The Ratcliffe Highway Murders

In the early part of the 19th century Ratcliffe Highway had a reputation for being one of the most dangerous streets in London. Situated at Wapping near the Pool of London it shared it's reputation with other streets  which were sited in close proximity to a sea ports.The Highway lay just north of the waterfront, and although the ordinary small businesses such as Bakers, Grocers and Drapers scratched out a living, they did so among the other more profitable establishments for which the Highway was known, these were the Public Houses, the Brothels and cheap Lodging Houses. It was here that the sailors, after long weeks away at sea, were only to eager to spend their money.

Those well meaning philanthropists who worked to improve the lives of the poor had little contact with Ratcliffe Highway, perhaps they thought that even the sweet scents of the spices, sandelwood and ginger piled high in the nearby warehouses could disguise the smell of debauchery that lingered over every cobble of the Highway.

It was into this busy raucous atmosphere that Thomas Marr settled with his family in April 1811, Thomas had worked for the East India Company before deciding to opening his own Drapers and Haberdashery shop in Ratcliffe Highway, maybe he chose the spot because of the high percentage of prostitutes in the area who had money to spend on linen, ribbons and so on. Whatever the reason for moving to the Highway it turned out to be a tragic one.

During those days there were regulations as to when shops could open and close, so it was that late on the evening of the 7th of December 1811 Thomas Marr as still busy in his little shop, with him was his wife Celia, the shop boy James Gowan and the young servant girl Margaret Jewel. Three months earlier a baby boy had been born to Thomas and Celia and on that particular night he was sleeping peacefully upstairs. At about 11.30pm Thomas asked Margaret to go to the local bakers and pay the weekly bill, also to buy some oysters, which at that time were so inexpensive that they were reconsidered poor mans food, however when she reached the shop she found it closed, so retracing her footsteps she set off to pay the bakers bill, as she did so she passed the Drapers and saw that Thomas Marr and the others were still busy getting ready for the following days trade.

Margaret estimated that she had been away from the shop for about 20 minutes, so she was surprised to find that when she returned to the shop it was in complete darkness, including the rooms above. She tried the door and found it locked, surely, she thought, they hadn't forgotten she was still out. Putting her ear to the door she could hear no sound from inside, so lifting the knocker she let it drop with a heavy thud, she then thought she heard a footstep on the stairs, a moment later came a small cry from the baby upstairs, yet still no-one came to let her in.

By now Margaret was beginning to panic and she began pounding on the door and calling out to be let in, still the door remained closed against her, but out of the darkness came a voice demanding to know what was going on. It was with relief that she saw it was George Olney, the Night Watchman who came to the Highway to call out the time each half hour. He was a friend of Thomas Marr and grew concerned as Margaret poured out her story, especially when he noticed that although the shutters were closed they weren't fastened so he began to call out his friends name, this in turn woke the pawnbroker who lived next door. After he learned the reason for the noise he told them he would go around the back to see if anything was amiss.

When the pawnbroker climbed the fence from his garden into that of the Marr's he noticed that the back door stood open and a light flickered inside. Slowly John Murray made his way inside, as he did so he called his neighbours name softly, but he needn't have worried, for no-one inside the little drapers shop would ever wake again.

Just inside the door lay the lifeless body of James Gowan, then as the pawnbroker tried to make his way to the front of the shop to let in George Olney and Margaret his foot tripped on the body of Celia Marr. By now John Murray was sick to his stomach but he managed to unlock the door and let the others in. Together the two men set out to search for Thomas Marr, there search wasn't a long one for behind the counter they found the body of Thomas Marr who had suffered the same fate as the others. Now there was just one thing on their minds, the baby, surely the baby was safe. Sadly as the two men entered the bedroom upstairs it became clear that even young Timothy Marr had not been spared.

By the time the two men returned downstairs they found that the little shop was filled with onlookers, some holding candles illuminating the grisly scene as they searched for the murder weapon. Someone in the crowd called out that they were going to report the crime at the Thames River Police Office. George Olney nodded only half hearing what that man had said, for his mind was numb with the horror all around him.

Although the Bow Street Runners were created in 1746 by the time of the Marr murders there was still no offical police force. It would not be until 1829 that magistrates would affirm the Metropolitan Police Bill, which would give London a full time organized police force, and another eleven years until there was a separate detectives department. Until then parish constables, magistrates and coroners dealt with local crimes.

The first officer on the scene was Charles Horton. He had already found what he believed to be the murder weapon, a bloodstained mallet (or maul) in the upstairs bedroom. However the thing that alluded him was the motive, nothing appeared to have been taken, money was still in the till, with more in the chest of drawers in the bedroom, at the back of the house two sets of footprints were discovered, earlier that day carpenters had been working inside the shop, and as the footprints contained sawdust from inside the shop and also blood it seemed that these were the footprints of the murderers. So if robbery was the motive were they disturbed by Margarets return? Or was there a personal reason for so much violence.

Over the next few days various people were brought in for questioning, but no strong cases could be made against them, one of the carpenters who worked in the shop that day was suspected, but released, a previous servant girl was also questioned as to her whereabouts that night but inquiries showed she really had no motives, neither had she any criminal contacts, so she too was released.

As the custom of the day the bodies of the Marr's family, and that of James Gowan were laid out on their beds at home, many came to view the bodies, some genuine mourners, but a few just came to gawp. The Marr family were to be buried at St George in the East, a church were just a few weeks early the Marr's had been joined my family and friends to witness the baptism of their young son Timothy whose tiny coffin joined his parent towards their last resting place. Once outside the drapers shop where the family had lost their lives so violently the cortege paused for a few moments, some spending that time to offer up a silent prayer while others wept for the needless loss.

News of the funeral reignited the fear, not just in the east end, but throughout London that if an honest hard working family could be slaughter in the one place they should feel safe, their home, then was anyone safe? The slow progress of the police only served to feed this fear of random violence. It was then it was decided to take another look at the murder weapon, once some of the blood was wiped away from the handle a pair of initials appeared, some cases say they were I.P others J.P. This discovery took place on December the 19th and if Charles Horton thought he had at last found a breakthrough but events of the coming evening were to change that.

Close to the Ratcliffe Highway was New Gravel Lane, it was here that Mr and Mrs Williamson ran the Kings Arms tavern, they had done so for the past fifteen years, and unlike other public houses of the Highway theirs was an orderly house, living with them was their fourteen year old grandaughter Kitty Stillwell, also a house servant and a lodger named John Turner.

With the Marr's murders still fresh in their minds, the crowd could not be stopped by the watchman as they began to batter at the door, as they tumbled inside they froze in horror for just outside the taproom lay the body of the publican Mr Williamson. In the parlour was the body of his wife and that of Bridget Harington, the servant, whose battered body lay just in front of the fireplace as if she had been struck down while she was laying the fire ready for the morning. Fearing they were seeing a repeat of the Marr's murders some of the men armed themselves with stakes and made their way upstairs fearing the worse. When they reached the grandaughters bedroom they saw her tucked up in her bed, but one touch on her shoulder proved she was unharmed, whatever had occurred below she had slept through it.

If there had been fear after the Marr's murders now there was complete panic. The police knew they had to close this case and soon. As before many suspects were taken in and questioned among them a certain John Williams who soon became the chief suspect.

John Williams was an Irish sailor who had been ashore at the time of both murders., as they considered him the circumstantial evidence piled up against him. He had been involved in a mutiny aboard his last ship. He returned home late on the night of the Kings Arms murders. He had blood on his shirt. He had been known to have no money before the murders, but had some afterwards.

This was enough for his arrest him, he explained that the money came from pawning some clothing, he had a pawn ticket in his pocket, but his claim was never checked. The blood he said came from being involved in a fight. In spite of the flimsy evidence and Williams not matching the description that John Turner gave of the man he had seen going through the Kings Arms that night he was arrested and taken to Coldbath Fields prison.

When on Christmas Eve the Pear Tree lodging house was searched, where John Williams had been staying, it was discovered that in a trunk belonging to a sailor who was at sea at the time of both murders, that sailors name was John Peterson (J.P). the same as etched on the maul which was the murder weapon used in the Marr's home. As Williams had access to the trunk it sealed the case against John Williams.

Even though it was obvious to all that these crimes couldn't have been commited by one man alone no search for any accompliances was ever put in force after Williams was arrested. This lack of  action confused some of the witness who came forward and named two men who war drinking companions of Williams.One was Cornelious Hart who was a carpenter working at the Marr's house on the day of their murders and claimed he had lost his chisel which later turned up at the murder scene. The other was William Ablass who matched the description of the intruder John Turner had seen at the King's Arms before he managed to make his escape out of the window.

However Williams never came to trial, three days later he was found hanging in his cell which was an odd thing to happen for other inmates said he seemed quite content and not in the least worried about what the outcome was likely to be, plus the fact that it must have been near impossible for a manacled man to hang himself without some assisstance. After his death more evidence was brought forward which convinced the police they had got their man but had they.?

Although he was dead the inhabitants wanted to reek revenge on the person responsible for such horrific crimes, so it was they loaded his body on a cart and paraded it around Wapping, pausing at both the Marr's shop and the Kings Arms. They then continued to the crossroad at Cannon Street and Cable Street where a grave had been prepared. As his body fell into the waiting grave someone jumped after it and drove a stake through it's heart. Satisfied the John Williams would never rise again the people returned to their homes.

There was a belief that of a spirit had managed to rise from the grave being buried at a crossroads would confuse them so they would be unable to torment those they had in life.

In 1886 workmen were digging a trench across Cannon Street for the gas company when they came across a skeleton, and even after seventy five years the stake was still embedded in it's ribs.

This case has fascinated crime writers some like P D James wondered, in her book ˜The Pear Tree and the Maul' if John Williams was innocent of the crimes, and was in fact yet another victim of the Ratcliffe Highway murders.