The Campden Wonder
Encyclopedia
The Campden Wonder is the name given to events surrounding the return of a man-thought-murdered from the town of Chipping Campden
, Gloucestershire
in the 17th century. A servant, his mother and brother were hanged
for killing their master. But following the man's return, it became clear that no murder ever took place despite testimony attesting to the crime by the accused. The story attracted popular attention in England
in the years 1660–1662.
Edward Harrison, William Harrison's son, was then sent out to look for the pair. While on his way to Charingworth, Edward met John Perry. The servant revealed that he had not been able to find his master. The pair then continued their journey to Ebrington
where they questioned one of the tenants whom Harrison had been going to see. The tenant revealed that Harrison had been there the previous night. With this information, Edward Harrison and John Perry continued their journey to the local village of Paxford. However their search proved fruitless.
Edward and John then headed back to Chipping Campden. During the journey, they heard that some items belonging to William Harrison had been discovered on the main road between Chipping Campden and Ebrington. These included a hat, shirt, and collar. Although the hat had been slashed by a sharp implement and the shirt and collar were covered in blood, there was no sign of the body of William Harrison.
In order to speed the trial along, the presiding judge decided to grant pardons to all three defendants for the money allegedly stolen in 1659.
In Spring 1661, the court reconvened to hear the charges of murder. This time John Perry joined his mother and brother in pleading "not guilty" to killing William Harrison. The servant claimed his original testimony had all been false by reason of insanity. Nevertheless the jury found all three of the Perry family guilty of murdering William Harrison and were sentenced to death.
The family were hanged
together in Gloucestershire. On the scaffold, Richard and John reiterated they were entirely innocent of of killing William Harrison. As the mother was also suspected of being a witch, she was executed first.
bearing a remarkable story. He claimed to have been abducted from England by pirates and taken abroad. He was transferred to a Turkish ship and sold into slavery near Smyrna
in Anatolia
(Turkey
). Harrison said after about a year and three quarters his master died. He then went to a port and stowed away on a Portuguese ship, finally returning to Dover
by way of Lisbon.
Whether or not Harrison's marvelous tale was in fact true, it certainly disproved John Perry's claims that Harrison had been murdered in August 1660. It thus posed a mystery: what made John Perry make such claims?
).
John Masefield
wrote two plays on the subject: The Campden Wonder and Mrs Harrison. The latter dealt with the popular myth that Harrison's wife committed suicide
on learning that her husband was alive. The case, along with the Sandyford murder case
, were mentioned in E.C. Bentley's 1920 detective story Trent's Last Case
, and provided some of the inspiration for the novel's plot.
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden is a small market town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
in the 17th century. A servant, his mother and brother were hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
for killing their master. But following the man's return, it became clear that no murder ever took place despite testimony attesting to the crime by the accused. The story attracted popular attention in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the years 1660–1662.
Disappearance
On August 16, 1660, 70-year-old William Harrison left his home in Campden intending to walk two miles to the village of Charingworth. But when he did not return at the expected time, his wife sent his manservant John Perry to look for him. Neither Harrison nor Perry had returned by the next morning.Edward Harrison, William Harrison's son, was then sent out to look for the pair. While on his way to Charingworth, Edward met John Perry. The servant revealed that he had not been able to find his master. The pair then continued their journey to Ebrington
Ebrington
Ebrington is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It has narrow lanes and tiny streets of Cotswold stone houses and cottages, many of which are thatched....
where they questioned one of the tenants whom Harrison had been going to see. The tenant revealed that Harrison had been there the previous night. With this information, Edward Harrison and John Perry continued their journey to the local village of Paxford. However their search proved fruitless.
Edward and John then headed back to Chipping Campden. During the journey, they heard that some items belonging to William Harrison had been discovered on the main road between Chipping Campden and Ebrington. These included a hat, shirt, and collar. Although the hat had been slashed by a sharp implement and the shirt and collar were covered in blood, there was no sign of the body of William Harrison.
Investigation
Under questioning, John Perry confessed that he knew Harrison was murdered although he claimed to be innocent of the crime. Perry then claimed his mother, Joan, and his brother, Richard, killed Harrison for his money and hidden the body. Joan and Richard strenuously denied that they had had anything to do with their master's disappearance. But John kept up his assertion that they were guilty.Trials
The first court hearings dealt with charges linked to a plot to steal money from William Harrison. Despite his mother and brother pleading "not guilty", John Perry's testimony convinced the jury based on the following:- John seemed to have no apparent reason to be lying about the matter.
- John claimed he was the one who suggested the robbery to Richard, therefore incriminating himself in a crime by telling the truth.
- John told the court Joan and Richard had already stolen £140 pounds from William Harrison's house the previous year.
- John had lied about being attacked by robbers a few weeks before Harrison's disappearance because he himself had been planning to rob Harrison's house instead.
In order to speed the trial along, the presiding judge decided to grant pardons to all three defendants for the money allegedly stolen in 1659.
In Spring 1661, the court reconvened to hear the charges of murder. This time John Perry joined his mother and brother in pleading "not guilty" to killing William Harrison. The servant claimed his original testimony had all been false by reason of insanity. Nevertheless the jury found all three of the Perry family guilty of murdering William Harrison and were sentenced to death.
The family were hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
together in Gloucestershire. On the scaffold, Richard and John reiterated they were entirely innocent of of killing William Harrison. As the mother was also suspected of being a witch, she was executed first.
Return of William Harrison
In 1662, Harrison returned to England aboard a ship from LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
bearing a remarkable story. He claimed to have been abducted from England by pirates and taken abroad. He was transferred to a Turkish ship and sold into slavery near Smyrna
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
(Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). Harrison said after about a year and three quarters his master died. He then went to a port and stowed away on a Portuguese ship, finally returning to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
by way of Lisbon.
Whether or not Harrison's marvelous tale was in fact true, it certainly disproved John Perry's claims that Harrison had been murdered in August 1660. It thus posed a mystery: what made John Perry make such claims?
Later accounts
The most accurate account of the Campden Wonder was published in 1663 by Sir Thomas Overbury (d. 1684; the nephew of a famous poet of the same nameThomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
).
John Masefield
John Masefield
John Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
wrote two plays on the subject: The Campden Wonder and Mrs Harrison. The latter dealt with the popular myth that Harrison's wife committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on learning that her husband was alive. The case, along with the Sandyford murder case
Sandyford murder case
The Sandyford murder case was a well-known proceeding of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United Kingdom. The case revolved around the brutal murder of one Jessie M'Pherson, a servant, in Sandyford Place, Glasgow, Scotland, in 1862...
, were mentioned in E.C. Bentley's 1920 detective story Trent's Last Case
Trent's Last Case
Trent's Last Case is a detective novel written by E.C. Bentley and first published in 1913. Its central character reappeared subsequently in the novel Trent's Own Case and the short-story collection Trent Intervenes .-Plot summary:...
, and provided some of the inspiration for the novel's plot.
External links
- TheCampdenWonder.com
- http://www.campdenwonder.plus.com/
- Pete Clifford's Campden Wonder blog