Martha Crowdon

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1 Martha Crowdon
2 The Murder Of Martha Crowdon
3 After the Trial
4 Folk Tales and Superstitions
5 Nursery Rhymes And Songs
6 References
7 Further Reading

[edit] Martha Crowdon

Martha Crowdon was the daughter of local businessman Jack Crowdon from Exeter, Devon, who had made his name when the London and South Western Railway opened in 1860. She was murdered on the 19th of September 1879 and was only nineteen at the time of her death.

[edit] The Murder Of Martha Crowdon

The murder of Martha Crowden took place in Exeter, Devon on September the 19th 1879. Her body was found mutilated and half-covered by branches on the banks of the River Exe just outside of the city.

The murderer was never found, though it was believed by many that the culprit was one Andrew Carver – a canal worker from Topsham who had been engaged to Miss Crowden.

Although he went on trial, Andrew Carver was found not guilty and released soon after. During the trial he showed little remorse and in fact stated: “I want it to be known that I never loved her, and if anything I am glad they killed her.” He said that Martha was a cruel and manipulative young woman and that “For all your tears, there will be few of you who will place even a single flower on her grave.”

It was stated by many that he had in fact been paid by Martha’s own father to kill her. Jack Crowden had never approved of the couple’s relationship and was having trouble from the local magistrate about his daughter, who reputedly had taken to stealing.

Another mystery surrounding the trial was a letter written to Martha Crowdon that addressed her as ‘mother.’ It was believed that Martha Crowdon had a daughter with Andrew Carver, but no other indication of the child’s existence was ever found. The letter was brief but condemned Martha Crowden cruelly and soon became the basis for many rumours and tales.

[edit] After the Trial

Andrew Carver left Exeter soon after the trial and went on to live in the town of Crediton, some 8 miles away, where he lived out the rest of his years with little note. Jack Crowden however, met a more unfortunate end, when in 1887 he was among the 150 people that died when the Theatre Royal burned down.

Martha Crowdon’s Grave can be found in St Thomas churchyard, Exeter.

[edit] Folk Tales and Superstitions

In the years following the murder, the story of Martha Crowdon became subject to many folk tales and superstitions. Mainly surrounding the fact that her body had been covered with cut holly branches from a nearby bush (it was believed that holly should be pulled from the branch, not cut. To do so was bad luck.)

Also the ghost of Martha Crowdon was rumored to haunt the banks of the River Exe where she died, though bizarrely she was supposed to appear as an old maid gathering flowers (even though Martha was only nineteen)

[edit] Nursery Rhymes And Songs

The rhyme ‘Old Martha Crawdon’ is still well known around the local area and dates back to the late nineteenth century. The Folk Singer Martin Carthy composed a small ditty around the rhyme in 1976 but only ever played it once live at the Sidmouth Folk Festival (now Sidmouth Folk Week).

“Old Martha Crawdon waves goodbye, ‘Neath holly branch and bend she lies.”

In the 1920’s the story had a brief revival and many of the misinterpretations that doomed it to obscurity were created.

The old rhyme changed and became known as:

“Martha Crawson weaves goodbyes, To bed with circus folk she lies.”

This created the story that Martha Crawson was murdered by Jack Carver for running away with a Carny. The line: To Bed With Circus Folk She Lies, is most probably a mishearing of Bedford Circus – the place where Martha’s father died in the Theatre Royal fire of 1887.

More recently the Exeter band Catherine And The Owl released a song entitled: Martha's Grave - which tells of the murder and trial in gruesome detail.