As a resident of the small village of Weston Under Wetherley, near Leamington Spa, I became fascinated by the historical accounts of its reported ‘goings on’ in the historical pages of the Royal Leamington Spa Courier newspaper, which I found in the British Newspaper Archives. The earliest accounts begin in 1833 with a fairly uninspiring report about the eligibility of voters in the village, but only a few years later history got a lot more interesting! I’m going to move forward in time a little to the 25th March 1871, when the most fascinating of our village reports takes place.
25th March 1871 – Royal Leamington Spa Courier
The …Courier reports the shooting dead of a servant girl at Weston Hall. At this time Weston Hall was an impressive timbered manor house located at the west of the village (long since gone, I believe it burned down), and was occupied by the Umbers family.
The newspaper reports that an inquest into the death was held at Weston Hall into the shooting of Ann Trottman, 18 years of age, by Mr. Thomas Umbers, the son of Mr. E Umbers. It reports that the day after the shooting the coroner, a surgeon and a jury of men and the deceased’s father were called to the hall to view the body and pass verdict; the only witness to the shooting was Mr. Thomas Umbers himself (the shooter).
The evidence
Thomas Umbers gave evidence:
The deceased who was a housemaid was placing out tea things on the table whilst I was taking down the gun from the beam. It by some means slipped and the deceased, thinking it was going to fall, came and caught hold of it by the muzzle when it accidentally went off, lodging its contents in the girl’s forehead… he did not remember how the gun slipped, but immediately it went off the deceased fell to the floor and her brains were knocked out about the floor.
The coroner’s findings
The coroner asked if Mr Umbers had any “unkind words or quarrel” with the deceased and if he was “on the best of terms as a master and servant should be?” Mr Umbers replied he’d had no quarrel and “yes” was on good terms. The coroner then observed that “it was quite a most unfortunate occurrence but it was, however, a thing which might happen to anybody.”
Muzzle distance
The article continues with questions from the coroner about loaded guns, the accused’s experience with guns, and if he’d had any previous accidents (which he had not). They examined the very short distance from the muzzle to the deceased’s forehead and also asked about the deceased’s previous employment and why she had left there to come and work for the Umbers family; her conduct had also been good. Another employee had seen the accused crying “oh no” with his hands on his head after the shooting.
They questioned the girl’s father Mr. Trottman, to see if he was satisfied it was an accident, which he said he was. Interestingly Mr Trottman also worked for the Umbers family at Weston Hall as a Waggoner.
Two or three minutes!
Finally the jury were asked to make a verdict and after only two or three minutes the foreman announced they were “of a unanimous opinion that it was a case of accidental death.” Case closed!
My thoughts
Investigations were fast and within 24 hours the accused was acquitted because he was believed to be of good character, and the jury could find no reason for it to be anything other than an accident. The deceased’s father wouldn’t want to lose his job as in 1871, no job meant the workhouse! No post mortem or forensic investigations were available, and no time was taken to question everyone connected with the deceased. What a fascinating insight into how serious incidents even potential murder enquiries were managed not so long ago!
Copies of the Royal Leamington Spa Courier are also available on microfilm and in bound copies at the Warwickshire County Record Office.
Comments
I am a descendant of the family. I had never heard this shooting story, nor had I seen a picture of Weston Hall – it looks very grand. I wonder where the family money went afterwards! The family also had branches at Wappenbury and Lillingstone and several churches roundabout contain graves and memorials. In the 18th Century Squire William Umbers was a noted sheep-breeder who won a medal for his agricultural experiments.
Hi John that’s fascinating! How are you related to the Weston Umbers?
I too am a descendant of the Umbers family. Thomas Umbers born 1805 at Weston Hall was my 3x great grandfather. He and his elder brother William were born at Weston Hall. Edward Umbers mentioned in your article was their cousin. I query whether the building you have pictured is the original Weston Hall. I have researched the family over the years and do not know of a Throckmorton connection to the building.
I have found after a quick search just now;
Weston Hall.
Weston Hall, the ancient mansion of the Throckmortons, which stood on the left side of the road leading from Olney to Weston, just outside the village, was entirely demolished in 1827; and of its near appurtenances none are now standing except the iron gates with four stone piers, and a portion of the stabling and granary crowned by a cupola. It consisted of a quadrangle enclosing a court, or, as the villagers used to call it, ” the jail-yard ;” and drawings are in existence of each of its fronts……
The Umbers’ “Weston Hall was at Weston Under Wetherley in Warwickshire and was to my thinking in no way so grand.
Hi Joanne, that’s an interesting observation. I was given the images by a fellow Weston resident who is also the longest living resident of the village, they assured me they were of Weston Hall. I will investigate a bit further and see if I can find out where they acquired them from. Jane
Very interesting. I will be keen to hear your comments. The earliest mention I have of the Umbers at Weston Hall is around 1778 when my 5x great grandfather William Umbers and his wife Hannah Murcott lived first lived there. I have mention of the building from early days in my research.
“The original house was built by Sir Edward Belknap who died in 1521. A picture painted in 1635 shows a large timber framed building. This however was demolished in the 1750’s by the then owner Lord Clifford of Chudleigh. The replacement building is said to have been a simple Georgian style, rendered but unpainted” source; Some Manors, Churches and Villages of Warwickshire, By Mr. D. Harris 1937
I had seen mention of the “Shooting” at Weston Hall over the years on my research journey but was unaware that Thomas Umbers, the son of Edward Umbers was present and the following “inquest.”
It is hard to understand how a fatality was treated so simply. Times have changed. Members of the Umbers family had been Church Wardens and respected Yeomen and Gentlemen so perhaps that had a part to play in the investigation. I envy you having contact with the oldest resident in Weston Under Wetherley now and look forward to your comments. Cheers
I too am an Umbers decendant from the WILLIAM Umbers Hannah Murcott line.Ihave just been looking at my family tree and I can add that Thomas, son of Edward married in 1877 and set sail to New Zealand. Does make you wonder about the ‘fatal ‘ shooting?
There was more than one Weston Hall in Warwickshire, see the Sheldon tapestry, very confusing. I live in NZ,my ancestor another Umbers, John born1810, arrived here in the 1830s married a Maori lass, never told the folk back home and died in Australia in 1855.
Weston Under Westerley is mentioned in connection with one of the main characters in the book – The Poet’s Trap. It is a book based in the mid 1800s and a good yarn. A second book is being written at the moment so this information about W-U-W is most helpful.
Add a comment about this page