Maria Marten- End of the Red Barn

Subject: RE: Maria Marten- End of the Red Barn
From: Paul Burke
Date: 02 Jun 10 - 01:47 PM


Bury and Norwich Post, February 16th 1836

At Chelmsford Assizes, Mr Theiger stated that the plaintiff was Mary Corder, widow of William Corder of unhappy notoriety who suffered the extreme punishment and shortly after was she was delivered of a child which had a withered hand and was now thus ubable to obtain a living, the child was entitled to some property under a settlement made on her marriage to William Corder, a Bill of Chancery had been filed by the plaintiff against old Mrs Corder who had married Martin Harvey who instead of meeting his client had kept out of the way.
Verdict for plaintiff and damages of 20L.

Subject: RE: Maria Marten- End of the Red Barn
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 05:13 AM

there wasn't all that much of the Red Barn left to burn - a lot of it had been taken away, bit by bit, by morbid souvenir-seekers.

I think he did, but her stepmother, it seems, may have been complicit in the murder.

Subject: RE: Maria Marten- End of the Red Barn
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 04:42 AM

interesting case. Did Corder do it?

there was a decent tv drama series suggesting otherwise.

Subject: Maria Marten- End of the Red Barn
From: Paul Burke
Date: 27 Nov 08 - 04:12 AM

Bury and Norwich Post, January 4th 1843

The Red Barn at Polstead which was the scene of the murder of Maria Marten and had attracted much attention exists no longer. On the spot where the barn stood another crime has been committed adding to the foul stain of murder, that of arson. On Monday evening at about 7-30 on the 26th inst, flames were seen issuing out of the bullock shed adjoining the barn, two cottages at the bottom of the hill were saved by the considerable efforts of a large body of men, some of whom stood on the roof and threw burning embers off as they lodged upon it also applying wet blankets taken from the poor cottagers beds.
Not a vestige of the barn was left only the foundations, this is the second barn to have been destroyed on this spot, about 80 coombs of barley belonging to Mr Tabor the tenant was destroyed together with some unthreshed grain. The owner, Mr Charles Tyrell of Polstead Hall was insured, it is the belief the fire emanated from arson. It is a remarkable coincidence that on the same day of the fire the other monument of the crime of the Red Barn was removed from the public eye at the Suffolk Hospital at Bury, the committee of the hospital resolved to discontinue the exhibition of Corder's skeleton except for anatomical purposes.