The Murder of William Weare

Oct 9, 2023

Explore the sensational murder of William Weare in 1823, the public's morbid fascination with crime and gambling, the dark criminal underworld of 19th century Britain, the life and crimes of Thirtel, and the gripping murder trial of Thurtel and Hunt.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

The Sensational Murder and Public Fascination

01:33 • 2min

The Seedy Criminal Underworld and Lyons Inn

03:34 • 4min

The Life and Crimes of Thirtel

07:31 • 17min

The Murder Trial of John Thurtel and Joseph Hunt

24:08 • 20min

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44:32 • 2min

William Weare's murder was brutal, gruesome, and a source of complete fascination for the public, and it set the stage for illustrated crime reporting.

Research:

Cunningham, Alice. “Radlett: The horrifying 19th century murder that put Hertfordshire's most affluent town on the map.” Hertfordshire Mercury. 11/18/2020. https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/radlett-horrifying-19th-century-murder-4708130
Smith, Daniel. “'Murder jug' from 19th Century sells for big money.” Leicester Mercury. 8/20/2022. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/murder-jug-19th-century-sells-7487222
Muir, John. “Seven Men Sentenced to Die.” From Rare Books Collections, National Library of Scotland.” https://digital.nls.uk/broadsides/view/?id=14718
“A narrative of the mysterious and dreadful murder of Mr. W. Weare : containing the examination before the magistrates, the Coroner's Inquest, the confession of Hunt, and other particulars previous to the trial, collected from the best sources of intelligence, with anecdotes of Weare, Thurtell, Hunt, Probert, and others, and a full report of the trial, and subsequent execution at Hertford.” London. 1824. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Kq5XAAAAcAAJ&pg=GBS.PA1
“The horrid effects of gambling, exemplified in the atrocious murder of Mr. William Weare, who was first treacherously inveigled to and then cruelly butchered by his associates, in Gill's Lane, Herts : together with The remarkable trial and conviction of John Thurtell and Joseph Hunt, for the murder : including Thurtell's eloquent defence, his demeanor previous to and throughout the trial, and a particular account of his c.” Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32830888
Fraser, Angus. "Thurtell, John (1794–1824), murderer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 11 Sep. 2023, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-27414
Wheeler, Susan. “Medicine in Art: The Lancett Club at a Thurtell Feast’, by Thomas Rowlandson.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. July 2002. Vol. 57, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24623701
Digby, Everard. “Somme Inns of Chancery.” From “The Commonwealth Law Review.” C. F. Maxwell. January 1906. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=pQBCAQAAMAAJ
Borowitz, Albert. “The Thurtell-Hunt Murder Case: Dark Mirror to Regency England.” Louisiana State University Press. 1987.
"Inns of Court." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 27 May. 1999. Accessed 13 Sep. 2023.
Rider, Clare. “The Inns Of Court And Inns Of Chancery And Their Records.” The Inner Temple. https://www.innertemple.org.uk/who-we-are/history/historical-articles/the-inns-of-court-and-inns-of-chancery-and-their-records/

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