Murder of John Jones, a Black Dance Master, at The Church House Inn Torver - 1821

Have you ever stopped for a drink in this quaint 14^th century inn, nestling next to Torver church? It wasn’t always so tranquil.

On Monday 19^th 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 5^th 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 13^th 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 7^th 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.

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