Usk prison.

Usk prison was originally constructed as a House of Correction, opening in 1844 and being enlarged in 1870 to become the County Gaol for Monmouthshire. It has an imposing stone built gatehouse and four cell blocks radiating off from a central spine, in the normal panopticon principle that was popular in Victorian times. The reason for this form of construction was that one warder on each floor could keep watch on all the cells on that floor from a central guard point in the glass topped rotunda. See photo.

Usk closed as the County Gaol in 1922 but reopened as a Borstal (for juvenile offenders) in 1939. It became a Detention Centre in 1964, a Youth Custody Centre in 1983 and the Young Offenders Institution in 1988. Finally it became an adult Category C prison for vulnerable prisoners in 1990 and remains so today. Monmouthshire was one of a small number of counties that had the County Gaol in a different town to the County town. Cheshire being another example, who’s county gaol was at Knutsford rather than Chester.

Hangings and hangmen at Usk.

As public executions had ceased in 1868 all seven executions at Usk took place within the prison. It was reported that the original place of execution was in an angle of the prison near the magistrate's room on the south side of the complex. The gallows was described as being constructed of deal and painted black. It was set over a pit dug in the yard.

Three men would be hanged here in the 19th century.

Name	Date of execution	Executioner/assistant
James Henry Gibbs	24/08/1874	William Marwood/none
Joseph Garcia	18/11/1878	William Marwood/none
Thomas Edwards	24/03/1910	James Billington/none

James Henry Gibbs.

On Wednesday the 3rd of June 1874 a farmer, John Hughes, discovered the body of Susan Ann Gibbs, the foul odour of decomposition leading him to the scene. Susan was lying in a ditch with a few twigs covering her. She had not been since the 12th of May. Suspicion immediately focused on Gibbs, who was a butler at nearby Llanrumney Hall. He had married Susan the previous July having met her in Reading where they both worked for the same family. Gibbs was forced to live separately from his wife at Llanrumney Hall and she took lodgings in Cardiff where he visited her there on his days off.

It appears that 22 year old Gibbs was also having an affair with a Miss Mary Jones at St. Mellons. However in early May he had promised to leave Llanrumney Hall and take Susan away with him. On the 12th of May Susan confronted Gibbs over the relationship with Mary. Mary had, according to a witness taken her umbrella with her and this would later be found, together with her keys in Gibbs’ possession. Susan’s landlady, Mrs. Mahoney received several letters from Gibbs, on the 17th, 19th and 29th of May all of which implied that Susan was still alive and saying the she was unwell but when she recovered they would come and collect her belongings.

The inquest on Susan opened on the 6th of June 1874 and having adjourned and re-convened, returned a verdict of wilful murder against Gibbs, who was therefore committed for trial at Monmouthshire Assizes. The trial opened on Thursday the 6th of August at the Town Hall in Monmouth, before Mr. Justice Lush. The public gallery was full. A letter written by Gibbs to Mary Jones was read out in court, in which he promised to meet her at St. Mellons. Various witnesses described the angry meeting between Gibbs and Susan. Mary Jones told the court that she believed that Gibbs was single and had agreed to marry him. The jury returned a guilty verdict on the Friday, having heard a lengthy statement from the defence, which did not offer any alternative scenarios.

Gibbs continued to protest his innocence in the condemned cell of Usk prison, but to no avail.

On Monday the 24th of August he had to be dragged to the gallows by warders to face William Marwood. His final words were “God bless you all. God forgive me for these and other sins. It is a happy thing for me to know I die innocent.” Marwood pulled the lever and Gibbs died almost without a struggle. The Western Mail newspaper which had devoted a huge amount of space to the trial, condemned Gibbs for his constant denial of his guilt.

Joseph Garcia.

Four years would pass before the next execution. Multiple murders were rare events in the late 1800’s, especially in rural communities. A particularly tragic case occurred on the evening of Wednesday the 17th of July 1878 when all five members of the Watkins family were murdered in their cottage at Llangibby, two miles south of Usk. In the garden lay the bodies of forty year old William and his wife Elizabeth, 44, whilst in the upstairs bedrooms were discovered the bodies of their children, eight year old Charlotte, five year old Frederick, and four year old Alice. All had been stabbed repeatedly and the upstairs rooms had been set alight, the fire burning parts of the children’s’ bodies. A fellow farm worker seeing the smoke went to investigate the smoke and made the grim discovery. It seemed apparent from the state of the house that robbery had been the perpetrator’s initial motive and that the fire had been started in the hope of destroying the evidence of the murders.
A twenty one year old Spaniard named Joseph Garcia had been released from Usk Prison on the morning of the murder, after serving a nine month sentence for house breaking. He had decided to walk from Usk to Newport and was offered a lift by the driver of a cart, which he refused. The driver was later to identify him from his appearance and unusual accent. Later that evening he was spotted at Newport railway station where he was arrested by Sergeant M'Grath. He was found to be carrying a knife and there were blood stains on his clothes which he had attempted to wash and which were still damp. He also bore cuts and bruises from his struggle with Mr. and Mrs. Watkins. The police also found items belonging to William Watkins on Garcia, including his boots and some of his wife’s clothes. On Monday the 22nd of July he was committed to the next Monmouth Assizes for trial. The Spanish Consul Señor Uncilla, had instructed a Mr. Ensor from Cardiff to defend Garcia. After an application by the defence who were concerned that Garcia would not get a fair trial in Monmouthshire the trial judge, Baron Pollock, moved the venue to Gloucester and his case was heard there on the 28th of October 1878. Garcia spoke very little English and was represented by a Spanish speaking barrister at the trial, throughout which he maintained his innocence. The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Bosanquet and Mr. Lawrence. He was convicted of the murders and returned to Usk to await execution. He was hanged by William Marwood at 8 am on Monday the18th of November 1878. The gallows was set up in an open quadrangle within the prison and Garcia was led from the condemned cell to a pinioning cell adjacent to the quadrangle. After pinioning he was accompanied to the gallows by Father Echevarria. It would seem that Garcia’s neck was not broken by the drop and the Western Mail reported that “the vibrations of the rope lasted for about five minutes.” After the execution Marwood walked to the railway station to catch a train to Manchester for the hanging of James M’Gowan there the following day. He received a hero’s send off from waiting crowds at the station such was the local feeling against Garcia. In view of the heinous nature of the crime it was widely reported in the English daily newspapers. The Western Mail devoted a whole page to the case. The scaffold was the same as was used by Marwood in the case of Gibbs.

Thomas Edwards.

Thomas Edwards was a 30 year old soldier who was hanged by James Billington on the 22nd of December 1892 for the murder of 21 or 22 year old Mary Connolly at Abergavenny on the evening of Friday the 16th of September of that year. Mary had been released from Usk prison on this day having served a short sentence and met up with Edwards for a drink at the Somerset Arms in the town. As they walked from the pub along Hatherliegh Road, Edwards slit her throat with a razor. He turned himself on the following Sunday and was later identified by five witnesses.

Edwards was tried on the 1st and 2nd of December 1892 at the Monmouthshire Assizes before Mr Justice Day. It took the jury just ten minutes to return a guilty verdict.

The execution was reported as follows in The Evening Express.

“The scaffold was approached by two steps, which the prisoner scaled with the same resolute fortitude which had characterised him all through and quietly allowed himself to be placed on the drop and his legs to be pinioned. Billington then adjusted the rope which dangled from the beam above and quickly placed a white cap over the man's face, the bolt was withdrawn, and the convict dropped between five and six feet into the pit which had been excavated beneath. Death appeared to be instantaneous. There was scarcely a quiver of the rope as he hung. The whole transaction from the time the poor wretch left his cell till the moment he was launched into eternity was so expeditiously got through that the chaplain had only read a few of the sentences of the Burial Service when the drop fell, the poor convict had paid the penalty, and the service was abruptly ceased.”

It seems that Edwards wanted to kill prostitutes and wished to go to Newport to kill more, but fortunately could not afford the train fare. It is not clear from surviving records whether Mary was actually a prostitute.

In the 20th century a further four hangings would take place at Usk.

Name	Date of execution	Executioner/assistant
Jeremiah Callaghan	12/12/1902	William & John Billington
John Edmunds	03/07/1909	Henry Pierrepoint & John Ellis
Thomas Clements	24/03/1910	Henry Pierrepoint & John Ellis
William Sullivan	23/03/1922	John Ellis & Thomas Phillips

Jeremiah Callaghan.

Jeremiah Callaghan, aged 42, was the next to be executed here. Callaghan was from Ireland and a former soldier who had been convicted of the murder of his girlfriend, 38 year old Hannah Shea on the evening of the 4th of October 1902 near Bedwelty Workhouse, Tredegar. The couple had been together for a number of years and had four children. Callaghan was often unable to provide for his family and Hannah and the children had to go into the local workhouse during these periods. She and the children still saw Callaghan at weekends. However he began to believe that Hannah was seeing someone else and that she was spending their limited finances on drink.

At the time of the crime Callaghan was working for a stone mason and had arranged to meet Hannah after work, which he did in a local pub, the Black Prince, where he consumed a large quantity of beer. He appeared to be quite drunk when they left the pub and tried to accompany Hannah and another workhouse inmate, Elizabeth Prothero, back to the workhouse, falling over at least twice on the way there. As they neared the workhouse Callaghan pushed Hannah back against a stone wall and took a knife from his pocket and slashed her throat. She was able to run a few yards before she collapsed in the street. The children managed to escape from their father. Several people tried to save Hannah, including a local nurse, but to no avail. In the meantime Callaghan had himself gone to the workhouse where he was found casually smoking a pipe. On hearing the news of Hannah’s death William Thomas, the workhouse master, got Callaghan into his office and noted that the man’s hands were bloodstained. He was able to detain him until the police arrived and took him into custody. By the Sunday Callaghan had sobered up and was surprised to learn that he was being charged with murder, expressing no recollection of the event.

He appeared before magistrates at Tredegar Police Court on the Monday and was remanded in custody. On Tuesday the 7th Hannah’s inquest was held before Mr James Berry Walford and the coroner’s jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Callaghan. He was thus committed for trial at the next assizes, appearing before Recorder Mr. John Forbes Q.C at Monmouth on the 22nd of November 1902. The prosecution was led by Mr. J.R.V. Marchant, assisted by Mr. St. John G. Micklethwait. Callaghan was defended by Mr. Harold Hardy.

Evidence against the accused was provided by the various witnesses. Hannah’s father, Frank, related that Callaghan got drunk on many occasions and had assaulted and threatened his daughter when in that condition. .Elizabeth Prothero told the court that she did not think that Callaghan was really drunk when the group left the pub but rather just intoxicated. His level of drunkenness would be the mainstay of the defence case, that he was so drunk as to be suffering from delirium tremens and thus not responsible for his actions as he was incapable of forming the intent to kill (the mens rea). Callaghan had been examined by Dr. Boulton, the surgeon of Cardiff prison who gave evidence saying that he found no obvious insanity in the prisoner.

It took the jury just 35 minutes to convict Callaghan and having sentenced him to death the judge told him that he should hold out no hope of a reprieve. In that comment he was correct, as on December the 10th the Home Secretary announced that he could not recommend mercy. Callaghan was therefore hanged by William Billington, assisted by John Billington on Friday the 12th of December 1902. His final words were reportedly "Holy mother pray for me. Jesus help me." He had asked the Roman Catholic priest who had attended him to ensure that his children were brought up in that religion. Eight of the 22 executions in England and Wales during 1902 were for the murder of a girlfriend, or just over 36%.

John Edmunds - the “Lasgarn Outrage.

Fifty nine year old Cecelia Harris lived alone in the farmhouse on Garnwen Farm, near Pontypool, at the top of Lasgarn Mountain, since the death of her husband, George, some four years earlier. She noted a young man, whom she knew by name, in her garden on the afternoon of Saturday the 20th of February 1909. He was carrying a rifle and Mrs. Harris asked him to leave her property. He resented this and pointed the gun at her, causing Mrs Harris to run back inside her house and lock the door. However she continued to watch him from an upstairs window. The intruder forced entry into the farmhouse by breaking a window and she in turn ran out of the front door in an attempt to get help. Seeing her running he levelled the rifle and shot her just as she reached the garden gate, the bullet hitting her in the mouth, breaking her jaw but missing any major blood vessels. He then strolled over to the poor woman and raped her. She begged him not to kill her and offered him what money she had in the house, which amounted to 5s & 6p (27p in modern currency). So he allowed her back into her home where he spotted a large cooking knife with which he cut her throat and then shook her to make the blood flow out more quickly before leaving her to die, as he thought. However Mrs. Harris was made of sterner stuff and managed to crawl to her neighbour, William Rees, at Penyrhoel Farm. Before she left her own farm she was spotted by a young girl, Catherine Evans, who was so horrified by her bloody appearance that she ran away and disturbed Edmunds who also ran off. Mr. Rees summoned the police and the local doctor who did his best to save her. Mr. Rees too had seen Edmunds with the gun in the vicinity of Garnwen Farm earlier in the afternoon. Before Mrs Harris was removed to Pontypool Hospital she managed to write down the name of her attacker on a piece of paper that still survives in the National Archives. She wrote “Jack Edmunds shot me and cut my throat he got my money”. Sergeant Jones and Superintendent James started the search for Edmunds and later on the Saturday night arrested 24 year old John (Jack) Edmunds a collier from Garndiffaith and took him Abersychan police station. Edmunds claimed to have an alibi for the Saturday afternoon. On the Sunday they took him to Pontypool General Hospital where Mrs Harris still clung to life and was able to identify him as her attacker in the presence of a local magistrate. Police also discovered witnesses who had seen Edmunds in the vicinity of the farm on the Saturday afternoon.

Edmunds appeared before a magistrate at Pontypool Police Court on the Monday and later in the day in a special sitting of the court was formally charged with the attempted murder of Mrs Harris. He was remanded in custody for a week and then a further week as Mrs. Harris’ condition had not improved.

On Monday the 22nd of February Edmunds was picked out by all the witnesses in an identity parade held at Pontypool police station.

By the 20th of April Mrs. Harris had mad considerable progress in hospital, recovering from the facial and throat wounds which had nearly healed, but she was still in poor health with both kidney and heart disease, so the case against Edmunds was once more adjourned. After hearing all the evidence, including forensic evidence regarding blood stains on his clothes Edmunds was finally committed for trial on the 30th of April at the Monmouthshire Assizes to be held in July. On the 5th of May Mrs Harris died and so the charge against Edmunds was up-rated to murder. An inquest was opened and adjourned on the 7th of May under the coroner, Mr. M. Robert-Jones. A week later the coroner’s jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Edmunds.

A post mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was heart failure rather than the injuries that Edmunds had inflicted, however. The photograph of Mrs. Harris taken after her wounds had healed, clearly shows the damage to her jaw and face.

Edmunds’ trial took place at Monmouth on Monday the 7th of July before Mr. Justice Ridley. Messrs Cranstoun and David prosecuted with S.R.C. Bosanquet defending. The prosecution produced the witnesses that it had at the magistrates court. The defence was that Edmunds was not guilty of murder because Mrs. Harris had died of heart failure, rather than his direct actions. Mr. Bosanquet also argued that all the pre-trial publicity and discussion in the local papers had prejudiced the case. Mr. Cranstoun in his closing speech said he did not know whether the motive for the crime was robbery or rape (lust as he put it), or both. After summing up the judge told the jury to retire which they did at 5.40pm, returning at 6.25pm with a unanimous guilty verdict. The judge told the court that he concurred with the verdict and sentenced Edmunds to hang. Mr. Bosanquet immediately sought leave to appeal, based upon the medical evidence. Edmunds appeared to be unfazed at his conviction and sentence and smiled at the spectators in the court before being taken down. He was conveyed the 15 miles to Usk in a locked railway compartment under police guard.

The appeal was heard and dismissed on Friday the 25th of June, as in essence the court felt that Mrs. Harris’ death, if not caused directly by the wounds Edmunds had inflicted on her had certainly been accelerated by them. The Home Secretary declined to interfere and a date of Saturday the 3rd of July 1908 was set for the execution. The gallows had been borrowed from Reading Gaol for this execution. It was erected in an angle of the prison walls on the third floor of one the wings of the main building. The condemned cell was a short distance away and Edmunds walked to it via a corridor and a narrow bridge.

The hanging took place in the presence Mr. J. W. Thorpe, the governor of Usk prison, the Rev. William Jones, the chaplain, Mr. John Moxon, the Under Sheriff of Monmouthshire and Dr. Hackett the prison surgeon. A large crowd had gathered outside the prison, whilst inside Henry Pierrepoint, assisted by John Ellis made the usual preparations. Edmunds was led to the gallows at 8am having made no confession. His last words were reportedly “Virgin Mary, merciful Mother of God, receive my soul." He was reportedly given a drop of 6’ 10” and death was said to be “almost instantaneous”. At 8.15am the notice of execution was posted on the prison gate. The formal inquest was held within the prison at 10am. Dr. Hackett told the inquest that he had examined Edmunds after the drop and that death had been cause by fracture/dislocation of the neck.

Mr. G. Jones, Edmunds’ former boss at the colliery, wrote a letter to the local paper after the execution questioning Edmunds’ sanity. In the letter he described Edmunds’ strange actions in the February of 1908, having been dismissed as a collier and dismissed again as a night haulier. He would hang around the colliery and do unpaid work. Mr. Jones felt that Edmunds was not quite “compos mentis” and should have been reprieved. However Harold Saunders, Edmunds’ solicitor, did make enquiries among Edmunds’ family but could find no trace of insanity.

William Butler “The Bassaleg murders”.

An elderly couple named Charles and Mary Thomas lived at Tank Cottage in Bassaleg near Newport. Charles was 82 and his wife ten years younger and they were reputed to keep a large sum of money in the cottage, sadly a reputation that would lead to their murders. Their battered bodies were discovered by a neighbour on the morning of Friday November the 12th 1909. They had both been attacked with a hammer and their injuries were so severe that they were barely recognisable.

When the police arrived they could see that the intruder had gained entry by breaking a window and had used an item of children’s clothing to protect himself from the shards of glass.

Police made a house to house search of the neighbourhood and discovered the Thomas’ front door key on the windowsill of a neighbour’s cottage. The owner, Mrs. West, also identified the item of clothing found at the Thomas’ as belonging to her. The police did not suspect Mrs. West but were keen to know of anyone she thought could have known about the cash at the Thomas’ and who might have a grudge against her.

Mrs. West suggested just one person, a local ne’er do well, 62 year old William Butler, as she knew him, but whose real name was Thomas Clements. Butler had lodged with Mrs. West but had been evicted when had started making advances to her fifteen year old daughter. This had gone down very badly with Butler who threatened Mrs. West who had to get a court order against him. Butler was soon arrested and the police had evidence that on the Thursday (the 11th) Butler had no money but on the following he had spent altogether £3, precisely the sum missing from the Thomas’ home. He contested that he had obtained the money from a Mrs. Solomon Andrews who categorically denied it. He also claimed that he had gone to bed at 6.40pm on the 11th and had slept for 12 hours, through into the Friday morning. However one of Butler’s friends told the police that they had been together on that night between 9.00 and 9.30. Butler was then charged. Tests on Butler’s clothes revealed spots of blood which matched the Thomas’ blood groups and were consistent with having caused their injuries. Ironically the police discovered a cash box in Tank Cottage containing some £150 that Butler had been unable to find.

He was tried at Monmouth Assizes over two days, the 23rd and 24th of February 1910, before Mr. Justice Grantham. Mr. Cranstoun and Mr. St. John Micklethwait prosecuted with a Mr. Sherwood defending.

In view of the overwhelming evidence Butler was easily convicted and returned to Usk to await execution. There was to be no appeal. He was housed in the large condemned cell until the night before his execution, when he was moved to a smaller cell some 20 yards from the gallows shed at the back of the prison.

Butler was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint, assisted by John Ellis at 8.00 a.m. on Thursday the 24th of March 1910. A crowd had gathered outside the prison to see the official notices posted. The formal inquest was held at 10.00 a.m. and it was noted that Butler’s face “bore a calm and placid expression.” Death had resulted from fracture/dislocation of the neck.

William Sullivan.

Strangely the next capital murder in Monmouthshire also involved a married couple named Thomas. David Thomas and his wife, Margaret, aged 48, lived at Lapstone Cottage in Pencroesoped near Pontypool. Margaret was known to be a good housekeeper and she and David had breakfasted together on the morning of the 26th of October 1921, before David left for work. On his return he was surprised to find the doors locked and was unable to get any response from Margaret. He noted an upstairs window open and using a ladder gained access to his home. He made the grim discovery of Margaret’s body in the kitchen, her head having been battered with a large iron bolt. Detectives called to the scene noted that the breakfast dishes had not been washed up which was completely out of character for Margaret, thus giving them a likely time of death as soon after 6.30 am when David had left the house.

David mentioned to the police that earlier in the week a tramp had called at the house and been given some food by the Thomas’. They found out that the same man had also called at a neighbour’s house on the morning of the murder. The suspect was arrested on the 17th of November and was a former soldier, 41 year old William Sullivan. He had tried to sell a pair of trousers which were identified by David Thomas as his. Sullivan had obviously been in the Thomas’ home and was therefore charged with the murder. He came to trial at Monmouthshire Assizes before Mr. Justice Darling on the 7th of February 1922. The prosecution was led by Arthur Powell and the defence by S.R.C. Bosanquet. Bosanquet’s strategy was to blame the trouser theft on another man and the murder on David Thomas. This backfired and after 2 ½ hours deliberation on the second day of the trial the jury found Sullivan guilty. Asked if he had anything to say before he was sentenced, Sullivan once again maintained that he was innocent. He was returned to Usk prison. His appeal was unsuccessful and he was duly hanged by John Ellis assisted by Thomas Phillips on the 23rd of March 1922. Sullivan weighed 128 lbs and was given a drop of 8’ 0”, causing death by dislocation of the vertebrae.

This was the last execution at Usk which closed as a prison eight days later.

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