Sudden death – An inquest was held at The Fox and Goose Inn on Monday morning, before C W Chaston Esq upon the body of Jonathan Carter, agricultural labourer, aged 77 years. Harriet Corbyn stated that the deceased, who was her brother, had lived with her and her husband for the last four years; he …
Crucial to the setting of ‘The Fressingfield Witch’, is The Fox and Goose Inn which nestles in front of the churchyard. Formerly the guildhall of St Margaret of Antioch, the structure was built around 1509 and has been a public house since 1710. The side facing the churchyard is an attractive mix of brick and timbers …
Originally posted on Francis Young:
This afternoon I spoke at Peterborough’s John Clare Theatre on the subject of ‘Witchcraft and Magic in the Fens’, an event organised by Peterborough Archives. My talk focussed particularly on evidence of witchcraft and magic from Peterborough and the surrounding countryside. I am always delighted on such occasions to hear…
The Fressingfield Witch was inspired by articles from national and local papers about Mary Ann Corbyn and her alleged use of witchcraft to procure the death of her step-granddaughter. Below is an extract from the Framlingham Weekly News 12 April 1890: “An inquest was held on Wednesday evening at Gooch’s Farm House, Fressingfield, before C W Chaston …
… and it’s here courtesy of Publishnation who have helped me hit my target of publication by the end of October. The Fressingfield Witch is a work of fiction based on a series of factual events from the 1890’s. It takes place in Suffolk, England. As usual, one or two of the characters come from my own family tree and …
It’s the first day of a week away from work. The weather is disgusting. My dog is sullenly pacing round the house eyeing me with disapproval. It’s so foul outside, that today we are going nowhere. I like a walk. It keeps the dog happy and my Fitbit from nagging. Today my Fitbit sits redundantly …
Autumn has landed with a vengeance in my little corner of Gloucestershire. In true Hygge fashion, I’m snuggled on the couch covered with a wool blanket, sipping a hot drink and letting the smell of cappuccino truffle waft around the room from a burning candle. The research for my next novel is almost finished; just the small …
A number of poisons are referenced in Vote for Murder, as one might expect in a murder mystery. Mary Cage, despite her poverty, was an opium eater. This use of drugs, among the poorest in Victorian society, might seem unlikely but opium was, in fact, readily available and extremely cheap. To put it in context, …
When Joshua Bowers left for work in March 1881, he did not expect to be summoned home to be told that his second wife had taken her life and murdered two of their children. The day began like any other with Joshua walking to the farm of J Walter Hills where he was employed as …
Jacqueline Beard Writer 