Murder stones

Archaeology and geology, Bits and pieces by Lois

The words ‘murder stones” might  suggest many different things – stones used to commit murder, stones used to kill a murderer, somethings to be used in ritual magic, dangerous stones… actually, they are grave stones or memorial stones which commemorate people who have been murdered, and you can find them particularly in Wales.

I know some people don’t like churchyards or graveyards but I find them interesting and fascinating places – even graves commemorating people I have no connection with. The gravestone can often  tell a story, or can sometimes tell just part of a story:

I came across a grave, marking the resting place of Mary Dimmer, beloved wife of George who had sadly died young, at the age of thirty-three. On the back of the memorial stone was the inscription to Emily Dimmer, beloved wife of George who had died in 1887, aged twenty-one… What a great misfortune for George, to lose two wives at such a young age… but why on Emily’s grave was the inscription ‘Yes! Yes!’?

Gravestones can also lead you to find out about people… wandering in the graveyard of our hilltop church of St Nicholas, I came across a memorial to Frank Froest, .the police officer who was involved in the arrest of Dr Crippen, the man who murdered his wife for love of a young woman.

Now he was involved in murder – the solving of it rather than committing it. But murder stones… I came across an interesting article on the BBC which led me to a site which gave me more information. The purpose of this type of memorial was not just to commemorate the sad end t someone’s life, but to call to retribution the person who committed the crime; ‘Stones bearing tragic accounts of family – murders and other catastrophic events are by no means uncommon but “murder stones”, with an appeal to conscience, have a completely different purpose.’  It was hoped that if uncaught, the murderer might read the words and be wrought with conscience and confess. A secondary aim was to be a warning to others of violent inclination.’

This is an example:

Margaret Williams church of St Catwg Cadoxton 1823

To record Murder this stone was erected over the body of Margaret Williams aged 26 , a native of Carmarthenshire, living in service in this parish who was found dead with marks of violence on her person In a ditch on the marsh below this churchyard on the morning of Sunday the fourteenth of July 1823

You can find out more here:

https://bobmason.weebly.com/murder-stones.html

and here is the BBC article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45651931

These tragic memorials have given me an idea for the novel I am writing now… it will need some pondering though… murder stones…

21 Comments

  1. Karen at Reprobate Typewriter
    Reply

    They brought the tradition with them to the United States, as well. I know of two stones like that within about fifty miles of where I live. The more recent of the two is a cenotaph for one of the sailors who was murdered on the Lisbon Maru during World War Two. The other is a frontiers-y story of a man who was horrifically murdered by bandits for his (alleged) savings. That one’s actually in Welsh.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. simonjkyte

        a lot of my relatives are in that graveyeard (and inside, going way back) but in amongst them is the grave of the ‘indian queen’ presumably muslim given the orientation of the grave – but in a CoE churchyard.

        Liked by 1 person

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