The 1856 Dorset Tragedy: Martha Brown's Fatal Confrontation
The year 1856 in rural Dorset witnessed a harrowing domestic crime that would echo through literary history. Martha Brown, a 45-year-old woman, found herself trapped in a violent marriage with her younger husband, John Brown, aged 26. Their union, which began in January 1852, was fraught with tension from the start, exacerbated by gossip that John had married Martha not only for her attractive appearance but also for her inheritance of £50 from her late first husband, Bernard Bearn—a sum equivalent to over £6,000 today.
A Marriage Unraveled by Infidelity and Abuse
Residing in the small hamlet of Birdsmoorgate, Dorset, the couple's relationship deteriorated further when Martha discovered John in bed with another village woman, Mary Davis. This betrayal sparked a fierce argument, and later that same day, John returned home intoxicated and without his hat, leading Martha to suspect another encounter with Mary. When she confronted him, the dispute escalated violently.
In a statement, Martha recalled the events: "He then kicked out the bottom of the chair that upon which I had been sitting." The quarrel continued until 3 a.m., with John striking her on the head, leaving her dazed. As supper lay on the table, John retorted, "eat it yourself, be damned," before grabbing a heavy horse whip and striking her three times across the shoulders. Martha screamed, threatening to cry murder, to which John replied, "if you do, I will knock your brains through the window." He added, "I hope I shall find you dead in the morning," and kicked her, causing severe pain.
The Fatal Blow and Aftermath
Enraged and in what she described as an "ungovernable passion," Martha seized a hatchet she had been using to break coal for the fire. She struck John several violent blows to the head, causing him to fall face-first toward the fireplace, where he died without speaking or moving. Martha later expressed remorse, stating, "As soon as I had done it, I wished I had not, and would have given the world not to have done it." She confessed that despite enduring previous ill-treatment, this was the first time she had retaliated, driven to near insanity by the abuse.
Initially, upon her arrest on July 5, 1856, Martha claimed her husband had been kicked by a horse, but she later confessed to the killing while in custody, revealing the relentless domestic violence she had suffered. Her trial before a jury of 10 local men resulted in a guilty verdict for "wilful murder," and she was sentenced to death by hanging, despite public appeals for mercy submitted to the Home Secretary.
Thomas Hardy's Witness and Literary Inspiration
In a poignant twist, among the 4,000 spectators at Martha's public execution on August 9, 1856, was a 16-year-old Thomas Hardy, who would later become one of Britain's most celebrated authors. Recalling the event, Hardy wrote, "What a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in the misty rain, and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half round and back." This harrowing scene, along with Martha's tragic circumstances, deeply influenced Hardy and inspired his acclaimed novel, Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
Public Outcry and Historical Significance
Martha's execution marked the final public hanging of a woman in Dorset, sparking widespread fury due to public knowledge of the sustained abuse she had endured. A journalist from the Dorset County Chronicle and Somerset Gazette noted that crowds gathered "merely to glut their morbid curiosity," with spectators arriving "laughing and jeering and full of no pleasant sentiments towards the human victim." After the execution, instead of reflecting, many chose to "drink and carouse, to riot and blaspheme," leaving the town in turmoil.
This case remains a stark reminder of the complexities of domestic violence and justice in the Victorian era, with its themes of abuse, infidelity, and societal reaction still resonating today. Martha Brown's story, immortalized through Hardy's literature, continues to captivate historians and readers alike, shedding light on a dark chapter in Dorset's past.
