Sunday the 8th August 1830 was a nice hot sunny summers
Sunday. On this Sunday morning the owner of Hallgarth Mill, wealthy farmer
Stephen Oliver and his wife decided to go to Durham and spend the day with
relatives. Working for the Oliver's were 19 year old Thomas Clark and pretty 17
year old Mary Ann Westhorpe, they also lived at the mill. Before the Oliver's
left the mill on the Sunday morning Stephen put £130 in his pocket and left
nearly £40 in silver and sovereigns locked in a draw in his bedroom. As they
were leaving they told Thomas and Mary to keep working until they returned
home. Mary spent the morning carrying milk to Pittington, Thomas on the other
hand spent his time watching the other teenagers enjoying themselves in the
nearby stream. Getting more and more bad tempered with the heat of the day a
group of girls heard Thomas shouting at Mary to let the pigs out to feed. When
Mary had said she had already done it Thomas had yelled back at Mary not to
speak unless spoken to or he would be straight with her
by the evening.
What happened next is unknown but at six o'clock Thomas was seen in fields
nearby the mill bending down and then as he stood up he walked towards
Sherburn, where he walked into two pitmen. His face covered in blood and his
shirt all ripped one of the men asked Canny man, what's the matter with you?
Thomas told them six men had forced their way into the mill and attacked him
and Mary, he had escaped after being smashed in the face by a poker but he was
worried about Mary she might be dead they had to get help. The two pitmen went
with Thomas to the mill but the door was jammed, they pushed harder and opened
the door enough to look inside. Mary's body was lying with her head smashed in
and her throat cut from ear to ear, beside the fireplace was the poker and
covered in blood a kitchen knife.
The Oliver's returned to find constable Anthony Smith and a crowd gathered
around their home. When the Oliver's searched they found the draws in their
bedroom had been smashed and their savings stolen. When he was asked what had
happened Thomas told the constable he and Mary had answered a knock at the door
to a tall Irishman wanting a light for his pipe. When they had opened the door
further to let him in five more Irishmen had pushed their way in and attacked
him and Mary with knives and pokers. After being beaten around the head he had
escaped from the mill without any cuts or bruises. Thomas said all the men were
wearing sailor jackets but no one else had seen these men and they were never
found. They did however find the box with the stolen money in the field where
Thomas was seen bending down at around six o'clock, so he became the suspect.
It was then assumed that while the Oliver's were gone Thomas was going to steal
their money but Mary must have seen him. Being caught for robbery would have
meant transportation for life to Australia, so he decided to keep Mary 'quiet'
and hide the money until later. On Thursday 25th February 1831, 19 year old
Thomas faced trial at Durham court, due to large interest in the case the court
was full to overflowing. After more than 40 witnesses and two days the jury
retired to consider their verdict. It took them just 22 minutes to come back
with a verdict of guilty. Thomas showed no emotion as Mr Justice Littledale
placed the black cap on his head and sentenced him to death. The judge also
told Thomas Your time in this world will be short and I therefore exhort you to
make the best of it by praying for mercy at the hands of the Almighty.
The time for Thomas was short his execution was set for Monday and as this was
a public hanging more than 15,000 people gathered to watch. At midday Thomas
was lead sobbing to the scaffold and as the rope went round his neck and the
crowd went quiet Thomas could be heard saying Gentlemen I die for another mans
crimes. I am innocent. Then the trap door opened and Thomas went down, still
his punishment was not over. In accordance with the customs of the time his
body was given to surgeons for dissection in the name of research, it was
returned days later to friends for burial.
