Spondon Murder Mistery

[Bill Slater]

: :)Further to other data about the HOMESTEAD, it has a connection with the Murder of My Gt, Gt, Grandfather, ENOCH STONE; 148 Yr`s Ago the night of June 23, 1856, ENOCH was found on Nottingham Rd with severe head injuries, A man stayed with him while one went for the Derby Police, & another to get the Spondon Constable & a Doctor. Surgeon Mr CADE of the HOMESTEAD, went to the scene, tended to him & supervised his transfer to a cart, & took him home; He stayed with him through the night,but at 6am he died without regaining consciousness. ThePolice began an investigation, & on July 1st, Reward Notices were displayed offering £120 for information leading to the assailants Capture,It was a huge sum in those days. The Government would pay £100, & Spondon Parishioners £20; It produced various leads, these were pursued, but no culprits were found, & on 21st July the Inquest held at the MALT SHOVEL Inn, closed the case. Some time later a MEMORIAL Stone was placed at the scene of the Attack,& is still there & can be seen on the grass verge at the side of Nottingham Rd, Beyond Raynesway Island & almost on the corner of OREGAN WAY, It has carved on it his Initials E H

[Ken Porter]

The only birth / chr. of an Enoch Stone that I found was in Ockbrook on 03.06.1807; his father was Samuel and his mother Mary. This ties in nicely with 1851 Census, Spondon

Enoch Stone - Framework knitter - age 44 - b. Ockbrook
Elizabeth - Wife - F.W.K - 39 - b. Spondon
Joseph - Son - Stable servant - 15 - b. Spondon
Eliza - Daughter - 13 - b. Spondon
Hannah - Daughter - Scholar - 11 - b. Spondon
Frederick - Son - Scholar - 5 - b. Spondon
Frances Bryan - Nurse child - 2 - b. Spondon

As you noted, Enoch Stone eventually died in his home (Church St, Spondon) at 6 am 24th June 1856, verdict - murdered by persons unknown, at Stoney Cross, Spondon. He was found unconcious on Nottingham Road by the Raynesway junction and never regained consciousness. The burial took place 2 days later in the graveyard of St. Werburgh’s, Spondon.

His wife was Elizabeth Porter, of the Ockbrook farming family. For many years I believed her to be in my ancestral line but it proved not to be. She appears on the 1881 census, as a widow living on Potter Street

Enoch had four children, Joseph and Frederick both married and had children and grandchildren.

[Bill Slater]

Enoch`s daughter Hannah,Married GeorgeSlater 3rd March 1861,& had 2 children William & Maria,
William Married Jemima Fletcher 26th Dec 1889, 5 children, Bill,Myra,Mary,Ann,Horace,&Bertha,Horace My father Married Gladys May Hardy23rd July 1927.
I too thought Elizabeth Porter to be in Ken`s Ancestral line& now stand corrected, Thanks.

[cricketer]

Mary Slater has now reached the outstanding age of 104, according to Bill. My sister-in-law recently visited her to renew an old friendship and was able to share Mary's clear memories of times past.

A personal note to Bill: Your e-mail address doesn't seem to be working and all my mail bounces back.