Falmouth: the last case of cannibalism on the high seas was tried!

A history of the Old Town Hall

We do not know when precisely the Old Town Hall was built except to know that it was originally a Congregational Chapel purchased in 1714 by Martin Lister Killigrew. The date and the style of the windows and original ceiling rose would suggest a building of the Queen Ann period of about 1700. And this being so close to the restoration of the monarchy would make it one of the earliest public buildings in the town.

It was apparently to appease the new ambitious Burgesses that Killigrew gifted the chapel to the town in 1725 in the reign of George 1 st for use as a town hall so that a new Congregational Chapel was built in Princess Street just over the brow of the High Street.

 

The early 18 th century was a period of constant acrimony between the newly founded corporation and Martin Lister Killigrew -the last of the line of the established ‘ruling’ family -particularly over income to be gained from the quays and the town markets, and generally, over who , in fact, was to run the town’s affairs.

 

There is an interesting pamphlet, written by Killigrew - entitled the ‘Killigrew Manuscript’ held by the Royal Polytechnic Society in the town in which he bemoans a life made ‘wretched by the incessant attacks on him by certain officials in the corporation , in particular one Robert Corker who left the UK for the Carribean whose descendent, a black gentleman visited the Old Town Hall last year to quiz Terry, the owner about his ancestor Mr Corker.

A satirical poem of about 1760 describes the neglected state of the building and ridicules the self importance of town councillors especially the major, which you might think sums up a description of all Councils, and I quote:-

 

“He first formed the plan , nest laid the foundation,

On which is established the new corporation,.

And with a proviso that he might be mayor

He promised to see the town hall in repair.

Twas granted and by the effects of his knob,

The masons and carpenters had a good job.

Such raping and rousing , such racket and clatter,

That folks could not guess what the deuce was the matter.

Both early and late such noise did they keep

That the people in Flushing could scarce ever sleep.

At length it appears the town hall is complete,

In vain for fair Justice they raised a new seat

where Dullness with folly where Meanness with Pride,

All simpering and smiling sit down side by side .

Where Prating Conceit quite divested of sense

Falls out with sound judgement and drives her from thence

While Arrogance with a most insolent air

Bids Wisdom begone she was not wanted there

 

 

Situated as it was at the gateway to the town on the old coach road the Old Town Hall became the centre of all civic affairs for the next 175 years serving as council chamber, court house meeting place , jail etc. There is a little room still upstairs which was the judge’s attiring room where he oversaw justice being meted out to felons who were transported to Australia sometimes for stealing a loaf of bread through a tunnel to the quayside. Also seen in the building is a plaque to Richard Spry for it was the meeting place of the Recobites Society of the anti -drink league. The expansion of the town and the development of the Moor in the late 19 th century led to the need for a central purpose built town hall on The Moor. Thus the Old Town Hall fell into disuse although it served as a court house for a little longer. From then on until the present day it became an antique shop with the present owners Mary and Terry to whom I am indebted for a lot of information about the old building now designated as a Grade 2 listed building which incidentally was recently restored by English Heritage.

 

Perhaps the Hall’s greatest claim to fame was the infamous trial that began there in 1884 which the Falmouth Packet of September 13 th of that year described as the all absorbing topic of thought and conversation for the week, not only in Falmouth but throughout the whole of the UK. For it involved three men and a cabin boy: The captain was a greatly regarded 32 year old Tom Dudley from Tollesbury on the Essex coast, described at the time as an experienced fisherman well regarded as a humane man and married to Philippa, the mistress of Plymstock Board School.

Tom had been offered by Jack Want, a flamboyant Australian lawyer and keen yachtsman, to sail the 20 year old Mignonette which he had bought for £400 to Sydney, Australia as she was too large to travel as deck cargo being a yawl rig, 62 feet 4 inches beam, and 332 tons burthen end. He had as a crew Edward Brooks, who was 37 years of age who came from Brightlinsea, Edwin Stephens of the same age and Richard Parker 17 both of whom came from Southampton..

The Mignonette left Southampton on the 30 th of May with Dudley in command with Stephens as mate, Brooks as able bodied seaman and Parker as cabin boy. They arrived at Madeira on June 1 st but when they left and had crossed the Equator, a huge wave hit the yacht causing it to sink very quickly so that the men were only able to float the mahogany punt and save the chronometer, sextant and two tins of turnips but no water. For 4 days they existed on those tins of turnips. Then they killed a turtle they found floating on the water quickly drinking its blood and eating all its flesh. Although it rained a little, when they tried to catch some of the rain water in their oilskins they were defeated by the sea water getting mixed up with the fresh.

On the eighteenth day of suffering extreme hardship they now considered they were all going to die unless they followed the custom of the sea in such extreme circumstances.

Incidentally in his book called The Custom of The Sea Neil Hanson describes many situations like this. And apparently, it became the custom and practice for the crew to draw lots on who should be killed to save the lives of all the rest . But in this particular case after 18 days without food and water they decided to kill the cabin boy Richard Parker, as he had drunk so much sea water that he was close to death. There was also the fact that unlike all the others he had no living dependents. But Brooks said he couldn’t kill the boy. . “ Then I shall have to “ said Capt. Dudley.” and told Brooks ”You had better go forward and have a rest so that Stephens, “You can take the Watch”.

Capt. Dudley took his knife against the boy’s neck and quickly severed an artery collecting the blood in the chronometer. The boy was put out of his suffering and died very quickly.

They immediately drank the blood and eat the heart and liver from the still warm cavity.

.

On the 24 th day at sea a ship was sighted - the Moctezumka out of Punta Arenas bound for Hamburg.

Dudley quickly contacted the ship and shouted. ”Tom Dudley of the Mignonette. Bound for New South Wales. For God’s sake , help us. We have been 24 days adrift with nothing to eat or drink. We have wives and children depending on us. Please help us on board.

 

Captain Simonsen picked up the 3 remaining castaways, and ordered the dinghy to be hauled aboard.

When they reached the English Channel, one of the pilots who was regularly touting for trade with passing ships and was from Falmouth was approached by the Captain and told of their 3 English castaways who wanted them to land on English soil. The pilot told the Captain that it was maritime law that the ship had to put into port and land the men himself. So they put into Falmouth on Sept. 6 th 1884 and landed the men at the Custom House where they were questioned. Two days later the men were charged at Falmouth Police Court with murder on the high seas within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, before the Major of Falmouth and 7 magistrates. Sergeant James Liverty of Falmouth Harbour Police produced in court the small pen-knife with which Dudley had killed the boy whilst Dudley himself spoke up for Brooks saying that the man had taken no part in the affair whilst collections were taken to pay for their defence.

 

At the Old Town Hall in the High Street on the morning 12 th of Sept. 12 th 1884, the charges against the men were read out. The brother of the young cabin boy Richard Parker came all the way from Southampton and shook hands with all 3 castaways and asked for any wages due to his brother.

After the Mayor Henry Liddicoat had remanded the case until Thursday next on John Burton ‘s surety they were granted bail. Had however the Mayor dismissed the case there and then the men would have been set free.

Tilly their advocate advised Tom Dudley that “Next week we shall have to try and persuade the bench not to commit you for trial.” And here I quote the Falmouth Packet of September 13 th 1884,

“We trust the magistrates of Falmouth will regard the deed of these unfortunate men when the extenuating circumstances are put before them in due form on Thursday next, September 18 th , and thus regarding it, discharge them.”

Come Thursday morning a huge crowd had assembled and blocked the street to the court whilst in the court every national, local and regional newspapers were represented.

After the magistrates had listened to the evidence they retired for consultation and on returning the Mayor said, ”The Bench has come to the conclusion that the charge against the prisoners is too grave and important a one for them to decide. They have therefore resolved to commit the prisoners for trial by a jury of their countrymen.” However, Brooks was discharged on the grounds that although he drank the blood and eat the flesh of the victim and had thanked the Capt. profusely for saving his life he did not participate in the killing of the cabin boy ..

So the 2 men were tried at the Exeter Winter Assizes on the 11 th of November 1884. They had no money for their defence, so West Country newspapers asked their readers to contribute and even Jack Want the Australian owner of the Mignonette sent £100.

Brooks, however, had no such money problems as he had joined a travelling circus which the other 2 men refused to and was billed as “The Cannibal of the High Seas”, appearing all over the West Country and South Coast unshaven and dressed in rags devouring scraps of meat and apparently cashing in on the Victorians appetite for any bizarre spectacle.

The courtroom was packed and local sympathy for the defendants was as strong in Exeter as in Falmouth.

Interestingly, there were no less than 16 lawyers appointed by the Crown for the prosecution, which shows that there was great interest in the case by the Government in the case which in itself made interesting reading.. The prosecution saw the prisoners as guilty by the law of this country of wilful murder.

The jury decided, on pressure from the judge, that on the point of law they would wish to know whether looking at all the circumstances “Is this murder or not”. So the men were again given bail and told to appear in London on Thursday December 4 th 1884 before the most senior judges in the land. Even then the judges adjourned the case for 4 days whilst the 2 men were incarcerated in Holloway Jail.

Here I must ask my audience to be those judges for a moment and to raise your hands if you would pass the guilty sentence of death for unlawful killing of another human being which was the law of the land.

 

 

Anyway, on December 9 th the judges convened and passed the sentence of death on the two men who were then incarcerated in Holloway prison where they heard that they had been pardoned on condition that they spend 6 months in prison., locked up in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.

Thereafter, Edwin Stephens never really recovered from his ordeal. He turned down Jack Want’s offer of a free passage to Australia, although he did return to the sea, but with longer periods ashore his health deteriorated and he became more dependent on alcohol. With the failure of his marriage he suffered from severe fits of depression and died a pauper in Hull aged 66 in Hull on June 25 th 1914.

Ned Brooks continued to exhibit himself all over the country in freak shows for a few more months but as interest faded he found himself out of work. He did marry in 1892 and worked on the Isle of Wight ferries, but died in poverty in 1919.

Released from Holloway on the 20 th of May 1885 and still bitter at his treatment from the Authorities, Tom Dudley left England forever, sailing to Australia with his wife, children and sister in law on the 19 th of August 1885.

Tom and family joined his wife’s aunt in Sydney and prospered as T. R. Dudley and Co. -Sail, Tent, Tarpaulin, Yacht and boat outfitter etc.

An interesting side story is told in a book about Tom by a Mc Cormick called “Blood on the Sea”.

For when Tom was in Madeira he rescued a girl , Otila Tebeiro who had tried to commit suicide by drowning. Many years later the girl Otila on finding Tom Dudley again disguised herself as a boy and taking the name of Richard Parker went sailing with Dudley around Australia. We do know that Dudley was the first man in Australia to die of bubonic plague on Feb. 23 rd 1900 aged 46.

 

 

Brinley Morris February 2006.