Horace Wright, Oxfordshire's least successful highwayman
18 April 2023
Near Henley-on-Thames
Highwayman-obsessed Horace Wright was described by some as 'the modern Dick Turpin', but by others as 'a candidate for an asylum'!
Lost Gibbet at Gallowstree Common
13 March 2023
Gallowstree Common, South Oxfordshire
The name of this village in South Oxfordshire is a reminder of its history as a place where executed criminals were gibbeted.
Brutal murder of a match girl
9 March 2023
Botley Road/Binsey Lane, Oxford
The murder of Betsy Richards in 1871 was described by Oxford Coroner William Brunner as the worst crime he had seen in his 28 year career.
Infanticide at Culham Station
17 February 2023
Culham Station, Abingdon Rd, Culham
In 1873, Culham stationmaster William Bradshaw made a grisly discovery in the station toilets that saw passenger Jane Haines on trial for infanticide.
Shot students at Caudwell's Castle
14 February 2023
5 Folly Bridge, Abingdon Road
Just two years after it was built, the owner of Caudwell's Castle found himself on trial for shooting a student who had been tampering with his ornamental cannons!
A body-snatching hoax at Enstone church
9 February 2023
St Kenelm's Church, Enstone
In February 1832, the peaceful village of Enstone was suddenly alive with stories of grave-robbing. But were these rumours true?
Baby-farming and ghosts at Stonelands
3 February 2023
Stonelands, Burford Road, Brize Norton
The Stonelands area in between Brize Norton and Burford had a dark reputation in the 18th and 19th centuries as a location for 'baby-farming,'. Is Stonelands haunted by the ghost of a child-murderer?