The inhabitants of Crediton were much alarmed on Thursday night [3 July 1834] last, in consequence of the discovery that two young persons had committed suicide, by poisoning themselves, at the Royal Oak Inn, in that town. It appears that two respectable looking young persons, a man and woman, each about the age of 22 years, came to the above inn as lodgers, on Monday week last. Nothing in their conversation or manner tended to excite any suspicions with the landlord either with regard to their connexions or circumstances. They rose generally at a late hour in the morning, evinced much attachment towards each other, walked out together during the day, were very moderate in their mode of living, and retired at a seasonable hour to bed. On Thursday last, however, the landlord of the inn, not finding them down stairs at their usual hour, knocked at their bed-room door, and was answered by the female "that they should be down presently," but their not appearing by two o'clock in the afternoon, the landlady sent her son to the bedroom door to remind them of the hour, and he was then answered by one of them, which he did not distinctly hear. Nothing further was thought of them until the evening, when the landlady became alarmed at their non-appearance, and again knocked at their bed-room door; receiving no reply, she burst it open, when hearing a deep moan, she immediately ran down stairs for assistance. On her return with two other persons, they discovered the man quite dead, and the female in a dying state, locked in each other’s arms. Medical aid was promptly procured, and the stomach pump applied, but without success. On the table was found a pint bottle, with the remains of the laudanum in it, and there is no doubt that each of them had voluntarily taken a considerable portion of this deadly drug. A Coroner's Inquest was held on their bodies, on the 5th inst. when it appeared that they were recently married — that the match was disapproved of by the father of the young man, and was clandestinely made — that they were destitute of money, and that the husband had purchased a pint of laudanum some days before at a druggist's shop in Exeter, and had premeditated self-destruction. It was also proved on the inquest that the man's name was Samuel Margerie — that he was a clock and watch maker, at Heavitree, near Exeter — and that his wife was a respectable young woman from Woodbury, and lately filled the situation of lady's maid with a respectable family resident at Dawlish. The Jury in each case brought in a verdict of Felo de se, and the Coroner ordered their bodies to be interred at midnight (pursuant to the Act of Parliament) without the usual funeral rites. — Western Luminary.

The scene of this tragedy was the Royal Oak Inn - 84 High Street in Crediton. Mrs Spurr was named as the landlady and was probably Elizabeth, the widow of Stephen Spurr, late postmaster and landlord of the Ship Inn.

Samuel Margray/Margerie was born in Topsham in 1812. His parents had moved to Topsham from Crewkerne in Somerset in about 1804. One of about eight children, his elder brother “Dr” Robert Margrie was a herbalist in Topsham until his death in 1872.