1848 Murder on the Beach

[Coquet]

ALLEGED MURDER AT AMBLE. CONFESSION OF A CONVICT.

Thomas Lambert, a convict on board the York hulk, at Gosport, made a statement on the 26th ult., respecting a murder which he alleged he had committed on the sea-beach, near Amble, upon a young woman with whom he had cohabited. The following is a copy of his statement :—" About the 20th of July, 1847, during my travels as a hawker of razors, knives, and pocket hand-kerchiefs, &c., I stopped at Gateshead, and took my lodgings at a house kept by a man of Pipergate (Pipewellgate]. I do not know his name. While there, a woman named Ann Smith, aged 19, a native of Belfast, came to stop also. I had known her for some time previously. She said she would like to travel with me. I told her I had no objections, but that she could not accompany me then, as I had to go to North Shields, which is about seven miles from Newcastle. I stopped at North Shields about five days. During my absence she kept the house at Pipergate, but on my return I met her in Sandgate. I then agreed to meet her in the morning. I did so, and we started together for Hexham, but she stopped at Coleridge [Corbridge], while I went on to Hexham, where I stopped all night.
The next morning I went to Chapel Wardale [Weardale]. I stopped there two days, and then returned to Hexham, having promised to meet Ann Smith at a lodging-house, kept by Mrs Glaston. This was on the 4th of August, 1848. The next day I went to Stage-bank [Stagshawbank] fair, about three miles from Hexham, and returned about ten or eleven o'clock in the evening to Mrs Glaston's. Something then occurred that caused a quarrel between us ; but, being the worse of liquor, I cannot recollect the particulars. I got up to strike her. She was then peeling onions with a penknife, which ran into my hand, the mark of which is now visible. I did not say anything, but made up my mind that as she had drawn blood from me, I would draw hers. We did not speak to each other that night. The next morning we started together for a town called Hamble [Amble]. On the road we stopped at a village called Wetherington [Widdrington]. About 9 o'clock in the evening we went to a lodging-house, but they were full. She then asked me where I was going to stop that night. I told her I would go to Hamble. We then both went along the banks (sea-coast) about three miles, which made it about half-past ten o'clock. I then stopped her and told her her time was come. We were on the sea-beach, and close against a stream that ran into the sea. I knocked her down with a stick I used when walking, and then took a razor from my pack, and cut her throat. I then left her dying on the sand, supposing that at high water she would be washed into the sea. I then went to a farm about half a mile from where I committed the deed. I do not know the name of the farm, but it consisted of a farm-house, hinds' houses, a public-house, a blacksmith's shop, and a school. When here, I made up my mind to remain all night ; but thinking it best that the body should be put out of sight, I took a shovel from a shed belonging to the farm, and returned to where the body was lying. I then dragged it about thirty yards nearer the sea, it being then very low tide, and dug a hole in the sand, and buried her at high water. I should think the sea would run forty or fifty yards over where she lay. I then toot the shovel back, and placed it where I had previously taken it from, and proceeded on to Amble, where I remained about a fortnight. I never heard anything respecting the murder. I then started for Newcastle, returning by the same route as I had come. I went into the blacksmith's shop at the farm to light my pipe, as I thought that would be the most likely place to hear if the body had been discovered. I, however, never heard anything about it. I have been very uneasy and miserable ever since, and make this statement by my own wish, in hope that it will give ease to my mind." to consequence of this statement, which is signed by two of the officers of York hulk, a communication was made by the director of convict prisons to Mr Schorey, superintendent of the Gateshead police force, who was requested to investigate the alleged facts, and ascertain, so far as he could, whether they were true or false. This he has since personally done. The result is, that the statements of the convict are none of them found to be untrue. The localities are correctly described in his confession; and there was a person living in Hexham at the time stated, called Glaston, who took in lodgers. No additional fact, however, to corroborate the convict's statement has been discovered. The stream referred to pursues a winding course across the wide sea beach, before it loses itself in the ocean.



Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury 27 September 1851