Introduction
Palmer's Family
His Background
Suspicious Deaths
Palmer's Crime
Palmer Arrested
The Trial
Execution
Related Topics
 
 
  The Palmer Display at the County Museum, Shugborough:

For details of Shugborough telephone 01889 881388 www.staffordshire.gov.uk/shugboro/index.htm


The Palmer Display at The County Museum, Shugborough :

Property of the Trustees of the William Salt Library currently (2001) on show at The County Museum:

  • A death mask (a half mask). See web page Death Mask
  • Palmer’s own medical instruments case.

On Display - The property of The County Museum

  • A memorial card for John Parsons Cook (a typical black edged memorial card given out in Victorian times to relatives and friends of the deceased).
  • A print of Palmer’s House (thought to have been published by the then owners of the house).
  • A prescription issued to Dr. Palmer dated Tuesday 20th November 1855.
  • A commemorative jug dated 1861given to Inspector Ellis Crisp a Rugeley superintendent at the time of Palmer’s trial.
  • A photocopy of a ‘crime broadsheet’ that was published in 1856.
  • A copy of a photograph of George Smith the hangman taken in 1874. (See The Hangman web page)
  • A picture of Palmer drawn from the death mask

 


A memorial card for John Parsons Cook (a typical black edged memorial card given out in Victorian times to relatives and friends of the deceased). Thought to have been sold as a postcard in Rugeley up until about 1905.
The card carries the inscription from the tombstone that was
placed upon Cook's grave some years after his
death. It is incorrect as Cook died at 1.00a.m. on 21st November 1856 not 22nd November 1856.

 

 

A picture of Palmer drawn from the death mask.
I have been unable to track the original source. This came from one of John Godwin's photographs.

 



A commemorative jug dated 1861given to Inspector Ellis Crisp a Rugeley superintendent at the time of Palmer’s trial. Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)

 

Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)



Palmer's instrument case closed.
Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)
It is thought that his maid-servant Elisa Tharme saved this case when all Palmer's possessions were sold to pay his debts.		 Palmer's instrument case open.
Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)

'Crime Broadsheets' or 'Criminal Broadsides'.
Known as a 'Crime Broadsheet' or 'Criminal Broadside'. A single sided paper sold a the time of executions. The original is the the property of the William Salt Library.

A prescription issued to Dr. Palmer dated Tuesday 20th November 1855.
Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)

The back of the prescription.
Photographed by Andy Holt. (April 2001)

Note that the date on the prescription issued to Palmer is 20th November 1855.
John Parsons Cook died in the early hours of 21st November.

 

See also Sources for Further Study