Alleged murder near Berwick, December, 1876

We started a creative writing group in November 2015 to write fiction to fill in the gaps about incidents and historical characters in Berwick’s, Tweedmouth’s and Spittal’s history, using research produced by the Berwick 900 Our Families Project and that writers do, themselves. 

Fiction may be short stories, poetry or scripts for radio, TV or theatre.

Some of this fiction will be based on newspaper articles.

From the Newcastle Courant (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England), Friday, December 8, 1876:

Alleged Murder near Berwick
On Tuesday, Samuel Ridpath, Longridge, gave information to the public police to the Berwick police that he had discovered a woman dead in a ploughed field on the road to Longridge, and that from injuries to her face it was feared that she had been murdered. The matter coming under the jurisdiction of the County police, information was sent to Sergeant Armstrong at Scremerston, but that officer being at present at Newcastle, police officer Tough of the Berwick force was sent to make enquiries into the matter. At the request of the policeman, Mr Gilley, East Ord at once granted the use of a horse and cart to convey the body. On reaching the place, the body was lying in a ploughed field on the farm of Middle Ord near to the gate, which was fastened, leading into the field. The body was lying on its left side, in the first rut left by the plough: there was a wound over the eye, and a little blood had flowed from it. The woman, who is about middle age, had evidently died where she was found, judging from impressions left in the soil of the movements by her feet and head. The police having been informed that a woman answering the description of the deceased was seen at Velvet Hall in the company with a cattle drover on Saturday night, John Huntley cattle drover Berwick was taken into custody and on Wednesday, at the sitting of the magistrates for Norham and Islandshires, he was charged on suspicion of having caused the woman’s death. Evidence was given that the prisoner and deceased were in company at a public house in east Ord on Saturday night. When they left, the prisoner was seen to drag the woman along the road against her will. They were afterwards seen together at Velvet Hall about 3 miles from East Ord public house the same night. Nothing more was seen of the woman until her body was found in a field on Tuesday morning. The prisoner stands remanded for a week.

Places named in the Newspaper Article

I was made in Berwick town
By river, sea and sand,
Protected by its solid walls
From the Borderland.

A gatherer of bait was I,
Ruled by moon-led tide.
The river and the ocean deep
In my heart reside.

Hard as a rock forged from earth,
My drover courted me.
I loved to hear his loamy tales
Beside the foaming sea.

His restless eyes and gravelly voice
Gave me windswept plains,
And mud and ice, and life and death
In never ending lanes.

I longed to stride out to the heights
Beside my sweetheart drover,
And make a fire to warm his heart,
And sleep beside my lover.

Without a word he left one dawn
 I followed, wracked with pain.
At dusk I found him wild with drink
On muddy Longridge lane.

Hard as a rock forged from the earth,
With words so harsh and cruel,
He threw my love back in my face,
And cursed me for a fool.

I fell upon my knees, and wept,
And begged him say he lied.
If I no longer had his love
Then I was dead inside.

“I'm of earth: you're of sea:
“Brine is death to land.
“Go back to your fishy ways,
“Or else you’ll feel my hand.”

I should have listened to his words,
I should have hastened home,
But I did swear upon my grave
His love could not be gone.

I tried to fall into his arms,
And fell to earth instead.
I shrieked for mercy as he held
A rock above my head.

Oh take me back to Berwick town
And lay me by the sea.
And curse the man who took my life.
And say a prayer for me.

© Sandra Whitnell – December 2015

Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 6

This is a continuation of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 5.
Alternatively, see all the previous parts of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915, together.

It was performed as a "radio play" in Berwick Guildhall on 25 April 2015 at Discover Berwick’s First World War Story. Researched and written by Julie Gibbs.

Narrator  
The family in Cheswick visited by Mr Boal, features in the following police correspondence.
Let me introduce Captain Fullarton James, Chief Constable, Morpeth, Northumberland, who will explain further.

Captain Fullarton James      
Good afternoon.
I have received a letter from Arthur Cayley of the Mead, Beal, dated 19th October 1914, expressing his suspicions of one of the Belgian Refugees. This is what he wrote,’
Lodewijk van Horenbeck, a joiner by trade seems not to wish to get employment, is receiving letters, is visited by other men at dark, wanders on the high roads – pretends not to understand French or German tho’ he did on arrival. I have approached the Postmaster at Berwick, to report to headquarters with a view to examination of correspondence. The man is married & has three children, and is about 30 to 35 years of age. Miss Leyland is looking after this family along with others and her suspicions have been aroused some time ago.
Believe me,
yours faithfully
Arthur Cayley’

Partial Transcript of Belgian children admitted to Cheswick School, 9 November 1914

 (The 4th name says Van Horenbeich, Barbara - parent's first name: Lodewijk)

Of course I immediately contacted Thomas Bolton, the Superintendent at Alnwick. He wrote
I beg to inform you that I cannot find or ascertain that anything is out of place with this man. It seems that he often visits a family named Thompson at Scremerston, who has a daughter at present at home, married to a Belgian named Black ( a very suspicious sounding name for a Belgian!), and the Thompson’s very often visit Horenbeck at Cheswick. Horenbeck is 36 years of age and working in the gardens at Cheswick, he is married, with a wife aged 33 and their children are 14, 9 and 2½.

Sergeant Elliot has had this man under observation, and has still, but has been unable to see anything out of place; it seems that Miss Leyland was at the Sergeant about this man. I will see that every attention is given. 
I don’t think the man cares much about garden work; he is a joiner by trade. 
I am Sir, 
Your Obedient Servant, 
Thomas Bolton, Superintendent.

On the 9th November I received a letter from E Holt Wilson, Captain, M.O.5 (g), War Office, Whitehall.
He had been informed by Thomas Snowball, the Postmaster of Berwick, that A Cayley, Esq of Haggerston Castle, Beal, has called upon him and reported suspicious movements of a Belgian Refugee.

His name is Lodewijk Van Horenbeck and his wife’s maiden name Van Perek. They reside in a cottage provided by local resident near Cheswick House, Beal.
I have been asked to examine the parties as to their name, business, origin etc sending the War Office full particulars of their passports and references in Belgium and England.
I have to ask the Belgians to write in Flemish, to the Belgian Consul giving the history of their present position under which they claim to be without means and desire to be considered Refugees.

Mr Cayley is certainly persistent. On the 12th November, he wrote to me again stating that he had reported to the Postmaster at Berwick some weeks ago that Van Horenbeck and his movements were causing suspicion and that he had also heard that he was receiving a quantity of letters.
He asked the Postmaster to report this to his HQ, thinking that this correspondence if examined might lead to justification for suspicion.
He suggested a Belgian lad at Haggerston who can talk Flemish and French, could be trusted to help should his services be required.
The lad cannot speak English. Mr Cayley offers his own assistance.

How long will this case go on for? I do have other work to do.

(Sits down. )