The Double Murder at Marr Crofts (1825)

Situated between the town of Bury and the village of Norden lies the small hamlet of Birtle, nestled away in the North West of England. Dotted along the rolling fields are many farm buildings and small businesses that have been passed down through many generations, and it's within this setting we are travelling back almost two hundred years ago and to the evening of Saturday, 1st October 1825.

It was a miserable and wet evening with localized flooding take place in some parts of the area and with fields saturated by a downpour of rain that had struck the area only a few hours prior.

Benjamin Cass was a farmer but on a small scale who owned his own property as well as several others that he rented out, and as standards of living where to go, one could say he and his wife had a comfortable life. Benjamin, who was 65 years old, was known by many in the local area to be a man of careful habits, someone who had his head screwed-on when it came down to business and he was never short of a penny or two.

Having only married a few years prior, Benjamin shared his home with his wife, Alice, who was older than him at the age of 76.

At around 7pm on the 1st October, a man by the name of John Chadwick called at Marr Crofts, the home of Benjamin and Alice. This in itself was nothing unusual as John would often call on his friend on a Saturday evening where they would share jokes, often talk about how well business was doing as well as take on a few shots of brandy or whiskey or whatever else was on offer.

John would stay at the Cass's farm until around 10pm and after reading a pamphlet together, John bid his goodbye's to both Benjamin and Alice.

Benjamin rose from his chair that was situated close-by to a fire and he escorted John to the door. Meanwhile, Alice was sat alone at the end of a couch which was also next to the seat that Benjamin had been sat in for most of the evening. She had begun to rouse herself from where she was sitting, apparently readying herself to retire for the night.

Outside, it was still raining as both John and Benjamin walked 10 to 15 feet out into the yard. There, they spent a few moments talking before John made his way into the darkness of the night and towards his home that was only around 300 to 400 yards away. Unbeknownst to him that this would be the very last time he would ever see his friend, Benjamin, alive ever again.