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Hidden East Anglia: Landscape Legends of Norfolk & Suffolk
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Some
more odd burials:
They may not be 'landscape legends', but just to show that tales of suicides and others being buried at crossroads or by the roadside are not simply folklore, we have the following historical reports from the region: Ballingdon, Suffolk: The 'Ipswich Journal' of October 4th 1783 records that "a man named Hurwood, millwright of Ballingdon, took arsenic in a fit of discontent. At the inquest the Jury returned a verdict of 'self-murder', and on Sunday morning early he was buried in the crossway, with a stake driven through his body, near the pound on Ballingdon Hill". Banham, Norfolk: A 70 year old labourer called Stephen Cutting drowned himself at was buried at a crossroads here, according to the 'Bury and Norwich Post' on April 18th 1821. Barrow, Suffolk: In the 'Bury and Norwich Post' of February 1st 1809 we find a report that a septuagenarian named Harriet Watson hanged herself and was "buried in the highway." Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk: Again from the 'Ipswich Journal', but from July 31st 1779: "William Snell and John Carter for sodomitical practices to stand on the pillory at Bury - On Wednesday William Snell and John Carter stood on the pillory at Bury previous to which Snell took several doses of arsenic which he said he had kept for several years, it had no effect on him till he was being carried back to the gaol when it began to operate and he expired about 7 in the evening. The coroner’s verdict was self murder in consequence of which he was to be buried in the King’s highway and a stake driven through his body, Snell was severely pelted by the populace but Carter came through unhurt nothing being thrown at him the fury of the people having subsided". I don't know the exact location, but the 'Ipswich Journal' of June 10th 1775 records another crossroads burial in Bury St. Edmunds. This one was a shoemaker named John Neal who hanged himself, perhaps due to financial problems. "Buried in the public highway" was a gardener named Charles Bland, who hanged himself. This according to the 'Ipswich Journal' of January 6th 1810. From the 'Bury and Norwich Post' on May 7th 1823 comes the tale of a suicide pact. What happened to her lover I don't know, but 19 year old Mary Gooch killed herself with laudanum and was buried at a crossways here. Great Ashfield, Suffolk: An 18 year old named John Parsons hanged himself in 1795, then was "buried between the crossroads", says the 'Bury and Norwich Post' of December 23rd that year. Great Thurlow, Suffolk: In 1731, the parish register records the burial of suicide Elizabeth Rawe at the threeways at Sowley Green (TL705509.) Hempnall, Norfolk: Nobb's Corner is a crossroads at TM264939, where Hempnall and Topcroft parishes meet. It is named after a brick maker called Richard Nobbs, whose suicide in 1785 is recorded in the 'Norwich Mercury' on June 4th of that year. The skeletal remains of Nobbs' son were found half-buried in a ditch at Tasburgh, and being suspected of the lad's murder, he hanged himself in Pope's Wood. At the time, the crossroads was known as Sisland Cross, but after the 'self-murderer' was buried there it became Nobb's Corner, and sometimes, Nobb's Grove. Source: www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF21989 Ipswich, Suffolk: The exact site is unknown, but a suicide was buried at a crossroads here in April 1792, according to the 'Ipswich Journal'. The man was due to be hanged for highway robbery at Ipswich Gaol, but instead hung himself the day before in his cell, and according to the newspaper was subsequently "buried in the crossroads with a stake driven through him". Source: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SUFFOLK/2003-11/1068159165 Kelsale-cum-Carlton, Suffolk: The parish register of February 4th 1773 records the burial of Robert Balls at a crossroads on the boundary known as the White Cross. King's Lynn, Norfolk: The 'Bury and Norwich Post' on October 12th 1814 records the burial "in the public road" of one John Saunders, a travelling bookseller. An attempted bigamist, he took his own life with laudanum. Lakenheath, Suffolk: Another crossroads burial here from the 'Bury and Norwich Post' of October 29th 1800, this one of a man named John Watts, who hanged himself. Lawshall, Suffolk: The 'Bury and Norwich Post' of March 26th 1788 reports that, after drowning himself in a local pond, William Bruce was buried "in the highway." Litcham, Norfolk: A mention of "the three crossways where a man is buried with a stake driven through him" occurs in an 1815 road survey of this parish. Source: Robert Halliday: 'The Roadside Burial of Suicides: An East Anglian Study' in 'Folklore' Vol.121, No.1 (2010.) Mildenhall, Suffolk: A young woman named Elizabeth Butcher killed herself with arsenic and was buried "in the king's highway", according to the 'Ipswich Journal' of March 18th 1809. Nayland, Suffolk: A spot called Horsecroft's Gate (possibly a crossroads) is mentioned in the 1599 parish register as the burial place, on November 29th, of a certain Robert Mylles, who hanged himself. Newmarket, Suffolk: Another burial at a crossroads is noted in the 'Bury and Norwich Post' of November 25th 1784, but without mentioning the location. This was of a man named John White, a servant at the Ram Inn, who hanged himself. Norwich, Norfolk: "My father, who was a freeman of the City of Norwich, by apprenticeship, remembered, when living in St. Laurences', seeing a suicide carried past his house at twelve at night, to be buried at the crossroads at Hangman's Lane (outside St. Giles' Gate, c.TG224086). An immense crowd followed, to see the stake driven through the body". Source: 'Norfolk & Norwich Notes & Queries', August 15th, 1896. Another historical suicide burial in Norwich occurred at the junction of Dereham Road, Heigham Road and Old Palace Road in 1794. At the time, it was where Heigham Road and St. Benedict's Road crossed. In August of that year a local porter named John Stimpson hanged himself at the Bull Inn, and the coroner instructed that he should be buried "in the crossroads of St. Benedict's Road" (TG219090). Source: www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF26431 The 'Norfolk Chronicle' of September 6th 1821records that a skeleton had just been uncovered at the bottom of Bethel Street, which leads from Upper St. Giles to the market place in Norwich. It was said to be "laid exactly in the crossway of the roads", and was thought to have been "the body of a criminal who died in prison and was buried there."
Not necessarily at a crossroads, but "buried in the king's highway" was Susannah Gooch, who drowned herself in 1786. The event was reported in the 'Bury and Norwich Post' on March 29th of that year.
Palgrave, Suffolk: An entry in the parish registers of Palgrave for December 30th 1587 reads: "Johannes Bungey sepultus in via", which translates as "John Bungey buried in the road".
Rattlesden, Suffolk: In about 1815, "it is said that a boy named Otterwell, aged from 14 to 15, hung himself, having been caught stealing beans. His body was dragged upon a slide to the place where the sign post is at the Water Run and there buried".
Source: Rev. J. R. Olorenshaw, 'Notes on the History of the Church & Parish of Rattlesden' (private, 1900).
Saham Toney, Norfolk: An unnamed suicide was buried in around 1790 at a crossroads here, where Bell Lane, Ovington Road, Cley Lane and Chequers Lane meet (TF907019). For some reason he had been pouring wine and beer into the river, was 'sent to Coventry' by the locals as a result, then killed himself !
Source: www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid='MNF13171'
Snape, Suffolk: Another crossroads burial from the 'Ipswich Journal' of January 16th 1819: this one of a young servant girl called Elizabeth Emerson, who took a reprimand from her mistress very hard and hanged herself.
Stowmarket, Suffolk: The 'Bury and Norwich Post' of July 15th 1784 reported that a 16 year old boy named Smith, after hanging himself, was "buried in the crossway and had a stake drove through his body."
Wetheringsett, Suffolk: In 1651, the skeleton of a 10 foot (3m) tall man was dug up from the road at the bridge (TM117669) in Brockford Street, on what is now the A140. This giant - which some thought to be a Dane, others that he belonged to the time of King Arthur - was buried in line with the road, with his head pointing towards Ipswich.
Source: http://www.foxearth.org.uk/blog/2005/01/brockford-giant.html
Wortham, Suffolk: Hanging himself in a hay loft, James Cooper was "buried in the king's highway", as recalled in the 'Ipswich Journal' of September 15th 1787.
Also, although no stories seem to survive, the names of some crossroads, lanes or specific spots seem to indicate a burial of one kind or another:
Barsham, Suffolk: Graffer's Grave (TM399895), also called Close Corner, is where Hall Road meets the B1062, the road from Beccles to Bungay.
Beetley, Norfolk: A tithe map from 1842 records the area at TF961183 as being called Deadman's Close. Some have interpreted this as referring to a suicide burial at the nearby crossroads.
Source: www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF14172
Benacre, Suffolk: A survey map of the manor in 1580 shows Deadmans Lane (now a part of Benacre Road) leading roughly from the current A12 to the boundary with Henstead parish.
Source: P. M. Warner: 'Blything Hundred' (PhD thesis, University of Leicester, 1982), Fig.52.
Benhall, Suffolk: Deadman's Lane runs north past the church towards Rendham.
Cockfield, Suffolk: There is supposed to be a Dead Man's Lane somewhere in this parish, but I haven't been able to locate it as yet. Drayton, Norfolk: Bugg's Grave (TG190145) is a crossways on the border between Drayton and Horsford. Hunstanton, Norfolk: Lambert's Grave (TF688407) is a former crossroads marked on maps of the 18th and 19th centuries, at the southern edge of Hunstanton Park, and is presumed to be a suicide burial. Source: www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF19186 Laxfield, Suffolk: Deadmansgrave Lane is a track forming part of the boundary between Laxfield and Fressingfield, and meets the B1116 road at TM278744. Mendham, Suffolk: A threeways called Hulk's Grave (TM263804), through which the Mendham/Weybread boundary runs. Paston, Norfolk: A crossroads called Deadman's Grave (TG305325) in the parish of Paston, just north-east of North Walsham. Spexhall, Suffolk: Deadman's Grave (TM396809) is where two country roads cross a little north of Halesworth, and form the parish boundaries of Spexhall and Westhall. Walberswick, Suffolk: A meeting of tracks on the heathland west of Walberswick is called Hangman's Cross (TM467747), and nearby is a wood known as Deadman's Covert. Finally, I'll mention a slight tale that I've come across from only one source, and whose location seems difficult to pin down. It may be that it's a modern bit of urban folklore, existing only on the web, but I'd be remiss if I didn't include it: Ipswich, Suffolk: There is supposed to be a spot known as the 'Seven Sisters', not far from the Orwell bridge, where the seven eponymous siblings allegedly committed suicide together, being buried in a nearby graveyard. It's now said to be one of those places where 'scary' things happen, and people won't go there alone after dark. No one has come up with exactly where it is, but one suggestion was that it's the 'Seven Sisters Interchange', the A14/A12 northbound. The trouble is, that's actually called 'Seven Hills'.... |
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