Was Justice Served?

A Murderous Affair in Peasenhall

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Episode notes

“He there saw the deceased lying upon her back on the floor, a pool of blood surrounded her head, her throat was cut, and she was dead...”

During an unseasonal storm on the night of 31 May 1902, a young unmarried woman is brutally murdered in the quiet village of Peasenhall, Suffolk. Her death reveals her secret: she is six months pregnant. Rumours have circulated for years about an illicit affair with a fellow member of the local Primitive Methodist chapel, while a letter discovered in her bedroom appears to show she is in contact with a mystery lover who lives just meters from her house… So who was the father of her baby, and was she killed to cover it up?

Jen and David look at the short life of the victim, Rose, working as a domestic servant and carrying a ruinous secret. They discuss the relationships in this small, close-knit rural village, and the hearsay surrounding the trial that centred on the Primitive Methodist community. They take a closer look at the aftermath of the case, including examining false confessions and how the people involved were affected long after the trial ended.

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved