William Corder - “The Red barn” murder.

Maria Marten was the 26 year old daughter of mole catcher, Thomas Marten, who lived at Polstead in Suffolk. She was in a relationship with 24 year old William Corder and had become pregnant by him but the child had died at about two weeks old. Maria had a child, Thomas Henry, by a previous relationship with Peter Matthews. At the age of seventeen she had also dated Thomas Corder, William Corder’s second oldest brother. Here is a drawing of Corder and here is one of Maria.

On the 18th of May 1827 Maria donned men’s clothing at Corder’s request and set out to meet him at the Red Barn on Barnfield Hill, about half a mile from the Martens' cottage. Maria never returned home. It seems that they got into an argument which according to Corder was over Maria wanting them to get married. This escalated into the murder.

After the murder Corder had left Suffolk and moved initially to Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and Southampton. After about two months he went to London where he advertised for a wife in The Sunday Times and had some forty five replies. As a result he married Mary Moore and the pair settled down to a new life together. He wrote to Maria’s parents claiming that she was alive and well but her parents were sceptical because she had left her son for so long.

Maria’s step-mother, Ann, had a dream that her body was buried in the Red Barn and on the 19th of April 1828 she persuaded her husband to investigate it. He found an area of the earth floor that had been disturbed and upon excavating this discovered a body which he was able to identify as Maria’s from her clothes. The body was taken to the Cock Inn in Polstead for formal inquest. She was identified by her sister, also Ann, from a missing tooth, her hair and her clothing. Local surgeon, John Lawson, examined the remains but the precise cause of death could not be absolutely established, due the decomposition of the body. Maria had a stab wound to one eye, an injury to her body that could have been caused by her father’s spade when he was digging in the barn and a wound from a pistol ball. She also had a handkerchief wrapped tightly around her neck.

Corder was the prime suspect in the disappearance of Maria. He was tracked by constable Ayres, the Polstead village policeman, who obtained his old address from a friend. Ayres had contacted constable James Lea of the London constabulary who was able to make the arrest at Everley Grove House in Brentford, which Corder and his new wife, Mary, ran as a lady’s boarding house. Lea searched the house and found a brace of pistols, one of which was thought to be the murder weapon, together with a short sword or dagger. These he later produced at the trial.

Corder was taken back to Polstead and then sent to the Suffolk County Gaol at Bury St. Edmunds to await trial at the Summer Assizes on Thursday the 7th and Friday the 8th of August 1828, before the Chief Baron, William Alexander, in the Shire Hall. The trial attracted huge public interest. Corder was defended by Mr. Broderick and the prosecution was led by Mr. Andrews. A model of the Red Barn was placed on a table near the jury.

He was indicted with "murdering Maria Marten, by feloniously and wilfully shooting her with a pistol through the body, and likewise stabbing her with a dagger.” Corder pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout. Corder alleged that Maria had shot herself with one his pistols. Given the considerable amount of evidence against him the jury needed just 35 minutes to reject his suggestion and find him guilty. He was therefore sentenced to be hanged by the neck until he was dead and afterwards to be dissected. The Murder Act of 1751 was still in force at this time so the execution was set for Monday the 11th of August at noon.

At 11.30 p.m. on the Sunday evening Corder made a confession to Mr. John Orridge, the governor of the goal. This was signed by him the following morning.

Typically the New Drop gallows at Bury St. Edmunds was erected in the middle of a paddock on the north east side of the gaol. The prisoner was brought out through the main gate and walked along the road to it. In Corder's case, because of the large crowds expected, a doorway was made in the prison wall adjoining the paddock with the gallows close by. This became known as "Corder's Door". Here is a drawing of the gallows and the door.

A huge concourse of people, estimated at some 7,000, had gathered to witness the execution. Just before midday on the Monday Corder was led out through the newly created door supported by two turnkeys and accompanied by the chaplain, the Rev. W. Stocking. Mr. Orridge asked him if had any final statement. Corder told him “I am guilty; my sentence is just; I deserve my fate; and, may God have mercy on my soul”. This was relayed to the crowd by Mr. Orridge. The white hood was then drawn down over his head and he was “launched into eternity” by London’s hangman, Thomas Cheshire. Cheshire had to add his own weight to Corder’s body to accelerate death and the arms and hands soon relaxed. Here is a drawing of the scene. The body was left hanging for the normal hour before being taken back to the Shire Hall in a cart where it was cut open from the breast bone downwards and the skin folded back to reveal the muscles. It was thus put on display before being sent to the West Suffolk Hospital for dissection. According to the Norwich and Bury Post, over 5,000 people queued to see it. It was noted in the press that the face and neck were somewhat swollen and the rope was clearly visible.
A plaster cast was taken of his head for a death mask to be made for examination by the Phrenological Society.
After dissection the skeleton was preserved as was a part of his scalp with an ear attached and some of his skin. A book about his trial was bound in Corder’s skin is still at Moyse’s Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds. The Cock Inn, where the inquest was held, is also still in the village.

Back to Contents Page