Squire William Corder
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William Corder murders country maiden Maria Marten, who is pregnant with his child, in a red barn before burying her body beneath the barn floor. Maria's gypsy lover Carlos is pursued as a suspect, but he brings Corder to justice.
Maria Marten, or the Murder in the Red Barn: Directed by Milton Rosmer. With Tod Slaughter, Sophie Stewart, D.J. Williams, Clare Greet. In 1820s rural England, a young girl is tricked by a villainous Squire's promises of marriage, and when she becomes pregnant and disappears, a gypsy lad is blamed.
- (449)
- Crime, Drama
- Milton Rosmer
- 1936-08-18
- Born Into Poverty
- The Couple Elope
- A Stepmother’s Dream
- Sensational Trial of William Corder
- William Corder’s Execution
- Popular Representation
- Trailer of A 1935 Movie That Is Not Troubled by Truth Or Overacting
- Bonus Factoids
- Sources
- Questions & Answers
Maria was born in 1801 into the humblest of circumstances. Her father, Thomas, was a molecatcher in the village of Polstead. Maria is said to have been a good looking young woman who attracted the attention of the local lads. Liaisons with village youth had already produced two children by the time she met William Corder. He was a squire’s son with...
In mid-May 1827, Corder persuaded Maria to meet him at the Red Barn, a local landmark. They were, he said, going to run away to Ipswich to be married. The couple met as arranged but Maria was never seen alive again. William Corder also disappeared, but he stayed in touch with Maria’s family by sending letters that said she was in good health. The c...
A year after Maria’s disappearance, her stepmother, Ann, reported having dreams that her stepdaughter had been murdered. The dead woman was buried under the floor of the Red Barn, she said. She persuaded Maria’s father to start digging. As instructed by Ann, he began excavations in a grain storage bin and soon uncovered the mostly skeletal remains ...
William Corder was tracked down fairly quickly. He had married the daughter of a prominent jeweler and together they were operating a private school for girls in London. He was arrested at the school and taken to Bury St. Edmunds to face trial. William Corder in the dock was a media sensation. Forensic pathology in the early 19th century was primit...
The notoriety of the case ensured a big crowd would turn out to witness Corder’s last moments outside the Bury St. Edmonds Prison. Seven thousand (some accounts suggest 20,000) showed up for the spectacle of his demise at the hands of executioner John Foxton. On the morning of his execution, Corder wrote a confession, but claimed he and Maria had q...
The murder at the Red Barn has provided a living for many writers and travelling players. Balladeers made money singing their versions of the story and the publishers of broadsheets sold copies counted in the hundreds of thousands. Actors performed many versions of plays surrounding the events in the lives of Maria Marten and William Corder. The st...
Thousands of people visited Polstead in the following years to view the places where the grisly tragedy occurred. Souvenir hunters pretty much stripped the Red Barn of everything and they took chips of Maria’s gravestone until it was little more than a small rock.
During the dissection of William Corder’s body, surgeons applied the pseudo-medical discipline of phrenology to his brain. Of course, they found what they were looking for; larger than normal devel...Did Ann Marten really dream so vividly about Maria’s death? Rumours circulated that Ann, who was only a year older than her stepdaughter, had been carrying on an affair with William Corder. The two...“Foster’s Trial of William Corder for the Murder of Maria Marten in Polstead, Suffolk.” George Foster, 1828.Question:Hi there, I am wondering if there is an old play on which the film "Murder in the Red Barn" was based? Answer:As noted in the article "Actors performed many versions of plays surrounding the events in the lives of Maria Marten and William Corder." There has been a movie, a musical, and several plays written on the subject.
The play Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn existed in various anonymous versions; it was a sensational hit throughout the mid-19th century and may have been the most performed play of the time.
Apr 15, 2020 · On 18 May 1827, in front of witnesses, he arranged to rendezvous with Maria at the Red Barn, a well-known local landmark so named for its red tiled roof, and which was part of the Corder farm property.
Feb 3, 2020 · Maria Marten's bloody murder in The Red Barn at Polstead may have happened nearly 200 years ago but it remains as fresh in the public consciousness as many far more recent crimes. But,...
Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn: With Pippa Guard, Kevin McNally, Christopher Fairbank, Sylvestra Le Touzel. In March 1826 at Polstead in Suffolk, a boy named Bill met a girl named Maria. The result was tragedy.
