Robert Baker's Tale • Wells-Next-The-Sea

 

Here lies Robert Baker. Robert was breeches-maker and glover from the town. It was on the 11th October 1817, when he left home to go and collect some debts owed to him. He said to his wife that he would be back by mid-afternoon, but he never returned. News began to spread of his absence, but it wasn’t until the Monday that his body was discovered on a lane outside of the town. As it happens, he had been discovered the previous day, but it wasn’t recognized as such. Some children had come upon a ‘sleeping drunkard’ in a hedge, but had not come close enough to see the fracture at the back of his head. A reward was offered for information that could lead to the arrest of two men seen running from the area on the Saturday afternoon. Robert was laid to rest here in the churchyard of St Nicholas. 

In the archives of the Norfolk Record Office there is a hand-drawn map of the area that pertains to the crime. It’s not to scale and many of the byways have changed in the last 200 years. 

It is my opinion that this is approximately where the body of Robert Baker was found. On Victorian ordnance survey maps a footpath or lane is shown here, passing over what is today just an expanse of field. I believe this was the ‘Blacks Lane’ noted on the hand-drawn maps. I have shared images on our website if you’d like to see. Otherwise, I imagine the footpath today looks much the same as it did in 1817.

Within a few days of the crime a 30 year old man named James Johnson was arrested. His suspected accomplice, William Hardiment was still at large. Johnson protested his innocence and acknowledged that although he had led a sinful life, he was no murderer. After a brisk seven hour trial he was found guilty and would be hanged at Norwich Castle on 23rd March 1818.

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Two and a half years after Johnson’s execution, Hardiment was finally captured. He had fled to Yorkshire. He was taken to Norwich Castle upon arrest. He again protested his innocence but did confess to being with Johnson on the day of the crime. So, were these two the killers of Robert Barker or did they flee the town following some more minor crime that weekend? Neither man confessed before they were executed, so we have to hope that the courts at the time made the right judgement.

Both men were poor and had been involved in other criminal activities. Hardiment was a veteran of the Napoleonic and American wars, having served in the Royal Marines for twelve years, followed by five in the Kent militia. He had made poor decisions after leaving the military and was said to be ‘selling religious tracts’ when captured in Yorkshire.

After his execution his body was given to the surgeons for dissection. If you want a grim field trip, his death mask is now on display at Norwich Castle museum, along with those of the Burnham murderers from our post on Hannah Shorten.

Grave:

W3W: ///digs.figs.scream

GRID REF: TF918431

Possible Crime Scene:

W3W: ///rinsed.tune.disbanded

GRID REF: TF916426