Cambridge Chronicle 5 Jan 1867: Fire and possible Suicide in Grantchester

FIRE AT GRANCHESTER AND PRESUMED SUICIDE OF A SERVANT GIRL

The inhabitants of the village of Grantchester were aroused from their quietude at an early hour on Saturday morning last by a cry of fire, and which alarm soon created in the place, the greatest excitement. The fire had broken out at the public house known as the Rose and Crown, surrounded by cottages, and buildings of a combustible material, and as a fierce wind was blowing at the time, fears were entertained for the safety of occupants of houses adjoining the one where the outbreak had taken place, as well as property generally, which then appeared to be in danger of total destruction. About ten o’clock on the night of Friday, the inmates of the Rose and Crown including several lodgers, had retired to rest, the servant girl Annie Smith, being permitted to have a candle and sit up in the bar, where she slept, for the purpose of repairing her stays, she being cautioned by her mistress to be careful. It was in the bar that the fire first occurred, and therefore it is presumed that the girl must have fallen asleep, and then the sad result followed. This impression is the general one regarding the origin of the fire. The material being of that nature the house was speedily a mass of flames, and burned furiously, soon extending to the cottage which formed part of the Rose and Crown, and thence to an adjoining cottage occupied by a poor family by the name of Muggleton. These were the property of Mr. Hunt, Solicitor, Cambridge. The fire was not confined to these premises , but soon the devouring element had within its grasp the cottage of Mr. Laughton, inhabited by a labourer and his family named Searle. The excitement was within half an hour of the outbreak most intense, the buildings and contents such as household furniture, linen, and wearing apparel, crumbling to ashes, while the unfortunate occupants were saved, under circumstances of difficult and miraculous character. Mrs. Golden, the landlady of the public house had retired to rest in a state of ill health, and to preserve life, she was forced to make her escape out of the bed-room window – there being plenty of help at hand to receive her. The lodgers had to make a speedy exit without clothes, while children were dragged out of their beds by parents seeking refuge, which was freely offered by neighbours; while others were busily engaged removing their goods to distant places from the fire. The arrival of the fire engine from Cambridge was a source of consolation, and most efficiently did the brigade, aided by the villagers, perform their functions; and to its presence, there being plenty of water, may be attributed the preservation of much valuable property adjoining. The fire was thus confined to the public house and two cottages, and these, with the whole of their contents, were entirely destroyed, with £25 in money, the property of Mr. Golden; five watches, belonging to the lodgers; half a sack of flour, several barrels of beer and porter, liquor etc.; besides all possessed by the poor persons who dwelt in the cottages. The destruction of property was now some hundreds of pounds, with only a small portion insured; but within an hour the flames were got under. The houses were levelled to the ground and the scene a most distressing one. Mrs. Golden and others were sheltered at Mr. Richard Wright’s.

The fire was subdued at four o’clock, when the greatest concern was felt for the poor girl Smith, who had not been seen, and a searching investigation ensued, but for hours with no result. Every conceivable place was visited, and all possible inquiry made, but no tidings as to her whereabouts could be given; and, as the building had been burnt to the ground, it was thought that she must have been consumed also. The investigation continued, and several men were occupied for a considerable time digging about the debris with a view to discover the remains of the girl, who, it was thought, must have been burnt, which through Saturday was the general impression. The mother of the girl was frantic with grief, her cry being “If only I could see my poor child.” The neighbours did their best to console her, but without effect. At last, about four o’clock, all conjecture was removed by the discovery of a body of a girl in the Grantchester river – about 400 yards from the Rose and Crown; the presumption being that she committed suicide through fear of being transported, as it appears she had been told she would be if ever she caused another fire. The body was removed to the Red Lion to await the coroner’s inquest.

Through this calamity, sixteen persons and nine children were thrown into a state of destitution, besides the destruction of the little all that belonged to the lodgers – coprolite diggers. Shelter was provided for the two homeless and friendless families (Muggleton and Searle), the former in the old village school-room, and the latter in the billiard-room at the Green Man. Placards were issued soliciting contributions towards alleviating their distress; the Rev. John Martin, of Cambridge, offering to receive donations. Mr. and Mrs. Hart sent £3, and we hope other contributions followed. Part of Mr. Hunt’s property is insured in the Norwich Union; but we understand that none of the poor sufferers were insured. The county police rendered valuable assistance, and were most active.

On Sunday, the ruins were visited by hundreds of persons from Cambridge; and on Monday morning, an

INQUEST

was held at the Red Lion, Grantchester, at half-past nine o’clock, before J. Grain, Esq., Deputy Coroner for F. Barlow, Esq., on view of the body of Annie Smith, the deceased servant girl. The first witness called was

James Smith, of Barton, father of the deceased, said: I have seen the body lying on the premises, it is that of my daughter, Annie Smith, she would have been sixteen years old to-day. I saw her alive a week ago yesterday. She was living in service at the Rose and Crown. She always seemed satisfied with her place, and to like her master and mistress very much. She never told me that they had scolded her for dropping anything into the fire.

Edward Golden said: I kept the Rose and Crown public-house which was burnt down on Saturday morning. On Friday evening last, I went to bed a little after ten o’ clock; my wife had gone to bed about nine, not being very well, I had eight lodgers in the house; all men, two of them slept in a lone room next the road and the others upstairs; four in one room and two in another. The deceased had lived servant with us ever since we have been here – not quite a year; she slept in the bar where we draw the beer. When I went to bed I left her in the bar with a candle, as she said she was going to mend her stays. The candle stood on a table in the window; there were white netted curtains to the window. I had poked the fire out before I went to bed. When I left the room I told the deceased to be careful with the candle, and to make haste and do what she had to do and to put the candle out, and she said she would as soon as she had done that little job. She had her dress on and I believe her shoes and stockings; she was sitting in a chair close to the table where the candle was. There were two doors to the room, one leading into the tap-room; this door I locked up on the outside and left the key in the door I think; the other door leads into a passage communicating with the street. She could get out. I was awoke by a noise and went down, I looked into the tap-room and then to the cellar and saw smoke, I then shoved open the door out of the tap-room into the bar and found it in flames; the deceased was not there. I could not see the bar. I did not see whether the door into the passage was open or not. I then called out for help and got my wife out. I never saw the deceased alive again afterwards. My wife told me some time ago that deceased had dropped some fat into the fire which flared up, and that she had told her that if the buildings were burnt down she would be transported. All my house was burnt down and my furniture destroyed. The shoes produced belonged to the deceased; they were brought to me by some men on Saturday, who said they found them on the bank of the river.

Sarah Golden, wife of the last witness, said: the deceased had lived servant with us ever since we have been here. She was a very good girl. On Friday evening she asked me if she might sit up to mend her stays. I told her she might, but she must be careful to get into bed as soon as she had done them. I told her not to sit up in bed to mend them. Some time ago our chimney was on fire; there had been a frying pan on the fire with fat in it. I told the deceased I hoped she had not poured the fat into the fire, as if she had done it on purpose or carelessly she would be punished, and perhaps transported. She said the frying pan slipped out of her hand, as she had the coffee pot in the other. This is the only time I have ever spoke to deceased about fire. She was a steady girl. This was the first time she had been left with a candle.

Robert Clark, labourer, Grantchester, said: I know the deceased by sight. I was at the fire on the morning of Saturday. As I passed the pump close by the Rose and Crown, I saw a person standing against the bowling alley within about three yards from the pump. She had a shawl over her head, and I thought from her figure it was the deceased. When he heard a quarter of an hour afterwards that the servant was burnt he said, “Why if I didn’t see her just now I saw some one just like her.”

Alfred Bard said: On Saturday last I in company with others was searching the river with creepers. At a corner of the river where the black thorn bushes hang over I felt something, and pulled up the body of the deceased; it came up sideways, with the face rather downwards. I recognised the body as that of the deceased; the body had a dress on, but no shoes or stockings.

George Girling, of Trumpington, County police-constable, said: On Saturday last I received the boots produced. I then went down to the river, saw a man named Dawkins; he showed me the spot where he had found them. A decayed tree projects into the river at the spot. The witness Bard was there, and we pulled out the body; it had on a dress, but no stays, shoes, or stockings.

Mr Knowles, surgeon, made a post mortem examination of the body, which presented appearances as if the head had been immersed in the water downwards. He had no doubt that death was caused by drowning. There were no marks of burning or pregnancy.

The Deputy-Coroner having carefully summed up, the Jury returned an open verdict of “Found Drowned.”