THE recent Nigel Heins 'Flashback' on Harold Greenwood, who moved to a new life in Herefordshire having been cleared of murder, brings to mind another tale of arsenic and exhumation. It centred on Mary Anne Burdock, a Herefordshire-born girl with stunning dark eyes and hair as black as ebony.
The Ross-on-Wye youngster headed for Bristol at the age of 19 nearly 200 years ago to start a new life. It was to become a bad life.
She poisoned gruel she administered to an elderly widow - to get her hands on the old lady's savings.
Suspicious relatives bombarded police with their concerns and Clara Smith's arsenic-riddled body was exhumed.
About 50,000 'ghouls' watched the execution of Mary Anne in Bristol on April 15, 1835.
Rain tipped down on the murderer - decked out in new black silk - and she was offered an umbrella.
She declined and uttered her last words: "No need to bother now, I shan't be wearing this lot again."
Incidentally, the barrister referred to in the Greenwood 'Flashback' was Marshall Hall not Marshall Hare.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article