Victorian Crime. Down on the Farm

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.

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