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The Apprentice of Split Crow Lane: The Story of the Carr's Hill Murder
Gateshead, April 1866 Five-year-old Sarah Melvin was walking along Split Crow Lane looking for her father when she disappeared. Later that night a couple walking home from the pub tripped over her body. Sarah was the child of Irish immigrants who had been drawn to the North-east in search of work. Poor, perceived with prejudice, they quickly came under suspicion of killing their own child. The true murderer was a misfit whose social awkwardness stopped him ever rising above apprentice. He would eventually make clear exactly why he killed Sarah - and the reason would scandalise the whole country, yet to him had a dreadful logic. This extraordinary story of sexual deviance and murder is told here for the first time. Painstakingly pieced together from original sources and evoking a powerful sense of place, it uncovers a wealth of information that shifts our perception of Victorian society. In lively, empathic prose, Jane Housham explores mental health, the justice system and the media in mid-Victorian England to reveal a surprisingly modern state of affairs.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 20, 2022
3.5 for the obvious amount of research
DNF at 51% - it sat in my pile, ready for me to continue, but I’d had enough (and with >100 books in my TBR/WTR actual and virtual lists, drawing a line under this one was easy enough).
TW - sexual assault and murder. Victorian England, and a young child is raped and murdered. This deals with the aftermath - the rudimentary criminal procedures (no DNA database back then), the understandable outrage, and the trial procedure, and then delves into the basic understanding of mental illnesses, and the processes in this.
The research in this is astounding - with every page almost having footnotes with a link to where the particular part of the story came from, reports, historic documents, news articles etc. However, for me, it became a bit too information-heavy, so perhaps someone with a more psychological/psychiatric criminal interest may find it more of use.
DNF at 51% - it sat in my pile, ready for me to continue, but I’d had enough (and with >100 books in my TBR/WTR actual and virtual lists, drawing a line under this one was easy enough).
TW - sexual assault and murder. Victorian England, and a young child is raped and murdered. This deals with the aftermath - the rudimentary criminal procedures (no DNA database back then), the understandable outrage, and the trial procedure, and then delves into the basic understanding of mental illnesses, and the processes in this.
The research in this is astounding - with every page almost having footnotes with a link to where the particular part of the story came from, reports, historic documents, news articles etc. However, for me, it became a bit too information-heavy, so perhaps someone with a more psychological/psychiatric criminal interest may find it more of use.
January 25, 2018
A 5 year old child is raped and murdered and then dumped by her killer, quickly a suspect is found and arrested. Even from a distance of over a hundred years this was an horrific crime. It's an interesting case , incredibly sad and at times infuriating but worth the time taken to read.
February 21, 2022
This is really interesting. It covers much more than the actual crime, which is fairly horrific. It’s a real insight into the legal concept of insanity and life at the notorious Bedlam hospital.
October 18, 2016
On 13 April 1866 on Carr’s Hill, Gateshead five year old Sarah Melvin disappeared, only for her body to be discovered later by a couple going to the local public house. The crime was a brutal one, the facts horrifying, even at a distance of 150 years but Jane Housham, having come across the case in the course of tracing her family history decided to use it as a springboard to examine not only the crime itself, but the psyche of the accused, the justice system and how the insane were treated in the mid-Victorian age.
The book opens with the background to the case, the journey that young Sarah Melvin is known to have taken on the day of her murder travelling to visit her father who was out seeking work. We are treated to the work of the police following the discovery of the body, its removal to the local inn, as was the custom in those days, and later to her mother’s house where an autopsy was held on the table. The rudiments of forensics were just being employed but this was as far removed from the strict chain of evidence used these days as you can get.
Unlike some historical true crime books, Jane Housham doesn’t re-examine the evidence to put forward a theory of another killer than that tried for the crime, instead she has carried out extensive research into what the make-up of the killer was. Why did he commit such a terrible crime? Was he insane? What she finds isn’t necessarily what we would expect from Victorian justice, a revelation indeed.
Jane Housham uses the contemporary media from that time, she looks at other crimes that were committed on and around Carr’s Hill within a similar time period. She also gives us a flavour of the population of the time, of the haves and the have-nots and really conjures up details of the place where the crime was committed in astonishing detail especially as the area has changed beyond recognition in the intervening years. The log books detailing the prisoner’s incarceration are also provided as well as the few remaining letters surviving from that time which indicate the level of his education as well as the workings of his mind.
Books of this nature which have to be so rigorously researched can often be quite dry as the author seeks to educate the reader, not this one, the prose is lively the tone even without a hint of condescension, the facts are displayed, the author unafraid to pose an opinion and when she is unsure of a statement she’s made, says so. Why the doubts? Because she accepts that at such a distance in time, it is impossible to really know what happened. She has a number of documents, a huge amount of knowledge, but of course there are gaps, the author wasn’t stood in the courtroom listening to the evidence although she has done a good job of spotting the discrepancies in the newspaper reporting, and rectifying some of the minor confusion caused all these years later.
This was a fascinating read, particularly for those readers who like me, are interested in Victorian provision of the criminally insane. To have the words written by those doctors who had not quite relinquished the hold of phrenology but are doing their best to embrace the new liberal ideas surrounding psychiatry at this time, and then in turn reading this in relation to a real case, shows the practical application of thinking in a way the theory espoused at the time never can.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to read this book, it was enlightening and despite the inevitable feeling of voyeurism in revisiting such a crime, no matter how long ago it occurred. The sheer amount of information to be gleaned from this book on a number of different related subjects was enormous but done in such a clear-sighted manner that made these facts easy to absorb and build upon. I definitely think the author hit her brief of examining the shift in ideas about insanity at this time, illustrating justice in action and sadly the life of a killer, his family and of course poor little Sarah Melvin whose life was cut short.
The book opens with the background to the case, the journey that young Sarah Melvin is known to have taken on the day of her murder travelling to visit her father who was out seeking work. We are treated to the work of the police following the discovery of the body, its removal to the local inn, as was the custom in those days, and later to her mother’s house where an autopsy was held on the table. The rudiments of forensics were just being employed but this was as far removed from the strict chain of evidence used these days as you can get.
Unlike some historical true crime books, Jane Housham doesn’t re-examine the evidence to put forward a theory of another killer than that tried for the crime, instead she has carried out extensive research into what the make-up of the killer was. Why did he commit such a terrible crime? Was he insane? What she finds isn’t necessarily what we would expect from Victorian justice, a revelation indeed.
Jane Housham uses the contemporary media from that time, she looks at other crimes that were committed on and around Carr’s Hill within a similar time period. She also gives us a flavour of the population of the time, of the haves and the have-nots and really conjures up details of the place where the crime was committed in astonishing detail especially as the area has changed beyond recognition in the intervening years. The log books detailing the prisoner’s incarceration are also provided as well as the few remaining letters surviving from that time which indicate the level of his education as well as the workings of his mind.
Books of this nature which have to be so rigorously researched can often be quite dry as the author seeks to educate the reader, not this one, the prose is lively the tone even without a hint of condescension, the facts are displayed, the author unafraid to pose an opinion and when she is unsure of a statement she’s made, says so. Why the doubts? Because she accepts that at such a distance in time, it is impossible to really know what happened. She has a number of documents, a huge amount of knowledge, but of course there are gaps, the author wasn’t stood in the courtroom listening to the evidence although she has done a good job of spotting the discrepancies in the newspaper reporting, and rectifying some of the minor confusion caused all these years later.
This was a fascinating read, particularly for those readers who like me, are interested in Victorian provision of the criminally insane. To have the words written by those doctors who had not quite relinquished the hold of phrenology but are doing their best to embrace the new liberal ideas surrounding psychiatry at this time, and then in turn reading this in relation to a real case, shows the practical application of thinking in a way the theory espoused at the time never can.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to read this book, it was enlightening and despite the inevitable feeling of voyeurism in revisiting such a crime, no matter how long ago it occurred. The sheer amount of information to be gleaned from this book on a number of different related subjects was enormous but done in such a clear-sighted manner that made these facts easy to absorb and build upon. I definitely think the author hit her brief of examining the shift in ideas about insanity at this time, illustrating justice in action and sadly the life of a killer, his family and of course poor little Sarah Melvin whose life was cut short.
January 25, 2021
1866, Carr's Hill, Gateshead: the body of 5 year old Sarah Melvin is found, hours after the child went missing. The investigation proves inconclusive until a local teenager, Cuthbert Rodham Carr, confesses months later. More than being a true crime book though, this was also a fascinating examination of Victorian attitudes, contemporary developments in psychiatry, and changing views on capital punishment.
Jane Housham places the crime in the physical, social and judicial landscape, as well as connecting it to other local crimes at that time. She brings together a wealth of research and picks details from a wide range of sources and examples. The setting comes across well - I got the feeling that this was a place lost to history, which in a way it is, with the area changing dramatically since.
Beyond the investigation and trial comes the sentencing and incarceration. It was interesting to learn that research into psychiatry somewhat benefitted the changing views about the death penalty: it became a legal loophole, at the risk of avoiding serving justice in the eyes of victims and the local population, to spare suspects from hanging.
We are shown almost a character study of the murderer, Carr, as Housham presents case files, notes and letters and we learn about his childhood, family and imprisonment. As she states, it's easy to become sympathetic towards him - at times the sentence felt like a great injustice, but equally the contemporary documents show his state of mind could be considered deeply unsettled. The monstrosity of his crime shouldn't be forgotten; as with many true crime novels, there was a sense of voyeurism and a perverse fascination with the gothic, but this was balanced with the scientific.
The chapters were concise and the text was never dry or dull, despite examining so much contemporary literature and media. One or two of the final chapters didn't grip my attention and felt a little out of place in the narrative, but the final chapter brought everything to a solid conclusion.
Overall, a highly interesting and very well researched and written historical true crime, which goes beyond merely treating the event as a murder mystery and presents some interesting ideas.
Jane Housham places the crime in the physical, social and judicial landscape, as well as connecting it to other local crimes at that time. She brings together a wealth of research and picks details from a wide range of sources and examples. The setting comes across well - I got the feeling that this was a place lost to history, which in a way it is, with the area changing dramatically since.
Beyond the investigation and trial comes the sentencing and incarceration. It was interesting to learn that research into psychiatry somewhat benefitted the changing views about the death penalty: it became a legal loophole, at the risk of avoiding serving justice in the eyes of victims and the local population, to spare suspects from hanging.
We are shown almost a character study of the murderer, Carr, as Housham presents case files, notes and letters and we learn about his childhood, family and imprisonment. As she states, it's easy to become sympathetic towards him - at times the sentence felt like a great injustice, but equally the contemporary documents show his state of mind could be considered deeply unsettled. The monstrosity of his crime shouldn't be forgotten; as with many true crime novels, there was a sense of voyeurism and a perverse fascination with the gothic, but this was balanced with the scientific.
The chapters were concise and the text was never dry or dull, despite examining so much contemporary literature and media. One or two of the final chapters didn't grip my attention and felt a little out of place in the narrative, but the final chapter brought everything to a solid conclusion.
Overall, a highly interesting and very well researched and written historical true crime, which goes beyond merely treating the event as a murder mystery and presents some interesting ideas.
March 26, 2018
I read this book principally because the crime it featured took place in an area of Gateshead I was very familiar with. I must confess to not really reading the cover and was expecting it to be a novel which it is not. However it turned out to be a fascinating read offering insights into Victorian life in the North East of England and more especially to the development of insights into mental ill health and the understanding and treatment of those whose behaviour was disturbing. Jane Housham is to be commended on her painstaking research and insightful analysis.
December 27, 2018
This was ok but it was boring in places and struggled a little to get through it but overall it was ok on the history of the place and area seen as I am from the North East of England.
June 15, 2020
Well researched. Interesting look into crime and madness in the Victorian era.
December 16, 2020
This wasnt as good as I had hoped. About the murder of a young girl in Gateshead.
April 8, 2021
Nicely done. Horrific details stated alongside facts and interlaced with the current social history. Recommended to the normal crew.
October 1, 2016
I was given this book free as a nudge reviewer.
I am not normally a reader of non-fiction but the blurb really enticed me in to this book.
I expected a detailed analysis of a murder carried out in the Victorian era with possibly new ideas and evidence.
What I got was a well researched detailed account of the murder with lots of back story which filled in the type of people we were dealing with.
There is a lot of details of other crimes the police had to deal with and other murders committed around the same time.
The disappointment with this book was that nothing new is really revealed and the last hundred pages are spent discussing the development of psychiatry since the Victorian era.
If you are reading this book because your interest is in true crime (as mine was) you might want to skip the last hundred pages but if you are interested in psychiatry then the last section may hold your attention more than it did mine.
Overall and interesting read but definitely not shocking reveal that the back of the book implied.
I am not normally a reader of non-fiction but the blurb really enticed me in to this book.
I expected a detailed analysis of a murder carried out in the Victorian era with possibly new ideas and evidence.
What I got was a well researched detailed account of the murder with lots of back story which filled in the type of people we were dealing with.
There is a lot of details of other crimes the police had to deal with and other murders committed around the same time.
The disappointment with this book was that nothing new is really revealed and the last hundred pages are spent discussing the development of psychiatry since the Victorian era.
If you are reading this book because your interest is in true crime (as mine was) you might want to skip the last hundred pages but if you are interested in psychiatry then the last section may hold your attention more than it did mine.
Overall and interesting read but definitely not shocking reveal that the back of the book implied.
July 16, 2016
I would give it 5 stars as I'm the author!
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September 26, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews