The Life and Death of William Palmer

The Life and Death of William Palmer

The Rugeley Poisoner

Dr William Palmer was born in Rugeley Staffordshire on the 6^th August 1824. He was publically executed at 8a.m on Saturday June 14^th 1856 in Stafford for the murder of John Parsons Cook.

William Palmer was one of seven children born to moderately wealthy parents Sarah and Joseph Palmer. They lived in a large house situated in Station Road, Rugeley. There were several accounts reported during his school years that he was a bully and had upon his person suspiciously large amounts of money. This Money was said to have be stolen from his sisters’ or taken from his mother’s purse. Joseph, his father, was said to be strict but died when William was twelve. This left his mother to bring up the children on her own.

It was reported that William left school at the age of seventeen and his mother acquired him his first employment with a wholesale chemist called Evans & Evans. At the time William was employed with this company, money went missing, and finding the thief proved unsuccessful, until he was found opening mail belonging to Evans & Evans and was dismissed. His mother paid back all of the stolen money and William avoided prosecution.

In his second employment, William Palmer became an apprentice for Dr Edward Tylecote from Great Haywood. Again money went missing and this time his brothers paid back the money and his mother pleaded with Dr Edward Tylecote to allow William to continue his apprenticeship, but was refused and consequently sent to Stafford Infirmary as a Student. It was here that William Palmer became interested in poisons and also where he met his future wife Annie.

During Palmer’s short time as a “walking pupil” at Stafford Infirmary there was a suspicious death of a man called George Albey. After many investigations a verdict of death by natural causes what report, however one of the coroner's jury, Edward Jenkinson was not satisfied with the verdict and was suspicious of Palmer, but it is reported that Palmer had left the infirmary by this time. Did Jenkinson hold a grudge or was this the first of William Palmers victims?

Circa 1845 William Palmer moved to London to study to become a doctor. It was reported that he spent most of his time on wine, women and song, and after the hospital had reported to his mother that it was doubtful of William passing any of his exams and becoming a doctor she employed a private tutor to help. She allegedly promised the tutor £100 to do this; William subsequently passed and became a qualified Doctor. However the tutor was not paid and later sued Mrs Palmer, this was settled out of court.

In August 1846 William Palmer returned to Rugeley to practise as a doctor and hung a brass plate outside the door of his house in Market Street which over looked the public house The Talbot Arms (later The Shrewsbury Arms and recently The Shrew).

William tired from being a doctor and turned his attention to horse racing. Rugeley had an annual horse fair and a race course at Etching Hill on the outskirts of Cannock Chase near Stafford. He acquired his own stables and horses but did not have the money to maintain them. This lead to his downfall and caused him to have large debts with money lenders.

In 1850 William Palmer accompanied his friend Leonard Bladen to Chester Races. On that day Leonard Bladen won a lot of money. He wrote to his wife informing her that he was going to Rugeley to collect money owed from William Palmer along with his winnings from the races.  He would be coming home with about £1000 in total. Whilst in Rugeley he was suddenly taken ill, he had previously had an injury to the chest and was told to rest, but instead went to the races. Later at William Palmers house in Market Street, his wife was sent for by a friend of Leonards and to her shock she could see he was in agony. He later died with only £15 in his possession and no betting books.

Did he die due to his chest injury or in agony due to poisoning?

Was this William Palmers second victim?

Could this be William Palmer third victim?

Mr Bly from Beccles in Norfolk was another friend of William Palmer’s who also died in similar circumstances to that of Leonard Bladen. When Mrs Bly was summoned she found William Palmer treating him, he discouraged her from seeing her husband, but she demanded and sitting next to him on his death bed, he stated that William Palmer owed him money. When Mrs Bly approached William Palmer about this he replied that her husband was in a bad condition and said the truth was that Mr Bly had owed him the money but he didn’t like to mention it.

Ann Thornton known as Mary in later life was the house keeper and mistress of Colonel Brookes. He was a retired Indian Army Officer with whom she had an illegitimate daughter, Annie who later became William Palmer's wife. Mary Thornton was regularly drunk and because of this Annie was sent to live with her guardian Charles Dawson.

Mary Thornton lived in a house in Stafford near St. Mary’s church. After her husband, Annie’s father, Colonel Brookes shot himself in the head Mary’s drinking got worse. William Palmer and Mary’s relationship was not good and she often accused him of poisoning some of her many cats that were neglected and left to roam and fend for them selves. 

In January 1849 Mary was found drunk and semi conscious, Palmer had her taken to his home where she later died on January 18th 1849.

Was this William Palmer’s Fourth victim?

Could Victims Five, Six, Seven and Eight be Palmer’s children?

The children were between the ages of a few hours to 4 days old. It was reported by a maid that William Palmer poisoned them as they were too much of a drain on his resources.

Allegedly William Palmer was also responsible for the deaths of other children which he had conceived with other women. His uncle, his brother Walter and his wife Annie were also among suspicious deaths.

William Palmer was only tried for one death and that was of John Parsons Cook.

John Parsons Cook was a good friend of William Palmer’s and often accompanied him to the races; John had won a sum of £3000 on a horse and it is alleged he was poisoned for the money by Palmer due to his mounting debts.

John Parsons Cook died at The Talbot Arms (which stood opposite William Palmer's house) on Wednesday 21st November 1855.

Mr. William Stevens, John Parsons Cook’s stepfather was a retired merchant who took a dislike to William Palmer and instigated the inquest in to John’s death. It is reported that after several fraudulent claims it was discovered that William Palmer had poisoned John Parsons Cook and was arrested and took to Stafford Gaol.

After being found guilty of the murder of John Parsons Cook he was hung at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday June 14th 1856.  Despite Stafford only having a population of 12,500 along with the heavy rain crowds exceeding 30,000 gathered from Rugeley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford to witness the execution. Palmer is buried in the grounds of Stafford Prison which is situated just around the corner from the Measure for Measure company office!