William Langman found dead, dumped in an alleyway in Exeter

In 1829 the Exeter Horse Races were to take place at Haldon (as they still do) on Tuesday and Wednesday 28th /29th July.

55 year old William Langman, who farmed 90 acres at Coxmoor between Bow and Spreyton, was looking forward to going. (William was the illegitimate son of Ann Langman who had lived with wealthy John Moon, from whom he had inherited Coxmoor in 1802.) He left his home at about 10 a.m. the day before, taking with him a five pound note, two sovereigns and six shillings in silver, two half-crowns and a shilling which he put in his purse – the foot of a purple cotton stocking. He had planned to stay the night in Exeter.

After he arrived in Exeter he called at the Black Dog Tavern, on North St, for a drink. He met some relatives and went with one of them, Skinner, up past St Sidwell’s church where they parted company at about 9.30 p.m. (Mary Skinner (1792 – 1867) from North Tawton, had been his apprentice in 1804, and had had a child by him.) She was under the impression he was going on out of town, as he said he was planning to sleep at Mrs Discombe, his sister’s house on the old Stoke Canon road.

Early on Tuesday morning, the body of an elderly man was discovered in Northam’s passage, off St Mary Arches Street.

It seemed he had been placed there; there were no signs of violence. All his pockets had been turned inside out.

PC Smallridge made some enquiries and took into custody two females of loose character, Grace Bryant, recently from Stonehouse, Plymouth, and Elizabeth Cousins (b 1811), a native of Bow. They lived in Exeter in a house of ill fame kept by a woman of the name of Baker, otherwise Bissett, otherwise Cornish, and a man called Baker who passes for her husband.

It was then learnt that the body was that of William Langman.

The inquest took place at 5 pm before Samuel Walkey Esq., Coroner, in the London Alehouse at the bottom of St Mary Arches St.

Grace Bryant, 29, was first to give evidence whilst feeding her baby. She said that at about 10.30 pm the deceased, whom she did not know, tapped her on the shoulder as she was standing at the top of Fore St, and asked if she would like a drink. She accepted and asked Elizabeth Cousins to come with them. They went to the Smith’s Arms, in St Mary Arches St., where Langman recognised Cousins as being the daughter of one of his neighbours back in Bow. They shared half a pint of “rum and shrub” and he also bought 6d worth of bread and mutton, which he paid for with loose change. He ordered a second half of rum and shrub, and paid with a sovereign. He put the change in his purse which he put back in his pocket. They left at about 11 pm.

She then started to tell an obviously concocted story, but under questioning said that she would tell the truth, claiming that John Baker (her landlord) and his wife had made her lie.

Agitated and weeping she said that Langman then accompanied them to her lodgings in Baker’s house, opposite where the inquest was taking place. Baker and his wife were there when they arrived. Cousins then left. Langman gave Mrs Baker some money for more liquor. She came back with more rum and shrub, by which time he was asleep, apparently drunk, in the chair.

Baker wanted Langman out of the house. The Bakers said they would take his money otherwise someone else would rob him by morning.

Looking up St Mary Arches Street c 1830. From The History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832 by Thomas Shapter MD.

They took his purse, which contained a small amount of change, and found his five pound note. Bryant was sent to change the note, and met Cousins and a man on the way. The three of them went to Mrs Godfrey’s liquor shop in Friernhay St and bought another half a pint –which they didn’t want - they just wanted change for the note. The shop woman gave her 4 sovereigns and some silver as change. Bryant gave the money to Mrs Baker who put it in a tea cup. John Baker then dragged Langman down the stairs; he took his shoulders and Bryant his feet. Bryant went back up, leaving him with Baker at the bottom of the stairs. Baker then dumped Langman in the passageway, and returned to the house. Cousins came back and immediately went back out to go through Langman’s pockets. She returned saying she had found no more money, and that she thought he was dying. Then they burnt his purse and walking stick.

At this point the coroner ordered Mr Baker’s arrest.



Cousins then gave evidence, in the end agreeing with Bryant’s version. She also was living in Exeter with Baker. She had known William Langman at Bow for eight or nine years, as at Coxmoor he was their nearest neighbour, living only 3 fields away.

By now Baker had been arrested and had taken the constable to St Bartholomew’s burying ground where he showed them where he had hidden Langman’s money behind a tomb stone.

The court adjourned at 10.30 pm and Mr and Mrs Baker, Bryant and Cousins were taken to the city prison.

Next morning Exeter surgeon Mr John Edye made a post mortem examination, assisted by Robert Arscott. There were no signs of violence. Death, they thought, was due to apoplexy – an overflow of blood to the head.

John Baker was called to give evidence at the resumed inquest. He said he was married to the woman stated to be his wife but had another wife. He had only known Bryant a week. The deceased was drunk when he came to his house.

Next Elizabeth Cornish alias Baker said that she was Baker’s wife; her first husband was still alive. She blamed Grace Bryant for refusing to let Langman sleep in the house.

The inquest adjourned to 5 pm Thursday when the jury issued their verdict: “found dead in a passage called Northam’s passage, but by what means deceased came to his death is unknown to the jury.”

The prisoners were remanded and taken away to prison in a Hackney coach amidst the shouts and hisses of the rabble assembled.

John Baker, 37, Elizabeth Cornish, 46, Grace Bryant, 20, were then charged with feloniously killing and slaying William Langman; also for stealing from the person of the said William Langman one promissory note for five pounds, and eighteen shillings and ten pence, of the current coin of the realm.

Elizabeth Cousins, 20, was detained as evidence for the Crown.

They appeared at Exeter Guildhall on Tues 19 Oct 1829.

John Baker was represented by Mr Estcott. All pleaded not guilty

At the trial there was no fresh evidence. They were all found guilty of stealing Langman’s money: the second charge of manslaughter was dropped.

They were sentenced to be “Transported beyond the seas for the term of your natural lives.”

Aftermath

John Baker: transported to Tasmania on “Sir Charles Forbes" which arrived in July 1830. One report claims he drowned in a boating accident in 1839.

Elizabeth Bissett Cornish otherwise Baker: she was transported to Sydney on “Roslin Castle” arriving there in June 1830. (Previously in 1825, she had spent a year in jail after making her daughter write a threatening letter to an old lady in Chulmleigh.) In Australia she married another convict, Henry Jessop, in 1832. (Henry Jessop (1780-1856): convicted of sheep stealing at the Old Bailey in 1807.)

She died aged 54 in Sydney in 1836. She had been left land in Cobbitty, New South Wales, in trust to be passed on to her children in England on her death. Her previous husband, William Henry Bissett Cornish was hanged at Exeter Prison in 1830 for an “unmentionable offence”. One could write a book about their daughter Elizabeth Bissett Cornish (born in Ermington in 1810) otherwise Seward otherwise Hutchinson otherwise Sutcliffe otherwise Morland and finally Ruddell. In brief her first husband (William Seward) was transported to Australia (as his mother had been) for stabbing someone in the Duke of York public house in Crediton in 1834. She was accused of a bigamous marriage to Mr Hutchinson but went on to marry a third time to Francis William John Sutcliffe otherwise Henry Morland who owned a theatre in London. Her fourth husband was jeweller Henry Ruddell. Together they owned a theatre in Gravesend until her death in 1898. (In 1833, her younger brother Elijah, a baker, was also sentenced to be transported, but he was pardoned in 1839 and returned to Exeter where he married.)

Grace Bryant: She was also transported to Sydney on “Roslin Castle” with Cornish; arriving in June 1830. Her daughter Emma was baptised in St David’s Church in Exeter while she was on remand in Exeter Prison. She made several applications to marry in Australia.

Elizabeth Cousins from Bow was pardoned after giving evidence against the others. Shortly afterwards she and another woman were sentenced to one month’s hard labour in bridewell for gross improprieties committed in the public street as early as six o’clock in the evening, having since her discharge taken over the running of a brothel.

William Langman's body was buried at Bow on 1st August. His widow, Ann (together they had nine children) remained at Coxmoor, run by her son Thomas, until it was sold in 1854. She then moved into Bow village where she died aged 88 in 1868.