At the Dinnington barn dance on
the outskirts of Newcastle, local farm labourer Richard Charlton
saw, fell in love with and decided to marry a girl named Sarah
Duxfield Fenwick. After the death of her father Sarah received a
£300 inheritance and her family thought that was all Richard
wanted. The more her family were against Richard the more
determined Sarah was to marry him. Secretly on the 12th May 1873
Sarah and Richard were married. However it was not long before
things started to go wrong, Richard was moody and verbally abusive
to Sarah and the couple often rowed over money.
In 1874 when Sarah found she was pregnant she hoped that married
life would improve, she was very wrong Richard now became
physically abusive. When Sarah told her elder sister Ann about her
problems Ann invited the couple to move in with her and her
husband William Robson. The Robson's had a 268 acre farm called
Gardeners House Farm on the outskirts of Dinnington, where they
prepared a room for Sarah and Richard. On the 7th April 1875, five
days after moving into the farm Sarah gave birth to a son. The
same day Richard moved back into his own cottage.
On 4th June 1875 Richard paid £1-18s for a revolver from a
pawnbrokers in Newcastle. The next morning at 5am Richard arrived
at the Robson's farm to find William in the kitchen, surprised at
the early visit William asked what Richard wanted. Sarah, I want
to see her told that she was not yet up Richard left. At 2pm the
maid, Jane Lennon was working in the back kitchen when Richard
walked in again, at that moment Sarah also entered the kitchen.
How are you today, Sarah? Richard asked. Sarah's answer was a cold
look. Sarah will you come back? asked Richard. No Richy, I will
not answered Sarah.
In the parlour were Sarah's sisters Ann and Margaret with their
friend Jane Robinson when they heard a mans voice. Ann went to see
who it was and was shocked to see Richard. You have made all this
mischief Richard told Ann. Ann told Sarah to open the kitchen door
so that Richard could leave. Jane the maid was already at the door
when she saw Richard grab Sarah by the arm and pull a revolver
from his coat pocket. Jane ran out the door and was cowering in
the barn when she heard first one gunshot, then another.
In the kitchen, lying on the floor moaning with blood pooling
around her head was Sarah, Richard then turned and aimed his
revolver at Ann. Ann closed her eyes as Richard pulled the
trigger, she heard the bang and felt a pain across her cheek, then
she turned and ran. Margaret on her way to see what was happening
was grabbed by Ann and they ran into the pantry as another shot
was fired hitting the door frame. Bolting the pantry door to stop
Richard getting in, both terrified sisters hid behind the door and
listened. Their friend Jane Robinson holding Sarah's son had seen
Richard chasing Ann and Margaret and thinking he might harm the
child ran out into the field with the boy.
After a short time the two sisters heard another shot and then
silence, after a time the two sisters left the pantry to find
Richard lying on the floor beside Sarah. The two sisters ran
outside for help. Bartholomew Watson one of the farms labourers
sent someone for the police and a doctor then headed for the
house. He found Richard shot through the head and Sarah in a pool
of blood, beside Richard was the revolver with one bullet left.
Soon after Jane Robinson returned and helped Bartholomew carry
Sarah to a sofa, and taking a mattress to the kitchen they lifted
Richard onto it.
John Jameson a doctor from Ponteland arrived around 3.30pm. On
Sarah he found a bullet hole on one side of her head but no exit
hole all he could do was keep her comfortable for the short time
she had left. Richard's wound he said was critical and he did not
expect him to last the night. Under police guard Richard was taken
home. At 1.15pm the next day Sarah died.
At her inquest on 7th June Dr Jameson told the jury that 25 year
old Sarah had died due to blood flooding her brain as a result of
her bullet wound. The coroner Mr I Cockroft, told the jury, There
can be little doubt in your minds, that Mrs Charlton's death was
owed to the pistol shot which was fired at her by her husband, and
that he did it deliberately. The jury returned a verdict of guilty
of wilful murder against Richard Charlton. It was seven weeks
before Richard was well enough to be moved to Morpeth Prison.
Richard appeared at Morpeth magistrate court on 8th September,
with his left side paralysed from his suicide attempt. He spoke
only once to say I never threatened my wife, I was quite wrong in
my mind at the time. On 2nd December Richard appeared at
Northumberland Assizes, where he pleaded not guilty to murder. His
defence council pleaded not guilty due to insanity.
Ann Robson told the court On the 6th June about 2 o'clock I heard
someone speaking in the back kitchen. I went to see who it was and
I saw Richard Charlton, the servant girl Jane Lennon and my
sister, the deceased. The prisoner was standing opposite my
sister. He took her by the right arm with his left hand and drew a
revolver from his side pocket. He raised the revolver and fired.
He put it close to her head a second time, fired and she fell. He
caught me by the right arm and fired at the left side of my face.
The ball did not strike me, just the powder. I swung round, got
clear and ran towards the pantry. My other sister was in the front
kitchen and I helped her into the pantry.
Mr Blackwell the defence council said to the jury that after
killing his wife, Richard Charlton had tried to kill himself due
to temporary insanity. The jury found Richard Charlton guilty of
murder, he was sentenced to be hanged at Morpeth Prison on 23rd
December. Just before 8am on 23rd December 1875 Richard was led to
the scaffold and the prison bell started to peel the hour. Before
the bells had finished Richard Charlton was dead.
