Crime in Thames Ditton

From Dittopedia

In the early 18th century, Thames Ditton had a House of Correction. Evidence for this comes from payment of repair bills.

Thames Ditton also had village stocks in the 18th century. Evidence for this comes from an entry in the Account Books for 2nd April 1732: ' two shillings for repairing the Stocks '

Where were the stocks located? In 1783, Thomas Bracey, a Surveyor of Highways, performed a job at an open ditch 'near the stocks'. Bracey had a large dwelling in Thames Ditton High Street (then called The Street). It is possible the stocks were situated at the location now occupied by the drinking fountain, which was presented to the village in 1879 by Hannibal Speer, Lord of the Manor.

Not long after moving to Thames Ditton, Mrs. Charlotte Boyle Walsingham and her daughter had an unforgetable experience. Which proves just how lawless the roads were like in this district in those pre-policed days. On their way home, and not very far from it either, their carriage was stopped by a highwayman, who held a pistol to the girl's breast, and threatened to pull the trigger if they did not make haste to hand over their valuables.^[4] Horace Walpole was probably referring to Portsmouth Road when he wrote Letter 275 to Hon Henry Seymour Conway (Lord Hertford's brother) from Strawberry Hill, on 25th June 1784:

But here is a worse calamity; one is never safe by day or night: Mrs. Walsingham, who has bought your brother's late house at Ditton, was robbed a few days ago in the high road, within a mile of home, at seven in the evening. The di'a nimorum gentium pilfer every thing.

The history of Thames Ditton is full of characters, such as William Scott and Peter Pratt who hit the headlines of the day in 1784 when they were caught body snatching in the churchyard. This was not so unusual in those days when bodies were in great demand for medical dissection, but what was perhaps exceptional was that the two men were using their inside knowledge, since they were both Churchwardens of St Nicholas! ^[3]

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Crime in Long Ditton

George Poplet is caught, sentenced and hanged within a week of murdering his wife in November 1874.

Ethel White drowns herself and her six-month-old baby in the river at Claremont Wharf c.1910.

Ellen Shepherd drowns her eight-month-old step-daughter in 18884.

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References

1. Burchett, P. 1984. A Historical Sketch of THAMES DITTON. Surrey: Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association. ISBN 0-904-81120-4.
2. Project Gutenberg (page 347)
3. John Lyon
4. Anson, op. cit., p.190.