Introduction
Palmer's Family
His Background
Suspicious Deaths
Palmer's Crime
Palmer Arrested
The Trial
Execution
Related Topics
 
 
 Privately owned memorabilia:

We hope to learn of other items of Palmer memorabilia which we could feature on the web. When Palmer was arrested for debt they sold off all his possessions so there are likely to be many more items to be discovered.

The booklet entitled Full Account of Palmer the Rugeley Poisoner by Reginald B. Jones was written in 1912 and published by the Daisy Bank printing and publishing Company, Wellington Street, Gorton , Manchester. I have been loaned a copy by Mr. John Godwin formerly living in Rugeley now (2001) residing in Stoney Stanton in Leicestershire. It gives a somewhat sensational account of the story.

It starts:

     Doctor William Palmer, poisoner, forger, and robber, who cast a slur on the fair name of Rugeley which can never be effaced whilst memory endures.
       Even to-day, 56 years after Palmer's terrible crime, as the mail trains go rushing through the peaceful little Staffordshire town on their journey from the north of London, all eyes peer through the carriage windows, and passengers point out to each other the town " where Palmer. the Poisoner lived."
      Other places larger than Rugeley have had their disgraces but have lived them down, time having mercifully cast oblivion over their ill-fame.
      Not so Rugeley, for the crime that Palmer committed was so outrageous and revolting that even when another generation has come and two reigns have closed since the fell deed was perpetrated, still is the murderer's wickedness kept green, and his accursed name passed on from one sire to son as the height of human wickedness. The town for over half a century has groaned under her shame, and efforts have been made to change the name, but without avail. It seems as if Palmer's name will for ever overshadow and blight the town.  

 

Full Account of
Palmer the Rugeley
Poisoner by
Reginald B. Jones
Written in 1912
priced 3 old pence.

 

An embroidered napkin from Palmers wedding day on 7th October 1847. The property of Jon Godwin given to him by Mr. E. Toye who was a Rugeley historian.

The following is embroidered on the napkin:-

18
William Palmer
47

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inkwell found in Palmer's cellar, property of Mr. T. Cooper. Photographed by D. Lewis 2002.

 

 

 

I was in the William Salt Library to donate a photocopy of the criminal broadside that I had received from Kent State University, Ohio. Mr. Randle Knight overheard my conversation and later e-mailed me to say that he had got yet another broadside. He stated in his e-mail-

It is in poor condition with some small parts missing. It is headed 'TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF WM. PALMER, For poisoning at Rugeley, MR. JOHN PARSONS COOK', and includes two pictures, one of Palmer in his cell with a priest and two officials, and the other of him hanging on the scaffold. It concludes with some verses, but they are not the same as either of those quoted on your excellent web site, which I very much enjoyed. Part of the printer's name is missing, the rest reading: 'PRINT . . . ERS AND EDWARDS STEAM PRESS, CANNON ST . . . '.

Mr. Knight who lives Milwich near Stafford has kindly loaned the broadside to me to digitally copy to put on this web site. A Dr. Knight was one of Annie Thornton's guardians before she married William Palmer. Dr. Knight was the son of the Reverend John Knight who had been the vicar of Milwich and our Mr. Randle Knight is a descendant of the vicar's brother. Randle bought the broadside at an antique shop in Market Drayton.

Should anyone have a better, less damaged, copy of this broadside we would be delighted if they contact us email. We would particularly like to know the endings to the lines of the verses on the damaged right-hand margin. To read the verses see the bottom of the web page Poetry from Criminal Broadsides.

Pocket inkwell:
Following an article in a local newspaper about the launch of our Palmer web site, I was contacted by a Rugeley pensioner, Mr. Thomas Cooper, who had a pocket inkwell. When I visited him he told me about his late wife Florence (nee Williscroft). After Palmer had been arrested Florence's great-great-grandfather, Mr. Williscroft, and his wife had been given the job of cleaning Palmer's house before new tenants moved in. Whilst clearing out the cellar Mr. Williscroft, who lived at Colton, had found a pocket inkwell that he assumed had once belonged to Palmer, a fair assumption given Palmer's love of writing notes. The inkwell had been kept in his wife's family ever since.

Mr. Cooper also told me another story surrounding the Palmer case which had been handed down through his wife's family. After the first post-mortem on John Parsons Cook, Professor Taylor had requested that he be provided extra samples for analysis. An uncle of Mrs. Cooper's great-great-grandfather was a self-employed draymen. A drayman was a haulier who had a dray, which was a horse-drawn cart, and could be hired to transport goods. The uncle had been given the job of carrying the samples, taken at the second post-mortem to Rugeley's Trent Valley Railway Station ready to be taken by train to Professor Taylor. As the cart slowed to cross over the narrow canal bridge several 'ruffians', whom the family assume were employed by Palmer, dashed out from their hiding place behind the bridge parapet and bushes. In the struggle that followed the ruffians failed to get their hands on the samples but succeeded in knocking the uncle unconscious. The horses became startled by the attack and bolted, not stopping until they had carried the unconscious uncle all the way back to the stableyard at Colton.