Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Tag: murder

  • “Who is the Murderer? Was there a Murder!”

    “Who is the Murderer? Was there a Murder!”

    A view from Tanton Lane across the undulating farmland between Stokesley and the village of Seamer towards the distant Cleveland Hills. It is basically the watershed of the River Tame, a tributary of the River Leven, although drainage has been improved over the centuries by the digging of ditches or stells. But I’ll return to…

  • “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 3)

    “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 3)

    It is probably a bit of a stretch to say that when Mr. Forth carved his name on this sandstone crag at the top of Roseberry Topping, he had read the report the trial of Bradshaw Brougham Graham four years earlier in the Leeds Mercury. He may have not even been aware of it, but…

  • “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 2)

    “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 2)

    If you have not read the first part of this history then it might make more sense if you did. We left Bradshaw Graham languishing in gaol charged with the wilful murder of William Johnson on the night of 19th October 1863. Perhaps he was reflecting on his life so far. Perhaps he was thinking of…

  • “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 1)

    “Murder by a Farmer in the North-Riding” (Part 1)

    So ran the headlines on the morning of Saturday, 24 October, 1863 in provincial newspapers throughout the country. From Guernsey to Stornaway. Reports were syndicated in those days, often repeating verbatim the same wording. It was a report that I had come across when researching the arsonist vicar post of two days ago. But the…

  • The Appin Murder

    The Appin Murder

    This is Loch Leven, familiar to all those who have travelled on the A82 to Fort William. The Ballachulish bridge crossing the loch is just hidden by the headland on the north shore. On the south shore, again just out of sight is the tiny village of Duror. Here, on 14 May 1752, Colin Roy…