Lot Essay
The Red Barn Murder
William Corder, the son of a Suffolk farmer, was bullied into marriage to Maria Marten by her father. Maria, a mole-catcher's daughter, had a reputation as a woman of loose morals. She had borne the child of William's brother, Thomas. At this time William was exiled in London after turning to a life of petty crime, supposedly because of the pressures put on him by his father. His brother drowned whilst crossing a frozen pond, leaving the farm and Maria free for William's return. The couple would meet at the Red Barn at night, so when William told his intended to meet him at the barn for a secret wedding ceremony, she came willingly.
Corder shot, stabbed and strangled Maria, then buried her under the barn on the 18th May 1827. William told her family that she was rooming in Ipswich to explain her absence. To avoid gossip, William returned to London were he married and became a school master. Meanwhile, in Polstead, Maria's mother was having disturbing dreams were she saw William shooting her daughter and burying her under the Red Barn, also her father saw William with a pick and shovel on the day of Maria's disapearence. Maria's body was found and Corder arrested, he claimed Maria's death was suicide, this fooled nobody and, before his hanging, he confessed to her murder.
The case, with it's elements of sex, violence and wickedness created a lot of public interest and inspired a play which, although it used a degree of artistic licence, remained popular for many years.
William Corder, the son of a Suffolk farmer, was bullied into marriage to Maria Marten by her father. Maria, a mole-catcher's daughter, had a reputation as a woman of loose morals. She had borne the child of William's brother, Thomas. At this time William was exiled in London after turning to a life of petty crime, supposedly because of the pressures put on him by his father. His brother drowned whilst crossing a frozen pond, leaving the farm and Maria free for William's return. The couple would meet at the Red Barn at night, so when William told his intended to meet him at the barn for a secret wedding ceremony, she came willingly.
Corder shot, stabbed and strangled Maria, then buried her under the barn on the 18th May 1827. William told her family that she was rooming in Ipswich to explain her absence. To avoid gossip, William returned to London were he married and became a school master. Meanwhile, in Polstead, Maria's mother was having disturbing dreams were she saw William shooting her daughter and burying her under the Red Barn, also her father saw William with a pick and shovel on the day of Maria's disapearence. Maria's body was found and Corder arrested, he claimed Maria's death was suicide, this fooled nobody and, before his hanging, he confessed to her murder.
The case, with it's elements of sex, violence and wickedness created a lot of public interest and inspired a play which, although it used a degree of artistic licence, remained popular for many years.