from Westwood, who was a witness at her trial, begging for her forgiveness.
She was hanged on August 15, 1878. Visitors to the jail can now view a replica of a love letter received by Selina from Westwood - the contents of which led her to commit her heinous crime.
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William and James Lightfoot
William, 35, and James, 24 were convicted of murdering merchant Neville Norway during a highway robbery. Each blamed the other for the murder, so both were sentenced to die on April 13, 1840.
The hanging of the Lightfoots was one of the most eagerly awaited executions in the jail's history with over 20,000 people coming to watch. London and South West Railways organised a special train for the event with 1,100 passengers. The execution was intended as a deterrent, so was as public as possible.
However, later in the Victorian era public hangings were seen as distateful with the realisation the deterrent factor didn't really work, so were made private within the walls of the jail.
Elizabeth Osborne
A bitter dispute between a farmer and his former apprentice resulted in a mow of corn, or haystack, being set on fire. Elizabeth Osborne, 20, had previously worked for John Lobb and wanting revenge for reasons unknown, set fire to his corn. She told everyone what she had done and was happy that Lobb would have to eat bitter barley bread like everyone else. The 1812 war with America greatly affected grain imports so wilful damage to farmers' crops was severely punished.
Elizabeth was hanged on September 6, 1813. The corn fire comes alive in her cell as part of the 100 Years, 100 Stories exhibition.
Sarah Polgrean
An arsenic bottle is one of the 100 artefacts on display, signifying the murderous actions of Sarah Polgrean, 34, who murdered her abusive husband by poisoning his butter. She was hanged on August 12, 1820. Shockingly, English judge Sir Francis Buller stated in 1782 that a husband could beat his wife, provided that he used a stick no wider than his thumb. The 'rule of thumb' meant men could get away with domestic violence. Though, this time, Sarah had had enough.
Among the other crimes punishable by hanging at Bodmin Jail were sheep stealing, murder of a "female bastard", stealing a purse containing 20 guineas, "feloniously killing a mare", forging a £2 note, bestiality with a sheep and "murder on the high seas".
You can find out a lot more about Cornwall's tragic history at the 100 Years, 100 Stories exhibition, which runs until April 30.
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