February 1837: Murder in Mad Bess Wood

On Thursday, February 16th, 1837, fifteen-year-old farm-labourer John Brill, was killed by a head injury in Young Wood, which is now part of Mad Bess Wood.

John Brill had given evidence against three poachers; James Bray, Thomas Lavender and Charles Lamb, only a short while before he was killed. At both the Inquest and the Magistrate’s trial, threats of vengeance had been made by the poachers.

Brill’s body was found during a huge search by Ruislip villagers the following Sunday, the person who found the body was James Lavender, the father of one of the poachers. In the early hours of Monday, warrants were issued for the arrest of all three of poachers, who were soon apprehended, and appeared at the Magistrate court (in the yard of the King’s Arms, Harefield) at 3.00pm.

Further inquires followed, but to cut a long story short, due to lack of evidence, all three poachers were eventually released due to the lack of evidence. One of the poachers, James Bray, even suggested that they be allowed to view the body, as myth held that a body of a murdered victim would run with blood if his killer was close. This request was permitted, but of course, no blood ran from the boy’s body.

In 1845, eight years after the murder, twenty-five-year-old poacher George Sibley from Harefield, who was then a prisoner in Coldbath Fields Prison (Clerkenwell, London), confessed that his fellow prisoner Charles Lamb had admitted to him that he had murdered John Brill. Although Sibley and Lamb were both prisoners at Coldbath, they had known each other for approximately 12 months, and before they were both sent to Coldbath. Sibley claimed the he and Lamb use to go poaching together, and that whilst they were travelling from Rickmansworth to Harefield one day, Lamb had confided to him that he was the murderer of John Brill. Sibley also claimed Lamb had threatened to kill him if Sibley told anyone of this.

In late January or early February, Charles Lamb stood trial for the murder of John Brill, but the jury found him not guilty.

Below are newspaper articles I have found about the murder, and the later trials of suspects.

Gardener Gazette, March 11, 1837, page 6.

The Courier (London), February 24, 1837, page 4

The Gardeners' Gazette, February 25, 1837, page 12

In the article below, Mad Bess Wood is referred to as "Mad Bessy", whilst quoting the farmer who employed 
the boy who was killed, and who owned Young Wood, which was immediately next to Mad Bess Wood.

Bell's Life in London, and Sporting Chronicle, February 26, 1937, page 5.

The Weekly Chronicle, February 26, 1837, page 1

Following are articles about the discovery of the murderer in 1845

The Atlas, January 11, 1845, page 4.

The Weekly Chronicle (London), January 11, 1845, page 3

In the article below, Mad Bess Wood is called "Mad Bessy" 

Lloyds' Weekly London Newspaper, January 12, 1845, page 2

The Weekly Chronicle, January 26, 1845, page 6.

The Atlas, February 8, 1845, page 8.

The Churchman's Newspaper, February 11, 1845, page 4.