with the assistance of Beth Banks

The Sad Tale of Ann, Wife of William Graham, Blacksmith

A dreadful occurrence took place at Wigton on Sunday 20 April 1817.

Transcribed and Edited from -Carlisle Patriot April 1817 + The Times 29 April 1817

Anne Graham, the wife of William Graham, blacksmith, murdered two of her children by strangulation, left another for dead, and afterwards cut her own throat!

The following particulars have reached us, from which it will clearly appear that the wretched woman laboured under strong mental derangement. On the preceding day she dressed herself, and took her children for a walk, a circumstance with her very unusual on such a day. She went with them to a small stream of water, and looking into it, remarked that “it was not deep enough, and they would come another time.”

On Sunday morning, she strongly persuaded her husband to go to church; and when she laid out his Sunday clothes, she gave him a black silk handkerchief, instead of a white one. He inquired the reason and asked for a white one. His wife immediately said to him in a singular tone – “What, would you not wear it if we all lay dead? Graham took no particular notice of this wildness and went to church. As soon as he was gone, she called the children into the house and locked the door. After washing them, she gave the oldest “a boy of about nine years of age” [this must have been James] an infant to hold, which was sucking at the breast, [this will have been Catherine] and took one of the other children into an adjoining room, put it to death by strangling it with her hands, and then laid it into a bed. She returned for another, which she strangled in the same manner. When she came for the third, the boy before-mentioned inquired what she was doing, and observed, he thought she was killing the children. She replied, that she would let him soon see what she was doing with them, and went into the room with the third, which she also strangled. The boy being alarmed, laid the infant on the floor, and got into the blacksmith’s shop by means of a door which communicates with the dwelling-house, where he concealed himself under the large bellows.  His mother followed him into the shop, and searched, but could not find him. After she returned into the dwelling-house, the boy escaped from the shop by drawing the bolts which secured the great doors. He met his father as he was returning from church and told him the dreadful tale; assistance was immediately procured, and on entering the house, the unhappy woman was found with her throat dreadfully cut, without any signs of life; the infant was lying on the floor unhurt. The other three children were found in bed, two of them quite dead [William and Thomas]; the other [Mary] showed symptoms of life, and by proper care has been much recovered, but still remains in a doubtful state.

What a scene for the unfortunate husband and father! No cause but insanity can be assigned for these dreadful acts. William Graham has always proved himself a kind an affectionate husband. His wife was naturally of a gloomy disposition; and, latterly, she had formed an idea that her children would come to poverty.

 

From Parish Registers, further details of this family can be discovered:

SKELTON PARISH

• William Graham, blacksmith, married Ann Walton 14 Aug 1806
• Their first child, James, was baptised 23 October 1806. [James was the eldest son who ran away to get help]

WIGTON PARISH – St.Mary’s

• Their second child William was baptised 26 October 1808; he died aged 22 months and was buried 3 August 1810.
• Their third child also named William was baptised 25 November 1810 [William died]
• Their fourth child Thomas was baptised 27 November 1812 [Thomas died]
• Their fifth child Mary was baptised 17 December 1815 [Mary left for dead but survived]
• Their sixth child Catherine was baptised 20 April 1817 [Catherine was baptised on the same day as the tragedy.]
• Ann Graham and her two sons William and Thomas were buried on 21 April 1817

At the inquest the Coroner’s Jury returned a verdict of Insanity.

So, William was left with three small children but from the records we find that in the following year William married again.

Marriage bond/licence of 15 August 1818 states that William Graham, widower, blacksmith made application to marry Ann Mallinson, spinster.  The couple were married at St. Mary’s, Wigton on the 16 August 1818.

WIGTON PARISH – St. Mary’s

Baptisms recorded for the children of William and Ann [Mallinson]

• William baptised on 25 December 1818
• John baptised on 21 February 1821
• Thomas baptised on 18 June 1824

From Pigots Directory of Cumberland 1828-29 on page 99 is listed:

Graham Wm. Blacksmith, Water Street, Wigton.

No more has been found on this family.

Sources

Skelton parish registers PR 10                                          Cumbria Archives Carlisle

Wigton parish registers PR 36                                           Cumbria Archives Carlisle

Carlisle Diocese marriage bonds/licences                       Cumbria Archives Carlisle