Wateringbury nursery-maid found dead (1841)

Post date: Apr 05, 2012 1:50:10 PM

Extract from Northampton Mercury 4th December 1841:

Mysterious Occurrence on the Estate of Lord Torrington, near Maidstone.—Since Monday week a very considerable and painful sensation has taken place on the beautiful estate of Lord Torrington, which is situated between Maidstone and Mereworth, in Kent, arising from a very prevalent rumour extending through the above-named towns, that a young woman the daughter of Joseph Sudds, gamekeeper to Lord Torrington, had been discovered in a pond on his lordship's estate, under circumstances that led to a strong suspicion that she had come to her death by unfair means.

It appears from information derived from authentic sources, obtained on the spot, that Margaret Sudds, the female in question, who was about 22 years of age, and of very prepossessing appearance, was nursery-maid in the service of Mr. Gould, a surgeon, residing at Wateringbury, near Maidstone. She had been in the habit of occasionally going from her master's house to see her father and other relatives, the former, as before stated, being gamekeeper to Lord Torrington, which situation he has held for a number of years with' much credit. For some weeks prior to the distressing affair we are narrating, it had been ascertained that the young woman had formed a close intimacy with a man named Johnson, who was in the habit of accompanying her generally from Mereworth to her father's house, which is on Lord Torrington's estate. On Sunday afternoon last she left her master's house at Wateringbury, as she said to visit her friends. She was met on the road with Johnson; she, however, did not reach her father's that evening. On Monday morning her bonnet and shawl were found in a meadow a short distance from her father's house. The circumstance caused great excitement and suspicion, and some adjacent ponds were searched, in one of which the body of the unfortunate young woman was found.

She appeared to have been in the water several hours; there were some severe abrasures of the skin about the face and hands, and her dress was much disordered. The body was in deep water, and lay about six yards from the bank. It is a short distance from her father's house, a foot-path running about a hundred yards from the pond in the direction of the park-lodge. The body was removed to the Torrington Arms Inn, in Mereworth. Much suspicion is attached to the man whom she kept company with, and who, we understand, has absconded.

On Tuesday morning, at twelve o'clock, an inquest was held on the body at the Torrington Arms Inn, before Mr. Dudlow, coroner for that part of Kent, and a respectable jury, when several witnesses were examined, but nothing beyond the above facts was elicited from their testimonies. Mr. Gould said he had examined the body of the deceased. There were no marks of external violence to account for death. The marks on her face, neck, and bands were, of a superficial nature. She was enceinte. Personal violence, before being immersed in the water, would be apparent after death. In the absence of further evidence, the jury returned a verdict of " Found drowned." It is expected that the magistracy will take up the affair.

Lord Torrington. Source: Wikipedia

George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington (9 September 1812–27 April 1884) buried in St Lawrence Churchyard , Mereworth.