Another Wadhurst Tragedy....

[Robin]

Times Archive Nov 11 1811

A few days ago as an Auctioneer was selling of the goods of Mrs. ELLIS of Lamberhurst Sussex, the floor of the room gave way, and precipitated the whole company, 79 persons, to the room below. Fortunately, they all, except one woman, escaped without material injury.

Doesnt mention if the auctioneer then tried to sell the house

[emma@esh]

David Wickham of Woods Green, Wadhurst - Labourer. Said he was coming down the path by Mrs Watts house at about ? a.m ( I think it is 8) and saw the van shaking and heard voices in the van. On getting onto the road he saw Mrs Ellis running up across the plot, prisoner after her from almost the foot of the steps two or three yards apart. He did not see either of them come down the van steps. Prisoner had what he thought to be a heavy strap in his hand. The woman had nothing in her hand. Prisoner caught her in the road and in crossing the road he saw four or five blows dealt in quick succession across the shoulders. He lost sight of them and heard the woman cry "Murder Murder!" and heard two or three more strokes. Then he saw Prisoner coming back, and prisoner said "See what the - woman has done to me" His waistcoat and shirt were torn. He had something in his hand. He was about 75 yards away from them. He could see into the plot but did not see anyone else come out of the van or see anyone else in the plot. He knew Ellis' boy but did not see him there. He thought he was in such a postion that he could see anyone who was there. He could not see Baker's steps as he walked. He turned round and saw them running from the van.

[emma@esh]

Cross Examined: Witness was about 6 or 7 yards away from the van when he saw it shaking, and it was hardly 5 minutes after that he saw Mrs Ellis run across the road. He went on walking and did not continously watch the van. He watched prisoner and his wife and not the van and could not say if anyone stood at the top of the stairs to the van. When prisoner and his wife reached the gate he did not think he could see the van. From the gate they ran towards Baker's Cottage, but not very fast. He did not call out to prisoner. He got a thrashing for taking a womans part once. He did not go to any of the nearby cottages for assistance, and did not think it was coming to what it did, and if it was not for prisoner coming back would not have taken any more notice or enquired about the matter. If he had thought it was serious between the two of them he would have gone to the womans assistance. He had known Mrs Ellis for many years. She was a strong woman. Prisoner did not have hold of his wife at all. Prisoner, when he saw him, was behind his wife and the blows were on her head and shoulders. From prisoners clothing there must have been a struggle between them. It was evident prisoners waistcoat had been torn from him.

By the court: He did not notice prisoners waistcoat before his return. He did not see Mrs Watts.

Next up Ada Baker....

[emma@esh]

Having checked the ALL censuses for Wadhurst the only David Wickham
(that I can see) that was in wadhurst in 1901 (5 years before the 'incident') was

2 Woods Green Cott WICKHAM David Head Married 64 Ag Lab Sussex Wadhurst
2 Woods Green Cott WICKHAM Elizabeth Wife Married 61 Sussex Hartfield
2 Woods Green Cott WICKHAM Ada Daughter Single 22 Sussex Wadhurst
2 Woods Green Cott WICKHAM Walter Son Single 16 Ag Lab Sussex Wadhurst
2 Woods Green Cott WICKHAM Lilian Gnddau 9m Kent Tunbridge Wells

Which means he would have been in his late 60's in 1906. Can this have been the same David Wickham? He was in the right place.

[emma@esh]

Ada Baker of Stow Bridge (sic), Wadhurst, said she lived opposite prisoner's plot gate and there were some stone steps leading up to her cottage. She heard some knocks like breaking wood, and thought the noise might come from opposite, she again heard something and then screaming. Looking out she saw prisoner hitting his wife with a stick or a whip-handle, just above her steps. Mrs Ellis was, she thought, lying down and he was standing besides her, hitting her. She did not see any scuffling. She could see prisoners head and arm going up as he hit her, over her hedge. She saw Ellis going away with the stick and then saw Mrs Ellis coming up her steps after a minute or two. Their gate opened outwards. She did not speak to her. Afterwards she saw blood on her doorstep. Witness thought she called murder. She called once or twice.

[emma@esh]

Cross Examined: She looked out on hearing the knocks. Mrs Ellis appeared to be lying down near the gate. She did not count the blows. Prisoner seemed to be hitting her on the body, and gave her several cuts after she looked out. Witness husband was having breakfast downstairs at the time. She did not call out to him. Her husband was a strong muscular man. She did not think it was for her to interfere and did not place much importance upon it. If she did she should not have interfered. She did not know why she should call her husbands attention to it. If she had thought prisoner was doinghis wife serious harm it was not business of hers. They had not been on unfriendly terms with prisoner. Mrs Ellis walked around her house as she usually did. So far as she could see there was nothing the matter with her. Witness was looking out of the window the whole time until prisoner went away.
By the court: She did not see prisoner throw anything away, and did not see anyone else in the plot. She could not see all the van from the window, not the door or any of the steps. She thought she would have seen anyone standing by the steps. The reason she did not think it was worth while to interfere was because she saw prisoner walk away and his wife come towards their house.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Odd that Mrs baker thought it none of her business yet stood watching it from an upstairs bedroom...

Mr Baker to follow

[emma@esh]

George Baker, Signalman at Robertsbridge Station, said he heard the screaming but did not get up from his breakfast to see what it was all about. About 2 or 3 minutes after Mrs Ellis came to their door. He spoke to her. She was bleeding from the left side of her head and crying. There was blood on her left hand and several spots on the doorstep where she was standing. The blood was running down the side of her face and on to a muffler she was wearing. He saw prisoner a few days later when he said it was a bad job about his wife and that when she got outside she threw a broom at him and hit him on the side of his head. He then said that she ran towards witness's steps and that he ran after her. She ran up the steps and he ran after her and was opening the gate when she fell backwards. Then they had a scuffle and he hit her a time or 2 with a stick. He said she tried to open the gate and then flew backward into the road. He said the quarrel started in the van because he wanted to go to Tonbridge and he had asked her to do a thing or two and she refused. He said that when he hit her he did not know she had got the wound on her head. The steps were ordinary flag stones from the hard road to the path. The road? was steam rolled. Mrs Ellis had occasionally been up the steps.

[emma@esh]

Cross Examined: She was a muscular woman capable of taking her own part with any woman at all events. He had known her to fight prisoner. She had on several occasions annoyed her husband ( thats ok then!!!) If it was not for the bleeding on her head he should have thought that nothing was the matter with her. She walked away in her usual style. There was nothing about her to make him think she had been hurt. ( apart from the profuse bleeding and crying presumably!)

[emma@esh]

As far as I can see on checking the Sussex Express didn't cover this story. For the outcome I will go and check the Kent and Sussex Courier in Tunbridge Wells Reference library.

[emma@esh]

This appears before the witness statements previous to this post. ( Now have clearer photocopies)


The Wadhurst Manslaughter Charge

Albert Ellis, the dealer if Wadhurst who stands commited for Trial at the Assizes on the Coroners Warrent for the Manslaughter of his wife Maria Ellis at Wadhurst, on the 6th March, was on Friday brought before Messrs T B Jobson and A Hardcastle at the Cranbrook Police Court charged with the offence. Ellis, who had been in custody since the adjourned inquest, had been brought up on the Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and each time remanded, no evidence being taken. Through the fact that the injuries alleged to have been received by the deceased woman were inflicted at Wadhurst, and that her death had occured at Goudhurst in Kent, some technical difficulties arose, but these were overcome by its being arranged that the case should be heard in Kent.
The Prisoner was defended by Mr Vaughan Gower who keenly watched the evidence of each witness and cross examined at great length.Throughout the whole hearing from 11 am to 6.45 pm Prisoner, who was provided with a seat, displayed great interest.