Have you ever stopped for a drink
in this quaint 14th century inn, nestling next to Torver church? It
wasn’t always so tranquil.
On Monday 19th
February 1821, an inquest was held at Torver into the death of John Jones,
described in one newspaper as ‘a man of colour’, and another as a ‘Mulatto’,
following his death after a disturbance at The Church House Inn, Torver. The
circumstances given were that he was a dancing master and of late gave lessons
at the Inn. On the night of Saturday
17th, a feast was organised where a neighbour had slaughtered a pig for the
occasion and at around midnight, Mr Jones was playing cards with a group which
included the landlord’s son, William Massicks. In total, there were about nine
men and five children; a gallon of rum had been drunk. A fourteen-year-old
pupil of Jones said he saw William hide a card whereupon William slapped the
boy twice, knocking him to the ground. When Jones objected a fight started and
Jones knocked William down to the ground as the Landlord, 52-year-old John Massicks
intervened. William submitted and left by the door but a fight developed
between Jones and the landlord, both crashing against the door. William
hurriedly returned by the back door and picked up a knife, stabbing Jones 16
times, two were very serious chest wounds. Such was the frenzy of the attack
that in the darkness he even stabbed his own father, inflicting two serious
wounds. John Jones died about fourteen hours later.
The inquest verdict was that
William had murdered Jones aided and abetted by his father. William had fled
the scene and the father was charged to appear at Lancaster Assizes, largely
based upon the dying declaration of John Jones who had said the father had held
him by the throat as the son stabbed him. On Thursday 5th April, the
trial took place at Lancaster where Judge Bailey directed the jury to return a
verdict of ‘Not Guilty’ as the father was not to know the guilty intent of his
son, and did not know he had armed himself with a knife. John Massicks was
released but William was still sought. A reward of seventy guineas for his
apprehension was to be paid by John Dickinson, an Ulverston solicitor. He was
described as 26 years old, 5ft 8ins tall, dark appearance with black hair and
robust. He had lost a number of his front teeth with one other sticking out
remarkably; he also had an old scar on the back of his left hand and had
received a hand wound during the struggle. Wanted bills were circulated around
the country and a man was arrested in Glasgow on Friday 13th April
who fitted the description, but it was not William Massicks. He was never
traced and escaped justice, John Massicks probably never seeing his son again,
died on 7th August 1822.
So, if you haven’t stopped for a
drink or have and never knew the above, have a beer there, cast the eye around
and imagine the fateful chilling event.
(C)opyright
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