Sarah Dazley

Case record: Sarah Dazley

Personal details

Sarah Dazley was born in 1819 as Sarah Reynolds. Her date of execution was 5 August 1843. She was later known as the “Potton Poisoner”.

Sarah Reynolds was the daughter of the town barber Philip Reynolds and his wife Ann Reynolds. When Sarah was 7, her father died and her mother went on to date a series of men.

At the age of 19, Sarah Reynolds married Simeon Mead. Sarah later married William Dazley in 1841. She was Sarah Dazley’s second and final husband. Sarah gave birth to their son Jonah in 1840, shortly after moving to Tadlow in 1840. Jonah died at the age of seven months. Simeon Mead died unexpectedly in October 1840.

Sarah invited teenage Ann Mead, Simeon Mead’s daughter, to live with her and William Dazley after she and William Dazley moved to Wrestlingworth. William Dazley was opposed to Ann Mead living with them, and he became an avid drinker and hit Sarah.

Sarah told a friend, William Waldock, that she would kill a man who ever hit her.

Sarah was also discovered in London by the Superintendent of Blunden Biggleswade Police, and she insisted she was innocent of any crimes. During her trial preparation in prison she used her time to conjure up defenses. She continued to maintain her innocence while in prison and in the condemned cell. She did not make a confession to either the matrons looking after her or to the chaplain.

During her time in prison, Sarah learnt to read and write and began reading the Bible. She avoided contact with other prisoners whilst on remand, preferring her own company and accepting the ministrations of the chaplain.

Timeline

• 1819 — Sarah Reynolds was born.
• 1840 — Sarah moved to Tadlow; she gave birth to their son Jonah; Jonah died at the age of seven months; Simeon Mead died unexpectedly in October 1840.
• 1841 — Sarah married her second husband, William Dazley.
• 1842 — William Dazley died on October 30, 1842.
• 20 March 1843 — An inquest was held on Monday the 20th of March 1843 at the Chequers Inn in Wrestlingworth High Street.
• 24 March 1843 — Sarah Dazley was committed to Bedford Gaol.
• 22 July 1843 — Sarah Dazley was tried for the murder of William Dazley at Bedfordshire Summer Assizes.
• 5 August 1843 — Sarah Dazley was executed on Saturday, 5 August 1843 at Bedford Gaol.

The offence

Sarah Dazley was convicted of the poisoning of her husband William Dazley. William Dazley’s body was exhumed and was found to contain traces of arsenic. After his death, suspicion rose against Sarah regarding the earlier deaths of her two husbands and their son, including the earlier death of Simeon Mead and the death of their son Jonah.

Background

Sarah invited teenage Ann Mead, Simeon Mead’s daughter, to live with her and her new husband after Sarah married William Dazley and they moved to Wrestlingworth. William Dazley opposed the idea of Mead living with them. In retaliation he became an avid drinker and hit Sarah.

Following the incident in which William Dazley hit Sarah, she told a friend, William Waldock, that she would kill a man who ever hit her.

Investigation

After William Dazley grew ill, a local doctor, Dr. Sandell, gave William prescriptions that helped him show signs of recovery while under the care of Ann Mead. After seeing this, Sarah started making pills of her own for her husband. When William refused to take the new pills, Ann took one herself to show him there was nothing wrong. The pills contained arsenic trioxide that Sarah intentionally added.

Once William Dazley began to show symptoms, he became ill and shared similar symptoms with vomiting and stomach pains. William continued to take Sarah’s made-up drugs and died on October 30, 1842. His death was certified as natural by the doctor.

After William’s death, suspicion rose against Sarah and the deaths of Jonah and Simeon Mead as well. William Dazley’s body was exhumed and found to contain traces of arsenic. An arrest warrant was issued for Sarah Dazley, who fled to London.

Bodies of Simeon Mead and Jonah were also exhumed. Traces of arsenic were found in Jonah, while Simeon’s body was too decomposed to test.

Sarah fled to London and took a room in Upper Wharf Street. She was discovered by Superintendent Blunden of Biggleswade police and insisted she was completely innocent, claiming she neither knew anything about poisons nor had she ever obtained any.

Sarah was arrested and returned to Bedford. During the journey back, they stayed overnight in the Swan Inn, Biggleswade. Sarah was made to sleep in a room with three female members of the staff. She did not sleep well and asked the women about capital trials and execution by hanging. This was later reported to Blunden and struck him as odd.

Arrest

An arrest warrant was issued for Sarah Dazley after William Dazley’s body was exhumed and found to contain traces of arsenic. She fled to London and was later discovered by Superintendent Blunden of Biggleswade police.

Trial

Sarah Dazley was tried for the murder of William Dazley at the Bedfordshire Summer Assizes. She was charged with William’s murder as this was the stronger of the two cases. The murder of Jonah was not proceeded with but was kept in reserve should the first case against her fail.

On Saturday the 22nd of July 1843, Sarah Dazley was tried for the murder of William Dazley before Baron Alderson at Bedfordshire Summer Assizes. She was found guilty. The jury deliberated for just thirty minutes to convict her.

Evidence included testimony that chemists she bought arsenic from were able to testify against her. Ann Mead and neighbor Mrs. Carver testified, including about the incidents with the pills that they had witnessed. William Waldock testified against Sarah about her statement that she would kill any man that ever hit her after the violent row between Sarah and William Dazley.

Forensic evidence was presented to show that William had died from arsenic poisoning and that his internal organs were well preserved. The Marsh test was used to detect the arsenic in William Dazley’s body and the result was used as forensic evidence against Sarah. The Marsh test was described as only available for a few years at the time of Sarah’s trial.

Sarah was represented by a Mr. O’Malley, who put forward a defence based upon Sarah’s inventions. He claimed Sarah had poisoned William by accident. He also developed other defences used by Sarah during her time in prison, including the idea that William poisoned himself or that William poisoned Jonah and Simeon and Sarah poisoned William as revenge.

During her time in prison while awaiting trial, she conjured up defenses such as William poisoned himself, or he poisoned Jonah and Simeon so she poisoned William as revenge for murdering her family out of his desires for Sarah. She also decided to accuse William Dazley of poisoning Simeon and Jonah on the grounds that he wanted them out of her life so he could have her to himself. When she realised what he had done she decided to take revenge by poisoning William. These defences were not believed.

Baron Alderson sentenced Sarah to hang. Before passing sentence, Baron Alderson commented that it was bad enough to kill her husband but that it showed total heartlessness to kill her infant child as well. He recommended her to ask for the mercy of her Redeemer. He then donned the black cap and sentenced her to hang.

Sentencing

Judge Baron Alderson sentenced Sarah Dazley to hang.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Sarah Dazley was executed on Saturday, 5 August 1843 at Bedford Gaol. She was the only woman to be publicly hanged at Bedford Gaol. Thousands of people came to watch the execution. She was the first execution at Bedford since 1833.

Aftermath

On the day of the execution, a crowd variously estimated at 7,000–12,000 assembled in St. Loyes Street outside Bedford Gaol to watch the hanging. William Calcraft had arrived from London the previous day to perform the execution. Sarah was taken from the condemned cell to the prison chapel at around ten o’clock for the sacrament.

She was asked if she wished to make any last statement which she declined, merely asking that Calcraft be quick in his work and repeating “Lord have mercy on my soul”. She was pinioned, then a white hood was drawn over her head and a halter-style noose was adjusted around her neck. After the bolt supporting the trap doors was withdrawn, she dropped about eighteen inches and her body became still after writhing for just a few seconds. She was left on the rope for the customary hour before being taken down.

Her body was taken back into the prison for burial in an unmarked grave, as was required by law. Local reports said the crowd behaved well and remained silent until Sarah was actually hanged.

Copies of broadsides claiming to contain Sarah’s confession and her last dying speech were being sold among the crowd, and the account said she had made neither.

Sarah became known as the “Potton Poisoner”.